Medford Mail Tribune-Medford, Oregon-June 14, 1954
The Dalles-A boat capsized in a Columbia river whirlpool near the new bridge here late yesterday and the five persons aboard were feared drowned.
Bodies of two woman were recovered last night while a search continued for bodies of the three mean reported lost.
The victims were identified by police as Mrs. Freeda Asbell Redfearn, about 41, local beauty shop operator, and Mrs. June Winsor Sparks, formerly of Omaha, Neb., whose bodies were recovered, and Hugh Redfearn about 40, Frank Betts, about 40, owner of the boat, and Vernon Sparks, husband of the dead woman. The latter three were missing.
First reports said six persons were in the boat, but police later said it was five.
The mishap occurred shortly before 6 p. m. just upstream from The Dalles bridge.
A witness, Clarence Head, said he was watching through binoculars when he saw the boat apparently having motor trouble. He said it was then caught in a whirlpool and capsized. He said one man swam towards the shore before disappearing and then another tried to grab some boards which were thrown from the boat.
The 15-foot boat was recovered by Coast Guardsmen.
The Fairbury Journal-June 24, 1954
Mrs. Freeda Asbell of The Dalles, Ore., formerly of Fairbury, drowned when a boat overturned in the Columbia River Sunday, June 13, 1954, at the age of 46 years, 1 month and 12 days.
Freeda Mae Dimond, daughter of Fred and Gudri Dimond, was born at Bismarck, N. D., May 1, 1908. When 13 years of age she moved from North Dakota to Nebraska.
In 1925, she married Fred Vrooman, and to them two children, Everett and Donna, were born.
For several years she operated a beauty shop in Fairbury. Later while stationed at the Bruning air base, she met and married Clarence Asbell.
In 1944 she left Fairbury, moving to different locations in the West, and at the time of her death, she operated a beauty shop at The Dalles.
Preceding her in death was her son, Everett in October 1941.
Surviving are her daughter and husband, Donna and Raymond Diaz, and grandchildren, Leslie, Leon and Lorraine Diaz, of Mountain Home, Idaho; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dimond of Fairbury; two brothers and five sisters, Wm. F. of Towanda, Kansas, Arthur of Fairbury, Mrs. Melvin Bradbury of Sweet Springs, Mo., Mrs. Ruby Biehl of Fairbury, Mrs. Ella Schmohr of Swanton, Mrs. Dorothy Rohr of Endicott and Mrs. Mary Hiatt of North Platte.
Funeral services were Saturday afternoon at the Methodist church with Rev. A. W. Johnson, pastor, officiating. Burial in the Fairbury cemetery. Traum service.
The Dalles-A boat capsized in a Columbia river whirlpool near the new bridge here late yesterday and the five persons aboard were feared drowned.
Bodies of two woman were recovered last night while a search continued for bodies of the three mean reported lost.
The victims were identified by police as Mrs. Freeda Asbell Redfearn, about 41, local beauty shop operator, and Mrs. June Winsor Sparks, formerly of Omaha, Neb., whose bodies were recovered, and Hugh Redfearn about 40, Frank Betts, about 40, owner of the boat, and Vernon Sparks, husband of the dead woman. The latter three were missing.
First reports said six persons were in the boat, but police later said it was five.
The mishap occurred shortly before 6 p. m. just upstream from The Dalles bridge.
A witness, Clarence Head, said he was watching through binoculars when he saw the boat apparently having motor trouble. He said it was then caught in a whirlpool and capsized. He said one man swam towards the shore before disappearing and then another tried to grab some boards which were thrown from the boat.
The 15-foot boat was recovered by Coast Guardsmen.
The Fairbury Journal-June 24, 1954
Mrs. Freeda Asbell of The Dalles, Ore., formerly of Fairbury, drowned when a boat overturned in the Columbia River Sunday, June 13, 1954, at the age of 46 years, 1 month and 12 days.
Freeda Mae Dimond, daughter of Fred and Gudri Dimond, was born at Bismarck, N. D., May 1, 1908. When 13 years of age she moved from North Dakota to Nebraska.
In 1925, she married Fred Vrooman, and to them two children, Everett and Donna, were born.
For several years she operated a beauty shop in Fairbury. Later while stationed at the Bruning air base, she met and married Clarence Asbell.
In 1944 she left Fairbury, moving to different locations in the West, and at the time of her death, she operated a beauty shop at The Dalles.
Preceding her in death was her son, Everett in October 1941.
Surviving are her daughter and husband, Donna and Raymond Diaz, and grandchildren, Leslie, Leon and Lorraine Diaz, of Mountain Home, Idaho; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dimond of Fairbury; two brothers and five sisters, Wm. F. of Towanda, Kansas, Arthur of Fairbury, Mrs. Melvin Bradbury of Sweet Springs, Mo., Mrs. Ruby Biehl of Fairbury, Mrs. Ella Schmohr of Swanton, Mrs. Dorothy Rohr of Endicott and Mrs. Mary Hiatt of North Platte.
Funeral services were Saturday afternoon at the Methodist church with Rev. A. W. Johnson, pastor, officiating. Burial in the Fairbury cemetery. Traum service.
