Jonas B. Kreider, aged 73 years, a retired farmer of Fairland, was fatally injured on the Penn Highway about 5:30 o'clock, Friday evening, when he was struck or run over by an auto driven by H. T. Ellis, a confectionary dealer, of 1317 Derry street, Harrisburg, at East Annville, almost in front of the Heilig House grocery, and near the Yordy garage. He died at 12:50 o'clock Sat. morning, at the Good Samaritan hospital. Coroner Manbeck who is investigating the case, stated that an inquest has not yet been determined upon.
Mr. Kreider formerly operated and still owns a large farm in the rear of the Heilig House, in South Annville township. It was his custom to make almost daily trips to the property from his Fairland home, making the journey most of the time on foot.
He was returning from the farm about 5:30 o'clock Friday afternoon, and had just started down the Penn Highway toward his home, when John Henry B. Kettering, a Lebanon horse dealer, came along in an auto and offered the pedestrian a lift. Kreider was walking on the north side of the highway impetuously started across toward the Kettering machine, which was stopping on the south side vehicular passageway. In so doing, he barely escaped a light delivery truck of the Miller grocery, of this city, going west. This vehicle evidently obscured the pedestrian from the view of the east bound driver, and at the same time so frightened Kreider, that when he saw the second machine bearing down upon him, he became excited and fell.
Lena Boyer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Issac Boyer, in front of whose house the accident occurred, declared that the Ellis auto wheels passed over Kreider's shoulder, and this is corroborated by the condition of the patient, as his collar bone was fractured, and there were also symptoms of internal injuries.
Kreider was conscious, and a Mr. Martin, who rushed him to the Good Samaritan, saw the machine but thought he could cross in time. He did not seem to know whether he had been struck by the machine or run over as he fell to the street.
Ellis stopped and at the Kreider home as well as elsewhere, declared that the victim was prostrate when he ran over him.
Mrs. Ralph Kreider, wife of the proprietor of the Heilig House grocery who was one of the first to witness the results of the accident, declared that when Ellis stopped his machine was only a few feet from the body of Kreider, and she corroborated the Boyer girl in the statement that the machines were not speeding.
Mr. Kreider's death brought sorrow to the community in which he lived for 40 years, as he was highly respected.
He was born in Heidelberg township but moved to the Fairland region in his early manhood. He spent his career in farming, retiring several years ago. He was an ardent member of the Fairland River Brethren church.
Besides his wife, nee Ida Zinn, formerly of Jackson township, he leaves two daughters: Mrs. Samuel Funk, of Cleona, and Mrs. Jacob Funk, of Fairland; five sons, Rufus, Felix, and Jonas, of Annville; Aaron, of Campbelltown; Noah, of Deodate, Lancaster county, and a brother, Felix Kreider, of Water Works, this county.
Lebanon Semi Weekly News - Monday, March 4, 1929