Lt Van Horn and Wife Die in Car Crash

A former Mt.Vernon young man and his wife were killed Wednesday night, September 5, 1956 in a one-car crash near Boonville, Missouri on U.S. Hwy 40. Dead were Lt. John D. VanHorn, 26 a Miami, Florida Coast Guard officer and his 26 year old wife, Joan (Henderson) VanHorn. Lt. and Mrs. VanHorn’s two children, Becky age 14 months and Annette age 3 months escaped serious injury. The children were riding in the rear of the car.

Missouri State Troopers said VanHorn’s car started to pass a slow-moving truck but cut back in when an approaching car appeared. The family station wagon went out of control and overturned several times down a 75 foot embankment.

Lt. VanHorn was killed instantly, Mrs.VanHorn died in an ambulance on the way to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Boonville and their infant daughters were hospitalized, Annette 3 months old was not seriously injured, Rebecca Jo 15 months was thrown 40 feet into a ditch, had a broken left arm and several broken ribs At the hospital today it was said both babies had good nights.

The VanHorns had been living in Florida where he was stationed, and was expecting to be sent to the West Indies for a year. Mrs. VanHorn, a former resident of Olney, Illinois and the children were to join her parents in Wyoming.

Mrs. Van Horn was born in 1930, daughter of Richard V. and Hazel (Guthrie) Henderson. She is survived by her parents; sisters, Mariam Troutman, Martha Plummer and Alice Young.

Lt. VanHorn, a former Mt. Vernon resident and honor student at the local high school, and graduate of class of 1948, received his appointment to the Coast Guard Academy six years ago while the family lived here. He completed one year of study at the University of Missouri. His Coast Guard training included four years at the Academy, followed by a year of sea duty. He is the son of Arch VanHorn of Chicago and Mrs. Thelma VanHorn also of Chicago.

Published in Mt. Vernon Register-News (Mt. Vernon, IL) – Thursday September 6, 1956

The Kansas City Times (Kansas City, MO) – Saturday September 8, 1956