Grandpa and Gramma Arnold were killed in an accident near Lincoln, IL 8 Nov 1952. They were on a trip to see Aunt Gertie and her family near St Louis when a pickup truck collided with them. Dora, Dorothy, Mardene and Vickie were injured and spent as long as 9 months in the hospital (Dora). Not long before the trip he had a tooth pulled and it's been in his coin purse that I've had for decades. They had sold their furniture and were preparing to move back to Somerset, Kentucky where they had been raised, met, married, and had five kids before moving to a farm in Milkes Grove Township, Iroquois County, IL in the 1920's. My wife's family lived on a farm just about two miles east in the 1950's. Uncle Welty lived on a nearby farm in this same time period. Uncle Sherwoods family farmed about 4 or 5 miles NW. And the story goes on.
remember this very well. I was 7 and we were living in east st Louis while seth was painting railroad bridges (I think). Remember when they were killed we went to the funeral in a small church. This was the end of the Gertrude Seth marriage. One day all four of us were taken to an orphanage along the river. Wonderful place as I remember, then Seth and Tom Arthur came to get me. I never wanted to see Seth again so I kept running away and was made a ward of court and was adopted and 6 months later we were on our way to California. Amazing how things turned out. Mike and I agreed later on we would be dead or in prison if we continued to live with Gertrude and Seth. Avoided a train wreck.jim lynch
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