Richard W. Burke

Mar 14, 1916 - Sep 4, 1934

Four persons, two of them from South Bend, are dead today as a result of an automobile accident in which three cars crashed five miles south of Cassopolis, Mich., at 4:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. The dead are: Richard W. Burke aged 18, of 1025 East LaSalle avenue, South Bend. Mrs. James C. Lane, 20 sister of Mr. Burke, also of South Bend. Howard Reese, 26, of Birch Lake, near Vandalia, Mich. Morton East, 62, also of Birch Lake. Young Burke and Mrs. Lane are the son and recently-married daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Burke, 1025 East LaSalle avenue.

They were driving north on highway M-62 en route to Diamond Lake, near Cassopolis, where the family has a summer home, when the crash occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Asa Hayden in the third car figuring in the crash were uninjured. It was when Mr. East, driving the automobile which he and Mr. Reese were riding, attempted to pass the Hayden car, both traveling south, that the accident occurred. Apparently misjudging the proximity of the Burke sedan, traveling in the opposite direction, East James on the brakes, the car skidded on the wet pavement and was struck almost head-on by the Burke car. Neither of the two automobiles overturned but both were wrecked is extensively that the authorities and farmers who hurried to the scene had to obtain crowbars to pry open the doors too remove the dead and injured.

Mr. Reese is believed to have died instantly of a fractured skull; Mr. East died at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday night in McCutcheon Hospital, in Cassopolis of a fractured pelvis and internal hemorrhages; Mr. Burke died shortly after being taken to the hospital, although the nature of his injuries has not been determine, and Mrs. Lane succumbed at 11:30 o'clock Tuesday night in the same hospital of a skull fracture and internal injuries.

Young Mr. Burke and his sister are prominently known in South Bend, while Mr. Reese who was on his way to work when the accident occurred, is employed at the Ramble Inn, Rosalind, this county. His wife is living in Beloit, Wis., while Mr. East's wife and daughter were in South Bend at the time of the crash. Mrs. Lane the former Joan Burke was married about two weeks ago. Her husband is supervisor of the Sears Roebuck & Co., department store in South Bend. They have been reading at the Diamond Lake, near Cassopolis.

A double funeral for the local crash victims will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday from the Burke residence with Rev. Gilbert S. Cox, D. D., pastor of First Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery. Richard W. Burke was born here March 14, 1916, and his sister Jun 9, 1914. Both were graduates of Central High School, Mrs. Lane having been graduated in 1932 and her brother the following year. Prior to her graduating Mrs. Lane attended the preparatory school and academy at St. Mary's College. They are survived by the aprons with whom they lived; a brother Robert. H., and three sisters Ruth E. and Betty Eloise, at home, Mrs. Charles B. Jackson, of Chicago.

The South Bend Tribune - Wednesday September 5, 1934

Source: FindAGrave.com

04/16/2025 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225313940/richard-w-burke