Walter L. Hessner ^9062,9129

   Cause of his death was due to a severe head injury sustained in a car accident.

Lewiston Morning Tribune
Lewiston, Idaho
July 6, 1950
p. 9

Hessner Driver In Death Crash, Is Inquest Rule

Walter L. Hessner was the driver of the pickup car, which left the Mission Creek Road about 9 p.m. Tuesday night, crashed and inflicted on Hessner injuries causing his death, a Nez Perce County coroner's jury decided yesterday.

The jury met at the call of Coroner Andrew Vassar at at the Vassar-Rawls funeral home. Memebers went to St. Joseph's hospital where they interviewed Elmo Hart and Algert Geiser, both of Culdesac, under treatment for injuries received in the same accident. They were passengers in the pickup. The jury men also questioned Mrs. Hessner, widow of the victim at the funeral home. Deputy Sheriff Walter Heltmann of Nez Perce County sherriff's office, aided in investigating the accident, also was asked for his opinion of how the accident happened.

Drove For Friend

Hessner died from head injuries shortly after the pickup left the highway near Jacques Spur, dropped down a 30 foot bluff and rolled through Mission Creek. Hessner was driving the pickup at the request of a friend, whom he had stopped to speak to on the highway while driving his own car. Mrs. Hessner drove the Hessner car onto Jacques Spur while her husband took the wheel of the pickup.

Mr. Hessner's body is at the Vassar-Rawls home until late today. It will be taken to Hessner's home at Chewelah, Wash. tomorrow morning. Funeral services will be conducted there at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bryan funeral home.

Members of the jury were Floyd W. Jackson, E.C. Paris, E.L. Wilson, Lester G. Von Bargen, Dwight Barton, Ed A. Nelson, Basil Wiggins, William Echternach and Wynne Blake.

*****
Spokane Daily Chronicle
Spokane, Washington
April 13, 1936
p. 7

HESSNER IS INJURED

Walter Hessner, Kellogg, suffered a fracture of the spine when he slipped and fell 12 feet down the new shaft at the Cresent property on Big Creek. He is in the Wardner Hospital.

  Events

• He worked as a dairy farm laborer.

• He appeared on the census in 1920 in Chewelah, Stevens County, Washington. He lived with his mother in the household of his first step-father.

• He appeared on the census in 1930 at LaPray Road in Valley, Stevens County, Washington. He was head of household and rented for $5 monthly. He also owned a radio set.

• He appeared on the census in 1940 in Chewelah, Stevens County, Washington. He was head of household and rented for $10 monthly.

• He had a residence in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington.

Walter married Grace Irene Sutherland, daughter of Martin Roscoe Sutherland and Hattie Williams, 27 August 1927 in Pasco, Franklin County, Washington. (Grace Irene Sutherland was born 31 January 1901 in Dallas County, Iowa,⁹¹³⁴ died 9 January 1937 in Kellogg, Shoshone County, Idaho ⁹¹³⁵ and was buried after 9 January 1937 in Chewelah, Stevens County, Washington at Saint Mary of the Rosary Cemetery ⁹¹³⁶.) The cause of her death was due to paraplegia with melanocarcinoma as a contributing factor. On September 24, 1935, a tumor was removed related to the carcinoma.

Walter next married Ethelmae Helen Smith, daughter of John Joseph Smith and Genevive Stubbins, 17 March 1938 in Kellogg, Shoshone County, Idaho.⁹¹²⁹ The marriage ended in divorce. (Ethelmae Helen Smith was born in Buena Vista, Chaffee County, Colorado.)

Walter next married Lena [--?--].