Blog Post Number 261. Modoc Baby Killed in Accident (1931)
September 19, 1931
Betty Bales, ten-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bales, residing east of Modoc, was instantly killed Sunday morning when she fell out of an automobile driven by her father.
The accident occurred in front of the Carlos church, when Mr. Bales applied the brakes to avoid a collision with an other automobile. When he applied the brakes, the door flew open and the baby and her sister, Virginia, fell out. The back wheel passed over the baby's chest, causing death instantly. The older girl suffered light bruises.
Besides the parents and the sister, she is survived by one brother, Billy.
Funeral services were held at the Union Chapel church Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock. Burial was made at Liberty.
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Notes from Thursa, a RCHS Volunteer:
Daughter of Ralph "Spider" and Clara (Clark) Bales.
Baby Betty was noted to be the third child of her parents, born at 5 pm on Saturday, September 30, 1930 according to her birth certificate.
Her death certificate noted her as a white female, aged 9 months 16 days old at her death. She died Sunday, July 12, 1931 and cause of death crushing of right chest ribs puncturing right lung. She was buried at New Liberty Cemetery on Tuesday, July 14, 1931 with arrangements by Clark Thomas, Lynn, Indiana.
At the time of her death, her parents were noted to have lived three miles east of Modoc, Indiana.
Based on reviews of regional newspaper articles also covering the tragic story, it was noted it occurred in the morning. She and her sister were in the back seat and when she fell out, the back wheel ran over her. Betty had been setting on her sister's lap for the ride.
Mr. Bales lived to be 76 years old and was noted as a farmer, retired truck driver and livestock dealer. He had been born in Randolph County, Indiana and is buried in the Union Chapel Methodist Cemetery near Carlos, Randolph County, Indiana.
Mrs. Bales lived to be 86 years old having been born in Beloit, Mitchell County, Kansas. She is buried beside her husband in the Union Chapel Methodist Cemetery near Carlos, Randolph County, Indiana. Her obituary noted she was a native of Ohio but spent most of her life in the Carlos area. She was noted to be a housewife.
Betty is laid to rest just a few headstones south of her paternal grandparents Ozro and Estella Bales.
In the 1930 United States Federal Census:
Ralph Bales was a white male born in 1902 in Indiana who rented his home noted to be on a farm, had no radio set, was married when he was 17 years old, was able to read and write, a farmer and his parents were both born in Indiana.
Clara Bales was a white female born about 1900 in Indiana married to Ralph Bales when she was 19 years old.
Billie Bales was their on who was 10 years old and Virginia Bales their daughter was 6 years old with both noted at attending school.
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Would you like a book to learn more about local history?
Randolph County, Indiana 1818-1990
Commonly referred to as "The Red History Book"
Compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society, 1991, Second reprint 2003.
To obtain your own copy of "The Red History Book" stop in at The RCHS Museum Shop.
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