Medford Mail Tribune-Medford, Oregon-June 14, 1954
The Dalles-A boat capsized in a Columbia river whirlpool near the new bridge here late yesterday and the five persons aboard were feared drowned.
Bodies of two woman were recovered last night while a search continued for bodies of the three mean reported lost.
The victims were identified by police as Mrs. Freeda Asbell Redfearn, about 41, local beauty shop operator, and Mrs. June Winsor Sparks, formerly of Omaha, Neb., whose bodies were recovered, and Hugh Redfearn about 40, Frank Betts, about 40, owner of the boat, and Vernon Sparks, husband of the dead woman. The latter three were missing.
First reports said six persons were in the boat, but police later said it was five.
The mishap occurred shortly before 6 p. m. just upstream from The Dalles bridge.
A witness, Clarence Head, said he was watching through binoculars when he saw the boat apparently having motor trouble. He said it was then caught in a whirlpool and capsized. He said one man swam towards the shore before disappearing and then another tried to grab some boards which were thrown from the boat.
The 15-foot boat was recovered by Coast Guardsmen.
The Fairbury Journal-June 24, 1954
Mrs. Freeda Asbell of The Dalles, Ore., formerly of Fairbury, drowned when a boat overturned in the Columbia River Sunday, June 13, 1954, at the age of 46 years, 1 month and 12 days.
Freeda Mae Dimond, daughter of Fred and Gudri Dimond, was born at Bismarck, N. D., May 1, 1908. When 13 years of age she moved from North Dakota to Nebraska.
In 1925, she married Fred Vrooman, and to them two children, Everett and Donna, were born.
For several years she operated a beauty shop in Fairbury. Later while stationed at the Bruning air base, she met and married Clarence Asbell.
In 1944 she left Fairbury, moving to different locations in the West, and at the time of her death, she operated a beauty shop at The Dalles.
Preceding her in death was her son, Everett in October 1941.
Surviving are her daughter and husband, Donna and Raymond Diaz, and grandchildren, Leslie, Leon and Lorraine Diaz, of Mountain Home, Idaho; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dimond of Fairbury; two brothers and five sisters, Wm. F. of Towanda, Kansas, Arthur of Fairbury, Mrs. Melvin Bradbury of Sweet Springs, Mo., Mrs. Ruby Biehl of Fairbury, Mrs. Ella Schmohr of Swanton, Mrs. Dorothy Rohr of Endicott and Mrs. Mary Hiatt of North Platte.
Funeral services were Saturday afternoon at the Methodist church with Rev. A. W. Johnson, pastor, officiating. Burial in the Fairbury cemetery. Traum service.
The Dalles-A boat capsized in a Columbia river whirlpool near the new bridge here late yesterday and the five persons aboard were feared drowned.
Bodies of two woman were recovered last night while a search continued for bodies of the three mean reported lost.
The victims were identified by police as Mrs. Freeda Asbell Redfearn, about 41, local beauty shop operator, and Mrs. June Winsor Sparks, formerly of Omaha, Neb., whose bodies were recovered, and Hugh Redfearn about 40, Frank Betts, about 40, owner of the boat, and Vernon Sparks, husband of the dead woman. The latter three were missing.
First reports said six persons were in the boat, but police later said it was five.
The mishap occurred shortly before 6 p. m. just upstream from The Dalles bridge.
A witness, Clarence Head, said he was watching through binoculars when he saw the boat apparently having motor trouble. He said it was then caught in a whirlpool and capsized. He said one man swam towards the shore before disappearing and then another tried to grab some boards which were thrown from the boat.
The 15-foot boat was recovered by Coast Guardsmen.
The Fairbury Journal-June 24, 1954
Mrs. Freeda Asbell of The Dalles, Ore., formerly of Fairbury, drowned when a boat overturned in the Columbia River Sunday, June 13, 1954, at the age of 46 years, 1 month and 12 days.
Freeda Mae Dimond, daughter of Fred and Gudri Dimond, was born at Bismarck, N. D., May 1, 1908. When 13 years of age she moved from North Dakota to Nebraska.
In 1925, she married Fred Vrooman, and to them two children, Everett and Donna, were born.
For several years she operated a beauty shop in Fairbury. Later while stationed at the Bruning air base, she met and married Clarence Asbell.
In 1944 she left Fairbury, moving to different locations in the West, and at the time of her death, she operated a beauty shop at The Dalles.
Preceding her in death was her son, Everett in October 1941.
Surviving are her daughter and husband, Donna and Raymond Diaz, and grandchildren, Leslie, Leon and Lorraine Diaz, of Mountain Home, Idaho; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dimond of Fairbury; two brothers and five sisters, Wm. F. of Towanda, Kansas, Arthur of Fairbury, Mrs. Melvin Bradbury of Sweet Springs, Mo., Mrs. Ruby Biehl of Fairbury, Mrs. Ella Schmohr of Swanton, Mrs. Dorothy Rohr of Endicott and Mrs. Mary Hiatt of North Platte.
Funeral services were Saturday afternoon at the Methodist church with Rev. A. W. Johnson, pastor, officiating. Burial in the Fairbury cemetery. Traum service.
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