Published in Pilot-Tribune on 28 September 1959

COUNTY RECORDS FOURTH FATALITY

Douglas Lee, 33 years of age, of Blair, died Sunday evening at Memorial Community Hospital of injuries received in a train-truck accident Friday afternoon about 2:15 o'clock.

Mr. Lee is Washington County's fourth 1959 highway fatality.

The accident occurred at the intersection just east of The DeSoto Store. Mr. Lee was hauling rock from the Tobbin Quarries to the DeSoto Bend river project and was returning to the quarry when the accident occurred.

The truck was traveling west and the train south, when they collided at the intersection. The truck was completely demolished. The cab of the truck was in the ditch on the south side of the road with the engine torn loose from its frame and lying about 10 feet south of the truck cab.

The truck box was carried approximately a block south of the intersection and was demolished, being torn loose from its frame. Parts of the truck were strewn along the right of way for several hundred feet.

Doris Harper, who operates the DeSoto Store, saw the accident and phoned the telephone operator and Sheriff Rudy Fick.

Mr. Lee received several deep cuts and bruises and did not regain consciousness before dying.

Mr. Lee is survived by his wife, Dorothy, who has been working at Young's Cafe as a waitress. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were married in July and moved to Blair from Duluth, Minn in July.

A brother of Mrs. Lee, Robert Sokoloski, arrived in Blair and reports that Mr. Lee's parents were both killed in a car-train accident when he was three years of age. A twin sister was also killed in a train-car accident.

The Campbell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements, which have not been completed.

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

Note: Since the actual death date was not given, the news article date was used in order to input this record.