Hangs Himself in City Jail, Held in Minor Traffic Case

Foster Runyen, 34, of Rockford, Illinois, chief clerk to the Illinois Bell Telephone Company’s plant superintendent, hanged himself in the Rockford city jail early on New Year’s morning. He was pronounced dead at St. Anthony’s Hospital where he was taken immediately upon discovery.

While driving with his wife at 3 o’clock New Year’s morning, Runyen’s car struck the rear of a machine driven by M. F. Westring, damaging the tail light of the Westring machine. Runyen was taken to the police station where he was booked on a charge of drunken driving. Arrangements for his release were being made when his body was discovered.

Mrs. Runyen is prostrated and claims the accident was unavoidable because of slippery streets. Runyen was transferred to Rockford from Chicago last October and had an exemplary record.

Besides the widow, a 10-year old son survives.

An inquest is to be held.

Republican-Northwestern (Belvidere, IL) – Tuesday, January 7, 1936 & Chicago Tribune (IL) – Thursday, January 2, 1936

Foster Runyen, aged 34, met death about 7:30 Wednesday morning January 1, 1936 in an auto wreck near Rockford, the details of which are not known.  The deceased is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Runyen and had many friends in Olney.

An inquest into his death is being held. Frank Runyen, a brother, of Springfield has gone to Rockford, but no word concerning the details of the accident had been received here late this morning.

Mr. Runyen is survived by his wife; one adopted son, aged 9; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Runyen; one brother, Frank and two sisters, Ruth, a student at the University of Illinois and Mrs. Lois Wittman of St. Louis.

For a number of years Foster Runyen worked in Chicago with the Bell Telephone Co.  He was recently transferred to Rockford and promoted to the superintendency of construction, filling the task very capably.

Burial in Marshall Cemetery in Clark County Illinois

Published in Olney Advocate (IL) ~ January 2, 1936