CAR SKIDS OFFROAD, HITS TREES
Linda Blanton, High School Senior, and Marvin Knight Dead in Tragedy; James Boyd Injured.

A tragic accident at 11:30 last night four miles south of town claimed the lives of a young Mt. Vernon man and a 16 year-old girl.

Instantly killed when a car plummeted of state route 37 and plowed into five big trees was Marvin Lee Knight, 24, of 1241 North Tenth Street. Linda Gale Blanton, 16-year-old Mt. Vernon High School Senior, died four hours later at the hospital.

James Boyd, 24, of Route 4, Mt. Vernon was injured in the mishap but was reported in fair condition this morning at the hospital.

State Trooper, Jack Willis, who investigated the accident along with county officers, said the automobile, a 1954 model Oldsmobile, was demolished when it apparently crashed sideways into five big trees.

The Trooper said the car was northbound and that slight skid marks were noticed extending for 105 feet near the edge of the pavement. Wheel marks extended for 300 yards on the shoulder of the road before the car went down an embankment and into the trees.

Apparently no other car was involved in the accident.

Knight, a Navy veteran who was employed at he Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, Ill., was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Funerals Monday

Funeral services for both victims of the tradegy will be held Monday afternoon.

Services for Miss Blanton will be held at 2:00 o'clock Monday at Meyers Chapel and burial will follow in the I.O.O.F. cemetery at McLeansboro.

The body will lie in state at Meyers Chapel where friends may call after 3:00 p.m. Sunday.

Miss Blanton resided at No. 3 Hinman Place with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gale Blanton.

She was born December 13, 1942 in St. Louis, Mo. the daughter of Gale and Helen (Eblen) Blanton.

Besides her parents, she is survived by one brother, Joe: a sister Patricia; and her grandmother, Mrs. Eva Milner of Ina.

Knight Funeral

Funeral services for Marvin Knight will be held Monday at 2:00 p.m. at the Old Union Baptist Church. The Rev. Ross Partridge will officiate and burial will be in the Old Union Cemetery.

The body will lie in state at the Osborn Funeral Home at Dix, where friends may call after 3:00 p.m. Sunday.

Mr. Knight, who was employed at the Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, was at home on vacation when the tragic accident occcurred. He was to have returned to work next Monday.

A four-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served as a crew member of the destroyer U.S.S. Vogelgesang.

Mr. Knight was born July 31, 1934 in Mt. Vernon, the son of Clarence and Ruth Chambliss Knight.

Besides his parents, he is survived by two brothers, Noel Dean Chambliss of Mt. Vernon, and Neil Knight of the U.S. Air Force in Amarillo, Texas; a sister, Barbara Denham of Downers Grove, Ill.; and the grandparents, Mr.and Mrs. Kelly DeMent of this city.

Source: Mt. Vernon Register-News
Date: July 17, 1959
Submitted by: Barbara Knight Denham
Relationship: Sister