John Henry Beam, 39-year-old steel worker, of 131 Broad Street, Myerstown, lost his life, almost instantly in a one-car automobile crash on Route 243, about two miles South of Rehrersburg, Berks County, on Wednesday afternoon about 2:30. He is survived by his wife, the former, Dorothy Risser, and a 16-year-old daughter Betty Bean, in addition to two sisters and three brothers. State Police of the local substation, after an investigation, learned that Bean was traveling alone in his car, proceeding south on the highway that runs from Myerstown to Rehrersburg through Bethel. It was learned that the car failed to negotiate a curve, swerved suddenly to the side of Ihe road, crossed the highway, hit an embankment and upset. Bean was thrown from the machine which rolled over approximately four times, and landed on top of his body, crushing his chest and breaking his neck, He was pinned beneath the machine in such manner that a tractor had to be used to drag the car away. Samuel T. Forry and Charles Bahney, both of Myerstown Route 1, who were working in a nearby field were attracted by the commotion and they ran to aid the motorist whom they found beneath the machine. They were unable to extricate the body and Forry then secured the tractor. Deputy Coroner Curtis C. Swope, of Frystown, investigated the case and stated there will be no inquest. The body was released to the Bahney Funeral Home at Myerstown. Private William Peck, of the local substation of stale motor police, said he was unable to determine just what causes Bean to lose control of the machine on the curve. Aside from his wife and daughter, Bean is survived by a brother, Moses, of Myerstown; two sisters, Mrs. Edna Peiffer, Lebanon, and Mrs. Kleinfelter, of sand Hill; and brother, Raymond, located in Texas, and Boyd, living in Kansas. He was a member of the Bethel Fire Company, and a son of Grant and Ellen (Spangler) Bean. [Lebanon Daily News, September 9, 1943, Page 1 & 20]