Bever, Patricia Ann

Passed: 1963-07-03

Age: 11

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1963-07-12

Information: Patricia Bever, 11-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bever of Medina, was instantly killed just before noon Wednesday when the farm tractor on which she was riding overturned on Seals Run road near Medina.  Her sister, 13-year-old Barbara, received a broken ankle, and another sister, Beverly Jean, 15, received a spinal injury. The tragedy stunned the community, and the heroic effort made by Barbara to get help to the scene brought tears to the eyes of residents, who told of what she did by traveling more than a mile despite her broken ankle to summon aid.  Her cries for help were first heard by Ernest Thompson, who with Marion McCoy of Ripley, were measuring Thompson's tobacco field.  They responded and she took them back to the scene.  Little 11-year-old Patricia was dead and her crushed body was under the tractor.  The two men could not free her body and more help was summoned.  Finally tractors owned by Harold Moore and Naaman Bever were brought to the scene and with hydraulic lifts the overturned machine was raised enough to remove the body.  Both Barbara and Beverly Jean had been thrown clear of the tractor when it overturned as was Kenny Kidder, a cousin, who was driving it at the time.  Kidder was hurt only slightly.  The men who were at the scene were of the opinion that when young Kidder needed to shift gears in going up a hill in the road in some manner he had shifted to reverse instead of low gear.  The tractor had the cultivator plows attached to it when it overturned.  The children were on their way to a field where they were going to cultivate tobacco plants.  The funeral service was held at the Chambers funeral home Friday afternoon with Rev. C. E. Ruble officiating and the burial was in the Ravenswood cemetery.  Late reports on the condition of the two injured sisters is that they are recovering from both their injury and shock.