McBride, Marion M

1892 - 1936  (43 years)

• Name	McBride, Marion M  [1, 2]
  Birth	1892	Indiana, USA
  Birth	5 Dec 1892	Indiana, USA   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA   [3]
  Residence	1900	Harrison, Wells, Indiana, USA   [2]
  Death	24 Jan 1936	Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA
  	Cause: Automobile vs. Train Accident
  Notes	Cause of Death: Automobile accident, died at the scene. Date of Burial: Tuesday, January 28, 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Marion C. McBride, and their nine children, and a stillborn child born after the death of its mother (Susie McBride) were killed in a horrific accident on the evening of January 24, 1936 at a railroad crossing by a speeding Wabash train in Grabill, Indiana. Eight of their nine children were killed at the accident instantly with another child, Phyllis, dying later that evening at a Fort Wayne, Indiana hospital. The automobile was torn into two portions and was demolished as it ripped its way through a railroad mail sack crane and was hurled high in to the air. The body of the 1927 sedan was a mass of twisted steel, crumpled wood, and broken wire. The bodies of whom were killed were scattered about the railroad right of way for more than 300 feet from the accident site. So terrific was the crash and so badly were the bodies disfigured and mutilated that it took several hours before positive identification could be made of all of the victims. Phyllis, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. McBride was crowded into the back seat of the small car with her brothers and sisters and wrapped up in the smaller portion of the wrecked automobile. Part of the cushion of the rear seat protected her and the steel from the body formed a shell like wrapping around her. She was carried approximately 1100 feet down the railroad tracks on the locomotive and was removed from the engine when the train finally was brought to a halt. She later died in a Fort Wayne, Indiana hospital. The last of the McBride family to live. A few minutes before the tragedy, Mr. McBride stopped at the Andrew Conrad filling station in Grabill, Indiana which is about 150 feet from the railroad tracks. After ordering gasoline for his car he went inside the station and called the road supervisor at Harlan, Indiana to request that a snow plow be used to open the road to his home. After requesting the call for help, Mr. McBride purchased a small amount of tobacco and about thirty cents worth of candy for his children who were in the car. He told Conrad that the children were cold and he would get the candy for them to eat while they continued their trip. Kenneth Conrad, attendant at his father's gas station, said McBride was at the station for about 10 minutes, then drove away, going up the approach to the tracks which was about 150 feet away. The automobile appeared to be running smoothly when Mr. McBride pulled away from the station. The vehicle stalled on the railroad tracks. It is believed because of the crowded conditions of the automobile, along with the frost on the windows that Mr. McBride did not hear the approaching train. Mr. McBride's vision was also impaired as he only had one eye. The railroad crossing consisted of only an old type wooden railroad crossing warning with the cross beams. There were no flasher signals, no bells, or no crossing watchman. After the crash, Fort Wayne Indiana police department was notified of the accident. All available ambulances were requested to the scene, and the Grabill residents would start toward Fort Wayne with the injured and dead to meet the ambulances in order to save time. The injured and dead were transferred on the highway from the private cars to the ambulances. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 28, 1936 at 1:30 p.m. at the Fort Wayne Gospel Tabernacle on East Rudisill Avenue in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rev. M.E. Ramseyer, pastor of the Harvester Avenue Missionary Church officiated the funeral services. Thousands of people viewed the bodies at the Gospel Tabernacle. The large auditorium was packed to the doors for the funeral services as four thousand people jammed their way into the auditorium. It was a curious crowd that made up such a large audience. The body of the stillborn son born after Mrs. McBride was killed in the crash will rest in the casket with its mother. Each of the other 10 bodies was placed in separated caskets. The tragedy was deemed as one of the most horrible in Indiana's history. One by one the caskets were carried to the five waiting hearses outside. Members of post 47 of the American Legion carried the casket of Mr. Marion C. McBride, Sr., a World War I Veteran. They also carried the casket of Mrs. McBride and her stillborn son, born at the scene of the accident after the death of his mother. Ten uniformed Salvation Army cadets served as pallbearers, along with 32 additional volunteers from the audience that were summoned by the minister for assistance. Not until shortly before the arrival of the funeral procession to the cemetery was the large grave ready to receive the bodies. Ten men worked continuously for two days digging through the ground. Forty five pounds of dynamite was used on the last day to break through the frozen ground. At the cemetery, one by one the caskets were lowered into the gaping grave which was surrounded by mourners. The body of the father (Marion C. McBride, Sr.) was the first to be placed in the grave. Next to him was placed the casket containing the body of his wife (Susie McBride) and infant son. The two twins, whom were so battered and torn at the wreck were placed next to the mother, Romona's casket being near the mothers head, Richards directly below. One vault was used to keep the twins together. To the right of the 17 month old twins was the body of Clara, 15. Robert, 4 was placed at the foot of Marion, Jr., 13. And then came the casket containing the body of Mary Agnes, 11. At her right was the body of Phyllis, 5, the last of the victims to die. Virginia, 8, lay next to Phyllis and then came the body of Arthur, 9. Robert, 4, was placed at the extreme right end of the grave. Banked around this family group was a huge crowd of curious spectators, many of whom had stomped their feet in the snow-covered graveyard for hours awaiting the arrival of the funeral procession. The gravesite was simple yet deeply impressive. It was brief but made a lasting impression. It struck deep in the hearts and minds of that curious throng that formed a human wall of protection around the lifeless bodies of a family that was completely destroyed in sudden and horrible death. Simplicity marked the service. There was no silver oratory. There was no eloquent obituary. As they lived so were they buried. They were simple folk, the McBride family. There service was a service they would understand. Services were entrusted to Julian Schone Funeral Home of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Assistance was provided by Rodenbeck-Trier Funeral Home of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Harper Funeral Home of New Haven, Indiana, Mungovan and Sons Mortuary of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and R. Fundenberg Funeral Home of Markle, Indiana.
  Person ID	I440	Jensen Family Tree
  Last Modified	18 Jul 2024

