Shelby  County  Indiana
Obituaries

Clouse

The  Shelbyville  Republican
Saturday, March 3, 1934
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FUNERAL  SERVICE
WAS  HELD  TODAY
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          Mrs. Albert Hershfelt,  formerly of this city, died at the home of her brother,  August Clouse,  in Piqua, Ohio, last night at 6:00 o'clock after a two weeks' illness due to a congested lung.
          Mrs. Hershfelt was born in Piqua, Ohio, but had been a resident of this city for the past thirty-five years.  She was spending the winder with her brother in Piqua.  Mr. Hershfelt died in March, 1933, and he was the first owner of the Chevrolet Motor Sales Corporation.
          Besides the brother at whose home she died, the deceased is survived by four sisters,  Mrs. Mamie Hughes  and the  Misses Sadie,  Kathryn  and  Margaret Clouse,  all of Piqua, and another brother,  William Clouse  of Troy, Ohio.  Mrs. Hershfelt was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic church of this city.
          Funeral services will be held Monday morning at 9:00 o'clock at the Catholic church in Piqua and burial will be made in the St. Mary's cemetery of that city.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Shelby  Democrat
Saturday, June 3, 1922
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Beloved Matron Died Early Today
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Mrs. Mary Clouse Summcumbs to
Complication of Diseases -- 
Funeral Tuesday
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          Mrs. Mary Clouse, 56 years old, died at her home near the St. Vincent church, this morning at 9:30o'clock from a complication of diseases of which she had suffered for some time.  Mrs. Clouse was suddenly taken worse about a week ago and her condition from that time on had been very critical.  Funeral services will be held at the St. Vincent church, Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock, the Rev. Fr. Bosler officiating.  The burial will be made in the church cemetery in charge of Morris H. Sleeth, funeral director.
          Mrs. Clouse was born in Dearborn county, on November 9, 1866, and was the daughter of  Mr. and Mrs. Schott.  In the year of 1892, she was united in marriage to  John Clouse, who preceded her 18 years ago.  Mrs. Clouse was devoted member of the St. Vincent church and was also a member of the St. Anne Alter Society.  She was a woman of true Christian character and was highly esteemed by all who knew her.
          Mrs. Clouse is survived by two brothers,  Frank  and  Andrew Schott, and three sisters,  Mrs. Carrie Schott, of this county, and  Mrs. Victor Hulsman  and  Mrs. Amelia Burkhart, of Cincinnati, O.
Contributed by Mary M. Bittner and Linda Mohr

