Kerr - Ralph Cooper
Source - Crawfordsville Journal Review - 26 Aug 1963
Ralph Cooper Kerr, age 64, a resident of Newtown, part owner of the Covington Implement Company and operator of the Kerr Implement Store in Mellott, the past 18 years, died late Sunday evening Aug 25, in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette. He had been ill 10 days. Mr. Kerr was born Aug 1,1899 in Richland Township, Fountain County, the son of Lew and Rhoda Cooper Kerr. He was married in 1925 to Wreatha Royal, who survives. He was a member of the Newtown Presbyterian Church, The Attica Williamsport Rotary Club and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity of Purdue University. He played football at Purdue in 1922 and 1923 and later played professionally with the Harrison Steel team of Attica. After his schooling he taught and coached until 1929. Mr. Kerr was a member of the board of directors of the St. Lawrence Seaway Corporation. Surviving, in addition to his wife are; two daughters, Mrs. Al Hartman of Newtown and Mrs. Jay Whitworth of Indianapolis; one grandchild and one sister, Mrs. Merle Marlatt of Attica Rt. The body is at the Roemer Funeral Home in Attica. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Newtown Cemetery. - thanks to Betty Dotson
Source: Lafayette Journal-Courier 26 Aug 1963 p 4 (Monday)
Newtown – R. Cooper Kerr, 64 of Newtown, a Covington and Mellott businessman, died in St. Elizabeth Hospital, Lafayette at 11 p.m. Sunday. He had been in failing health three years and a patient in the hospital two weeks after suffering a stroke. Born here, he was graduated from Newtown HS in 1918 and Purdue University in 1923. At Purdue he was a regular on the football squad and after graduation played professional football on the Harrison Steel Castings Co team of Attica. Mr. Kerr had operated the Kerr Implement Co. at Covington and Mellott for 18 years and was a member of the board of directors of the St. Lawrence Seaway Corp. After graduation from Purdue, he taught school at Covington and Royal Center, then was manager of Sugar Creek Creameries for a number of years, first at Danville, Ill then Cape Girardeau, Mo and last at Evansville. He returned to Newtown in 1945 and bought the John Deere Implement business. Mr. Kerr was married to Wreatha Royal in Newtown in 1925 and was a member of the Presbyterian Church here, the Rotary Club of Attica, the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs at Evansville and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Surviving with the widow are two daughters, Mrs. Jay Whitworth of Indianapolis and Mrs. A G. Hartman of Newtown and a sister, Mrs. Merle Marlatt of Newtown. - kbz
File Created: 3 July 2010 - thanks, Beth & Barbara
Source: The obituary is from a collection by Fauniel Hershberger, saved the 1950's, 60's and 70's. She was a life long resident of Fountain County Indiana. The collection is now housed at Crawfordsville District Public Library.
Newtown – Ralph Cooper Kerr, 64, a former football player, died in St. Elizabeth Hospital, Lafayette, at 11 pm Sunday following a stroke suffered two weeks ago. He was a resident of Newtown. Kerr was born Aug. 1, 1899, on a farm near Newtown and was the son of Lew and Rhoda Cooper Kerr. He was graduated from Newtown High School in 1918 and from Purdue in 1923. In addition to being a member of the football team at Purdue, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity. He was married to the former Wreatha Royal of Newtown on July 29, 1925. Following college he taught school at Covington and Royal Center. Later he was employed as manager of the Sugar Creek Creamery in Danville, Ill. He also served in this capacity for the same company at plants in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and at Evansville. In 1945 he returned to Newtown and purchased the John Deere Implement Store in Mellott. He was a member of the Newtown Presbyterian Church, the Rotary Club in Attica and the Kiwanis and the Lions clubs in Evansville. Surviving are his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Jay Whitworth, Indianapolis, and Mrs. Al Hartman, Newtown; a sister, Mrs. Merle Marlatt and a granddaughter. The body was taken to the Roemer Funeral Home in Attica where friends may call after 7 pm Tuesday. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. -- typed by Barbara B