CROSS, Debbie - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Two Mellott sisters visiting relative in Illinois were killed in an auto accident over the weekend.

  Dead are Debbie and Dottie Cross, ages 16 and 14 respectively.

  Illinois State Police said the Cross sisters were passengers in a car driven by Robert C. McComas, 19, of Rt. 1, Allerton. Police said the car was northbound on Illinois 49 south of Homer at 11:55 p.m. Sunday, July 24, 1977, when it left the roadway, skidded sideways into a utility pole, which split the car in half and threw all four occupant from the car. Halves of the car landed on each side of the highway. The accident occurred on what is known as the Allerton Curve.

  Police said McComas was injured and taken to Carle Hospital at Champaign. Also riding in the car was Van A. Holt, 18, of rural Allerton, who is in serious condition at Burnham City Hospital at Champaign.

  Debbie Sue, 16, and Dottie Kay, 14, were the daughters of Edison H. and Maxine Hurd Cross. Debbie was born July 19, 1961 and Dottie was born July 31, 1962, both at Lafayette.

  Survivors besides the parents are the maternal grandparents, Clifford and Bessie Hurd of Allerton, Ill.; the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Maggie Cross of Slippin, Ky.; one sister, Mrs. Diane Robinson and one brother, Dennis F. Cross, both of Mellott.

  Both girls were members of Hopewell Baptist Church at Newtown. Debbie was a junior at Fountain Central High School and Dottie was a sophomore. Both were members of Sunshine Society at the school.

 Funeral services were held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Crumley-Williams Funeral Home in Hillsboro, with Rev. Thomas Howell and Rev. Robert Boyd officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery. -s