Obituary Record

Andrew Charles Coulter
Died on 11/11/2003
Buried in Blair Cemetery

Pilot Tribune 11 Nov 2003

Andrew C. Coulter, 33

Funeral services for Andrew C. Coulter were held Monday, Nov. 10, at First United Methodist Church in Blair. The Rev. Nancy Flader and Rev. Kenneth Jensen officiated. Interment was at the Blair Cemetery.

Andrew Charles Coulter was born Oct. 24 1969, in Blair to Herbert and Sharlene (Ward) Coulter. He was a graduate of Blair High School and Purdue University, where he received his degree in computer programming.

He is survived by his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Laura and Eric Hansen of Dallas, Texas; nephew, Creighton; grandparents, Harold and Marjorie Ward of Laurel and Joyce Coulter of Denver, Colo.

Memorials are suggested to the Sienna-Francis House in Omaha or the Washington County Food Pantry.

Pilot Tribune Tuesday, 11 Nov 2003 Blair, Nebraska

Article written by Keith Rydberg, Reporter

Body found in river ID’d as Blair man

A body found in the Missouri River in Harrison County, Iowa, has been identified as that of a Blair man.

The body discovered by a fisherman on Oct. 19 was that of Andrew Charles Coulter, 33, of Blair. Coulter’s body was found near the Tyson Bend Refuge approximately five miles north of Blair on the Iowa side of the river. He had been missing since April 23.

While an investigation is continuing into what led to Coulter’s death, Harrison County Sheriff Terry Baxter said autopsy results indicate Coulter drowned and no foul play is suspected at this time. Baxter added a pathology report on Coulter’s remains should be completed this week which may give investigators more information.

However, Baxter noted that while Coulter’s identity has been confirmed, many questions still remain with the Blair Police Department, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation continuing to investigate Coulter’s last known whereabouts.

“Nothing from the autopsy indicated there was any foul play in Coulter’s death and there was nothing that led investigators to believe that foul play was a factor,” Baxter said. “We’re treating this as a simple death investigation, but now that we have identified the body, we are trying to determine why Coulter’s body was found in the Missouri River. In doing this, we are looking into his background and conducting interviews with some of the last people to see him.” Coulter was last seen in April and his parents, Herbert and Sharlene Coulter of Blair, filed a missing person report in July, but the circumstances of Coulter’s disappearance remain a mystery.

Baxter said once Coulter’s body was found, he released the information nationwide in the hope of getting information identifying the remains.

After forensics expert associated with a private investigator hired by the Coulters saw the teletype, the Coulters were asked to provide their son’s dental records, which led to the positive identification.

Anyone with information regarding the circumstances of Coulter’s death is asked to contact the Blair Police Department at 426-4747 or the Harrison County Sheriff’s department at (877)644-2299.

Funeral services for Coulter were at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at the first United Methodist Church in Blair. Burial followed at the Blair Cemetery. A complete obituary appears on page 2A.

Note: Since the actual death date is not known the news article date was used. Blair Find a Grave Memorial # 8079999

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Printed in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune on 11/11/2003


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