Submitted by: Nadine A. Hardin

Name:  Righter, Paul

Names in Obituary:  Righter, Barna, Walter, Bogue, Bronkema, Heckman, Jackson, Gruza

South Bend Tribune, METRO; Friday, September 4, 1981.

FATAL ACCIDENT - Paul Righter, 63, of South Bend, was killed Thursday when the auto carrying him and eight members of his family, at left, was struck head on on N. Main St. in Buchanan Twp. by another car.  Driver of the second auto was John Allen Austin of Buchanan.  Four members of Righter's family are in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, and the other four and Austin were treated at Unity Hospital in Buchanan and released. <picture included>

 "Collision kills 1; 4 hospitalized"

BUCHANAN - A South Bend man was killed and four members of his family were hospitalized Thursday night when their auto was struck head-on by a second car that apparently had crossed the center line of N. Main St. in Buchanan Twp.

Berrien County Sheriff's deputies said Paul Righter, 63, of 51422 Orange Road, South Bend, was dead on arrival at Unity Hospital in Buchanan with multiple internal injuries.

Deputies said the Righter auto was traveling southbound on N. Main St. about 5:25 p.m. when it was involved in a collision with a northbound car driven by Allen Austin, 16, of Rt. 2, Box 828, Madron Lake Road, Buchanan.

Austin, who police said was traveling too fast for conditions, braked at the curve near Reed Road and lost control of his vehicle.  The Austin auto slid 156 feet and went into the northbound lane, hitting the Righter auto head-on, according to police.

Deputies said the road was wet from a light rain.

Austin was treated at Unity Hospital and released.

Reports of the accident will be reviewed by the Berrien County prosecutor's office.

Righter's wife, Margaret, 57, and a daughter, Nancy Bronkema, 25, of Life Action Ranch, Elm Valley Road, Buchanan were both reported in fair condition today in the special care unit of Memorial Hospital, South Bend.

Also listed in fair condition at Memorial were another daughter of the Righters, Cindi Heckman, 24, of Decatur, Ill. and her 10 month-old daughter, Susan.

Other members of the family who were released after treatment at Unity Hospital are another Righter daughter, Diana Bogue, 33, of 24444 Righter Court, South Bend, and her three children, Tammy, 6; Andrew, 3; and Michelle, 15 months.

South Bend Tribune, Local Obituaries; Saturday, September 5, 1981.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Grace Baptist Church for Paul F. Righter, 62, of 51322 Orange, who was dead on arrival Thursday night at the Unity Hospital in Buchanan.  He suffered multiple internal injuries in a two-car head-on collision in Buchanan Twp.  Righter was the manager of Jenny's Restaurant, Mishawaka, and formerly had worked as a real estate agent.  Born July 21, 1919, in Crawfordsville, he married Margaret Barna, who survives.  Also surviving are five daughters, Mrs. Marlene Walter of Granger, Mrs. Diana Bogue of South Bend, Mrs. Nancy Bronkema of Buchanan, Mrs. Cindi Heckman of Decatur, Ill., and Mrs. Debby Jackson of Fairbanks, Ind.; six grandchildren; and a sister, Mrs. Louis Gruza of South Bend.

Rev. Merle Heckman, associate pastor of the Central Baptist Church, Decatur, and Rev. Kenneth Jackson, associate pastor of Fairbanks Missionary Baptist Church, Fairbanks, both sons-in-law, will officiate at services.  Burial will be in Highland Cemetery.  Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday in the Welsheimer North Chapel, 52803 U.S. 31 N.  Righter was a member of the Grace Baptist church, the Home Builders Association, the Farm Bureau, and the Gideons.  He was a veteran of World War II.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Baptist Church or the Life Action Ministires of Buchanan.

Conflicts:  birth in Obituary (July 21, 1919) v.s. birth stated on Marriage Application (July 21, 1918); Marriage application also states he was born in Darlington, IN., not Crawfordsville, IN {in the Obituary):

Montgomery County, Indiana Index to Birth Records P- Z 1882-1920,p. 31; Book H-19, Page 40.