MAX E. HOWE

Max E. Howe, 49, Killed Saturday

Max E. Howe, 49, of 317 West Carroll St., a Macomb automobile dealer, was killed at about 1 p.m. Saturday when the car he was driving crashed into the side of a Toledo, Peoria and Western freight train at a blacktop road crossing about 4 miles south of Walnut Grove in the north part of McDonough County.

The train was eastbound. It was struck by the Howe car, headed south, after only a few cars had passed.

Funeral services for Mr. Howe were held at 10:00 a.m. Monday at St. Paul's Catholic Church with Msgr. Michael J. Haddigan officiating. Burial was in St. Paul's Cemetery.

Smoke from the smashed Howe car attracted the attention of Duane Stevens, Bushnell TV dealer, who was a short distance north of the accident scene Saturday afternoon. He investigated and discovered that the Howe car had struck the train. Mr. Howe was lying about 20 feet from the badly damaged car. He had been thrown from the vehicle.

Stevens radioed Mrs. Stevens at their home in Bushnell and asked her to send firemen and an ambulance. The fire was not a serious one and was quickly extinguished.

Some of the fire was in the car and some was in the grass where gasoline from the exploded tank was burning. Fire reached Mr. Howe's clothing but he was not noticeably burned.

He was taken by ambulance to McDonough District Hospital where on arrival he was pronounced dead.

Members of the train crew did not know that the auto had struck one of the freight cars they were pulling. Officials contacted them through the Peoria offices of the TP&W.

Mr. Howe was born Feb. 3, 1920 at Havana, Ill., the son of Thomas and Grace Long Howe. Before moving to Macomb in 1949, he lived in Astoria, Canton, Mt. Sterling and Kewanee. Mr. Howe was the owner of Howe Motor Sales in Macomb.

Mr. Howe married Madge P. Foote on Dec. 30, 1950. She survives. Also surviving are a son, Timothy, at home; two brothers, Charles Howe of Lewistown and Herbert Howe of Astoria; and four sisters, Miss Pierapont Howe of Astoria, Mrs. William L. Merrill of Astoria, Mrs. Melva Bucher of Abingdon, and Mrs. C. L. Scott of Independence, Mo.

He was a member of the V.F.W., American Legion, Macomb Country Club, Knights of Columbus, Macomb Chamber of Commerce, and the Macomb Elks Club. He served in the armed forces during World War II.

Published in the Astoria Argus-Searchlight on 10/31/1962