Merrill - Thomas
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.
A Veedersburg youth was killed instantly and a Lafayette man was injured by a car at 5:15 p.m. Friday on Interstate 74, a half-mile west of Indiana Route 63 while working at a road construction site. Dead is Thomas Merrill, 19, who died from head injuries. James Kennedy, 34, of Lafayette had a broken shoulder and head injuries and is listed in fairly good condition at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Danville Ill.; Charles Decoster, 23, of Campaign, Ill., driver of the auto, had a lacerated right arm but refused treatment. Indiana State police reported Decoster's vehicle was enroute east on I-74 and entered an area under construction, the right lane of which was closed where work is being done on the shoulders. The driver apparently fell asleep and struck Mr. Merrill who was flagman for Fauber Construction Co. The vehicle continued on east and struck several baricading barrels, which struck Kennedy, a workman for the construction company. Mr. Merrill was born Feb. 19, 1953, in Crawfordsville, the son of Harry "Cobb" and Ruth Hazlett Merrill Jr. He was a graduate of Fountain Central High in 1971 and attended Indiana State University. He was employed by Fauber Construction Co. of Crawfordsville and attended the Veedersburg First United Methodist Church. Survivors include his mother of Veedersburg; a brother, Richard of Princeton; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Ethel Hazlett of Veedersburg; and paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Merrill Sr. of Veedersburg Route 3. He was preceded in death by his father on Sept. 19, 1970. -- jlr