JOHN LESTER ADAMS JR.
1948
Three persons are dead and a fourth injured as a result
of a collision between and automobile and a truck on
Route 23 at Hager Hill Saturday evening.
The dead are John Lester Adams, Jr., 26, of Paintsville,
Mrs. Beatrice Phelps Meade 28, and Albert Murphy, 23,
both of Van Lear. Adams was killed outright and Mrs.
Meade died of a fractured skull and other injuries two
hours after she was admitted to a local hospital.
Murphy succumbed Tuesday night from internal injuries,
and a partially severed arm.
Miss Julia Salyer, 24, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brewster
Salyer of Van Lear was taken to a hospital for treatment
of minor injuries. She was released Tuesday.
Adams, a veteran of World War II, was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Lester Adams, City. He was associated with his
father in a grocery and filling station business here.
His father is former sheriff of Johnson County.
He is survived by his parents two brothers, Hondel and
Andrew, at home and two sisters, Mrs. Evelyn McClure and
Miss Beulah Dorothy Adams.
Funeral services were conducted at the Freewill Baptist
Church, Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. by Revs. Millard Van Hoose,
F. S. Van Hoose and Scott Castle.
Burial was made in the family cemetery near the home,
where graveside rites were conducted by the American
Legion.
Mrs. Meade was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Phelps
with whom she made her home. She was the mother of three
children aged 11 years, 8 years, and seven months. Her
husband was Earl Meade from whom she was estranged. Mrs.
Meade was an employee of G. C. Murphy Co. here.
Funeral services were conducted at the First Christian
Church at West Van Lear Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. by Rev. S.
C. Honeycutt.
Burial was made in the Wells Buckingham cemetery here
under the direction of the Jones Funeral Home.
Murphy was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Murphy of Van
Lear who survive him. He is also survived by several
brothers and sisters. Two brothers of the victim, Pvt.
Onda Murphy and Pvt. Lawrence Murphy were casualties of
World War II, and have been returned from overseas
cemeteries for reburial within the past year.
Funeral services will be held at the Church of Christ on
Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Burial will be made in the family cemetery under the
direction of the Jones Funeral Home.
It was said that the accident occurred when a Chevrolet
Sedan driven by Adams in the direction of Prestonsburg
collided with the truck occupied by Wm. Dale. Dale's
wife and sister-in-law were traveling toward Paintsville.
At the scene, a second truck occupied by Ernie Chandler
and Kenneth Hayes of Chandlerville was being used to pull
an automobile driven by Paul Knott from a roadside ditch.
Further details of the accident were not learned.
Paintsville Herald
Thursday
Dec.23 1948