Died 22 June 1941 (date calculated)

Buried in Blair Cemetery

#1-Published in Pilot Tribune on 26 June 1941

TRUCK DRIVER, 27, BURNED TO DEATH IN CRASH

DRIVER FOR TYSON-LONG COMPANY OF HERMAN IS KILLED IN KANSAS

Gerald Brand, 27, oil transport driver for the Tyson-Long company of Herman, was burned to death at 8 p.m. Sunday when his Herman-bound truck went off the highway south of Concordia, Kansas, and caught fire.

The truck was loaded with 3,000 gallons of gasoline.

No one witnessed the accident, and first passersby found the truck in a field, upright, blazing. It is believed Brand either went to sleep while driving or lost control of his vehicle in some manner.

The body was returned to the Campbell mortuary in Blair, where funeral services were held yesterday afternoon, burial following in Blair cemetery.

Mr. Brand's wife is the former Violet Grabbe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Grabbe of west of Spiker. She survives, as does a four-year-old son.

#2-26 June, 1941 - The Enterprise - Gerald Brand

HERMAN MAN KILLED IN GAS TRUCK FIRE

Gerald Brand, Driver For Tyson-Long Company, Burned to Death

TRUCK OVERTURNED ON ROUGH ROAD

Gerald Brand, truck driver for the Tyson-Long Co. petroleum transporters of Herman, Nebraska, was burned to death last Sunday evening when he lost control of his truck on a rough piece of road, ran off into the field and overturned. Fire ensued which completely destroyed the truck and contents and burned the driver to death.

According to information given The Enterprise, Brand was returning to this vicinity with a load of gasoline which he had taken on at a refinery at McPherson, Kansas. Members of the Tyson-Long firm stated that apparently the truck hit a chuck hole in the road, broke a front spring, causing the semi trailer outfit to jack-knife and overturn in a field near the road. Frank was hauling a load of 3600 gallons of gasoline, all of which was consumed in the fire which followed the accident. There was partial insurance on the equipment.

The accident occurred on Highway 81 eight miles south of Concordia, Kansas. As far as is known, there were no observers of the accident, the Enterprise was informed. The blazing truck was found by highway patrolmen who were covering the route, and they immediately sent notice of the accident to this vicinity.

Brand who was 27 years of age, had been driving for the Herman firm for more than a year. Two weeks ago he lost a brother in an accidental electrocution and had returned to work only a few days ago.

Brand was born in Iowa, and moved to Smithfield, Nebraska in 1916 where he grew to manhood. When 16 years of age he secured employment near Herman and worked there for four years.

He was married July 14, 1934 to Miss Violet Grabb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Grabb of Herman, and one son, now three years of age, with the wife, survive him. Their home at the time of his death was Hebron, Nebraska.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Campbell Mortuary in Blair, and interment was made in the Blair cemetery.

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