Newspaper Cassville Democrat
Date Jan. 10, 1973
Headline Seligman Mail Carrier Died In Car-Train Smash
Text A car-train collision in the north part of Seligman Saturday morning resulted in the death of a rural mail carrier out of that south Barry County community and injuries to a teen-age boy. Dead at the scene of the accident was John O. Gemmecke, 50, a life - long - resident of the community.

Injured was his cousin, Charlie James Mitchell, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Mitchell of Seligman.

Trooper Daryl Eckhoff of the Missouri Highway Patrol said the Frisco freight engine, pulling four or five cars, struck the Gemmecke vehicle at about 9:30 am Saturday at the crossing that is marked but has no signal. The train was traveling north, the Gemmecke car east.

The driver and his passenger reportedly saw the train coming but were unable to stop due to an ice covered street. Gemmecke was making his rounds as a mail carrier out of the Seligman post office at the time of the accident.

Both passengers in the vehicle were outside the car when help arrived at the scene. Young Mitchell was taken to St. Vincent's hospital in Monett and later transferred to St. John's in Springfield.

He reportedly will remain in the hospital for several days of examination. Of concern is a possible back injury and internal complications. He was suffering from head lacerations and shock initially according to his parents.

Gemmecke, who had carried mail in the Seligman rural route for the past 19 years, was extremely active in his home community. He was a member of the Seligman Baptist Church and president of the Lions Club. A veteran of World War II, he was a member of the Irwin-Easley American Legion Post in Cassville.

Investigating officers, including Sheriff Vernon Still of Barry County who was acting in the absence of Coroner Doyle Williamson, said the Gemmecke vehicle was dragged only about 40 feet by the slow moving train. The point of impact was on the passenger side of the car.

Gemmecke, whose body was received by Williamson Chapel of Cassville, was the first traffic fatality of the year in Barry County. Officers said the engineer on the train was M. D. Hensley, with the conductor C. E. Cluck, both of Monett. Train personnel did not see the vehicle near the tracks since they were observing the route from the opposite side of the engine.

Family survivors of the deceased mail carrier include his wife, Jean of the home and a sister, Mrs. Alta Mennis of Hillsboro, California.

Services were at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday) in the First Baptist Church of Seligman with Rev. Sam Etcheson officiating. Burial was in the Seligman cemetery under the direction of Williamson.
Resource Family Papers
Submitted and Transcribed in 2010 by Gayle Wilcox