The  Shelby  Democrat
Thursday, December 21, 1916
weekly edition
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Met Instant Death in Automobile Accident
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Alfred Clouse Killed this Morning
and Louis Mathes Badly Injured
Fred Sindlinger was Driving
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Car Skidded and Crashed 
into Tree on Vine Street
Near Little Blue River Bridge
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Victims Neck was Broken --- 
Coroner Filed Verdict Today
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(from Friday's Daily)
          An automobile accident occurred in this city at two o'clock this morning that resulted in the instant death of  Alfred Clouse, 24 years old; probably fatal injuries to  Louis Mathes, 21 years old; and injuries to  Ray Bird,  George Harding  and  Fred Sindlinger.  The last three were not seriously hurt, but it was feared for a time the young Sindlinger's mind might be affected by the horrors of the accident.  He was driving, the car belonging to his father, Charles P. Sindlinger, and his state of mind was such following the accident that he fled from the city, but fortunately fell into the hands of a friend at Acton and after being taken on to Indianapolis was returned to this city.  Clouse's neck was broken by the wedging of his head between the bows of automobile top as the car struck a tree.  Mathes suffered brain concussion and has been unconscious most of the time since the accident.  However, the attending physicians today held out hope for his recovery.
          The young men had attended a dance at the I.O.O.F. hall here, given by Mr. Bird  and  Victor Spencer, and had taken Miss Aileen Eck, one of the guests at the dance, to her home a short distance northeast of the city.  On the return the car skidded as the attempt was made to turn into the north Vine street on the curve from the Little Blue river bridge.  It went crashing against a large tree, where the top of the car was torn off and the rear of the machine crushed, and then ran for almost a block farther down the street before coming to a standstill.
          Clouse's body and the other members of the party were taken into the home of William C. Meloy, near the scene of the accident, and  Drs. Samuel Kennedy,  W. C. McFadden,  W. W. Tindall  and  Frank E. Bass were called.  Mathes was removed at four o'clock to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Mathes, on east Mechanic street.  Clouse's body was taken to the Hendrickson and Sleeth undertaking parlors.
          Clouse had been living here at the home of his uncle, Albert Hershfelt, 102 south Miller street, by whom he had been employed at the Sunlit garage of which Mr. Hershfelt is the proprietor.  Until he came here to make his home with his uncle, young Clouse lived with his mother, Mrs. Mary Clouse, and his grandmother, Mrs. Caroline Schott, at their home near St. Vincent Catholic church, southeast of here, and the body was taken there late this forenoon.  He had been a teacher for three years before coming here last spring and was principal of the Blue Ridge schools for two years.  He was interested in mechanics and had come here for the purpose of fitting himself for the garage business.  He was unusually bright and was one of the most popular young men in the county.  His father died about twenty-two years ago.
          Mathes was recently graduated from the high school here.  He has been long interested in dramatics and is a member of the Shelby Players, a local theatrical company, Bird and Sindlinger also being members of the company.  All the young men in the accident are members of prominent families, and are acknowledged leaders in their social set.
          Dr. George I. Inlow, the county coroner, was called here this moring and he arranged for an immediate investigation of the accident.  After viewing the body of the victim, Dr. Inlow described his injuries as follows:  Bruise on left arm, bruise on right cheek, fracture of skull on the right side in temporal bone, lower jaw broken and neck broken.
          When the car struck the tree, Harding was thrown out, and the only injury he suffered was a bump on the head.  His statement to the coroner today was as follows:  "I was in the rear seat of the Sindlinger car about 1:45 a.m., returning from a trip out the Knightstown road to take a young lady home from a dance at the I.O.O.F. hall which I had attended earlier in the night.  In the car were Fred Sindlinger, who was driving; Ray Brid, who was riding in the front seat with Sindlinger; and I was riding in the rear seat with Louis Mathes and Alfred Clouse.  We came through the bridge, making the turn onto Vine street running about 30 to 35 miles an hour.  The car skidded into the curb on the west side of the street and then hit a tree, smashing the machine.  I was thrown out of the car.  I ran up to Meloy's and called a doctor.  Then I went back and helped take Mathes, who was unconscious, out of the wrecked car.  Clouse was dead at the time.  Clouse and Mathes were both huddled in the seat of the car."
          Ray Bird's statement to the coroner was as follows:  "Thursday night, or rather Friday morning, I was in the Sindlinger machine, with Fred Sindlinger driving.  About 1:45 we had gone out the Knightstown Road to take a young lady home from a dance at the I.O.O.F. hall.  We were returning to town and Sindlinger was driving, I would judge, about 30 miles an hour.  As we turned onto Vine street the car began to skid, the rear wheel striking the curb, breaking the wheel down.  Then the car hit a tree near Walker street mashing the car.  Clouse was in the rear seat of the car on the side that crashed into the tree.  Louis Mathes and George Harding were in the seat with Clouse and I was in the seat with Sindlinger.  Clouse was apparently dead when we reached him, for he failed to respond to our efforts to revive him."
          After having taken the statements of these two the coroner announced his verdict in the following terms, filed with the county clerk before noon today.  "I find that the death was caused by a broken neck and fractured skull, caused by an auto skidding and crashing into a tree, while returning from a trip to the country in company with Louis Mathes, George Harding, Ray Bird, and Fred Sindlinger."
          Sindlinger was not examined by the coroner, as he was in no condition to give a statment regarding the accident.  He and Clouse had taken the car from the Sunlit garage to take Mr. Bird and Miss Eck to her home, as Bird was having trouble getting a taxicab.  It is said that Sindlinger's father had requested him to refrain from using the car after night, and when the accident occurred, young Sindlinger refused to remain at the scene, though his friends begged him to be calm.  Subsequent developments show that he walked from this city to Acton and that when he arrived there his ears and feet were frozen.  As he boarded an early morning car there, west bound, he was taken in charge by friends on the car and was soon convinced that there was only one course for him to pursue---to come back home.  He remained with these friends in Indianapolis and then accompanied them back home before noon.
          It was given out this afternoon that Mathes was improving.  He was rational at times and occasionally would recognize friends calling on him. He has not been told of the death of his comrade.
          Mr. Clouse was born in this city, December 8, 1892, and his father died when he was only two years old.  Since the death of his father he had been making his home with his grandmother, until he came here to engage with his uncle in the garage business.  He was a member of the St. Vincent church and the funeral services will be held at the church at nine o'clock Monday morning, the Rev. Father Ketter officiating, and the burial will be made in St. Vincent cemetery in charge of Hendricks and Sleeth.
Contributed by Mary M. Bittner and Linda Mohr

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