  
  

  Father	McBride, John,   b. Nov 1845, Ohio, USA
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Tucker, Mary E,   b. 7 Oct 1861, Antwerp, Paulding, Ohio, USA d. 11 May 1945, Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 83 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	Abt 1880
  Family ID	F24	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Conner, Susie,   b. 16 Mar 1900, Benton, Paulding, Ohio, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 35 years)
  Marriage	16 Mar 1920	Marion, Indiana, USA   [1]
  Children	1. McBride, Clara E,   b. 1921, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 15 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. McBride, Marion C,   b. 1922, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 14 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. McBride, Mary Agnes,   b. 1924, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 12 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. McBride, Arthur M,   b. 1926, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 10 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. McBride, Virginia,   b. Jul 1928, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 7 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. McBride, Phyllis C,   b. 1930, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 6 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   7. McBride, Robert P,   b. 1931, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 5 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. McBride, Ramona D,   b. 1933, Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 3 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   9. McBride, Richard L,   b. 1933, Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 3 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   10. McBride, Unborn Infant,   b. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA d. 24 Jan 1936, Grabill, Allen, Indiana, USA (Age 0 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F183	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	18 Jul 2024

  
  

• Sources

  [S102] Ancestry.com, Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941, (Name: Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005;). Online publication - Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - Works Progress Administration, comp. Index to Marriage Records Indiana: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940. Jordan Dodd, Liahona Research, comp. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Indiana. Many of these records are on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.. [S140] Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;), Database online. Year: 1900; Census Place: Harrison, Wells, Indiana; Roll: T623_413; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 143. Record for John Mc Bride [S131] Ancestry.com, U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, (Name: Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005;). Online publication - Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, M1509, 4,582 rolls. Roll 1503799, DraftBoard 1.