Died 13 December 1961

Burial in Blair Cemetery

Published in Enterprise on 14 December 1961

FORMER BLAIR WOMAN DIES IN CRASH

ADA BURCHAM KILLED IN CALIFORNIA LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Ada Burcham, wife of Jack Burcham, former Blair residents, was killed outright and Mr. Burcham is in serious condition as the result of an auto accident in California late Wednesday afternoon. Mrs. Burcham was once the proprietor of the B and C Shop in Blair and Jack was connected with the Gas Company. They have been living in retirement at Mesa, Arizona for several years.

Mrs. and Mrs. Burcham were enroute to Glendale, California to visit with friends, Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Hains. The fatal accident occurred near Redland, California. Details of the accident are not known.

Mrs. Burcham was killed outright in the crash and Mr. Burcham is in critical condition in a hospital at nearby Loma Linda, California.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Burcham were seriously injured in another auto accident several years ago. This one, also, took place in California. They were hospitalized several months at that time.

The couple served as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron of the McKinley Chapter of Eastern Star in Blair during the year 1948.

#2-published in Enterprise on 28 December 1961

RITES FOR ADA BURCHAM STILL PENDING

Funeral services and burial of Mrs. Ada Burcham will be held some time in the future, The Enterprise learned this week.

Mrs. Burcham was killed in an automobile accident on December 13 near Loma Linda, Calif. Her husband, Jack Burcham, is in critical condition at Loma Linda and has not been told of his wife's death.

Mr. Burcham is still undergoing surgery to correct injuries to his jaw and face.

Information gathered by The Enterprise in a personal contact with the hospital and mortuary in Loma Linda, reveals that no funeral and burial plans can be made until Mr. Burcham can be informed of his wife's death.

The couple have no children and no relatives in the vicinity.

Burial of Mrs. Burcham will be made at Blair, The Enterprise learned, but hospital attendants indicated that it may be as long as a month before Mr. Burcham can be informed of his wife's death and arrangements made.

The accident, it was learned, happened when a car driven by a young woman went out of control on a freeway and jumped the concrete median and crashed head-on into the Burcham car. Mrs. Burcham was killed instantly.

Mr. and Mrs. Burcham had been living in retirement at Mesa, Arizona. They were enroute to California to visit friends in California.

Mr. and Mrs. Burcham are Past Patron and Matron of the McKinley Chapter of the Eastern Star at Blair. At one time, they operated the B and C. shop in Blair.

#3-Published in Enterprise on 18 January 1962

DOUBLE FUNERAL MONDAY FOR MR. AND MRS. JACK BURCHAM

Double funeral services will be held next Monday afternoon for Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burcham, former Blair residents.

Mrs. Burcham had been killed instantly in an automobile accident December 13th near Loma Linda, California. Her husband died late Saturday evening, January 13th as a result of injuries received in the crash.

The couple lived here for many years. Jack was connected with the Gas Company and for several years they operated the B.& C. Shop in Blair. In 1948 they served as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron of the McKinley Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.

Funeral services will be held at the Campbell Mortuary and burial will be made in the Blair Cemetery. The services will be held at 2:00 Monday afternoon. Burial rites of the Order of Eastern Star will be carried out at the Mortuary and, if weather is severe, Masonic Rites may be pronounced there also. The couple following retirement several years ago, moved to Mesa, Arizona where they had a new home in a "sunset village" for retired couples. They had no children.

Mr. Burcham is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Millie Anderson of North Platte, Nebraska, and Mrs. Irene Carter, who lives in California, and by a brother, Fred, of Norfolk, Nebraska. He was the son of the late Jonas Burcham, well known early-day sportsman and outstanding member of the Blair Fire Department in the early days.

Mrs. Burcham has no sisters or brothers. Her parents died a number of years ago.

Mr. Burcham's condition was such that he had never been told of his wife's death in the accident.

#4-Published in Enterprise on 25 January 1962

SERVICE FOR BURCHAMS WAS HELD MONDAY

Double funeral services were held at the Campbell Mortuary Monday afternoon for Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burcham of Mesa, Arizona. Mrs. Burcham, the former Ada Brown, was killed instantly on December 13th in a car accident near Redland, California. Mr. Burcham died in the hospital at Loma Linda, California on January 13th as a result of the accident.

Rev. Dale Westadt officiated. The Masonic Rites and the Rites of the Order of the Eastern Star were given by members of those organizations. Burial was in the Blair Cemetery beside Mr. and Mrs. Orville Brown, parents of Mrs. Burcham.

Relatives attending the funeral were from San Francisco and Glendale, California, Harlan, Iowa, Ottertail, Minnesota, Sioux City, Iowa, Omaha and Blair.

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

Find a Grave # 113534260