European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 9, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Eight kids go to a prom Shelbyville iii., May 16 a a train smashed into a Carload of eight Young people near Mattoon Early today killing seven and critically injuring the eighth. The youngsters had been to a prom at Shelbyville High school night. The dead were identified As. Jerry Hill Irene Lyle Judy Lorraine Jerry Hayes Dorothy first there was one. His Blue suit was new and his green1956 Chevy shone like new. Ivan Moon was proud of his car and always kept his tires up. That afternoon he had washed it and polished it and vacuumed it and filled the Gas tank. At 22, there is soul satisfaction in. Dressing up your car for a big Friday evening and telling the Man fill it  he backed out of the Moon place a Small farm and Sawmill operation two Miles North of Shelbyville and drove up the country Road. It was a Clear night Cool for May and the windows of a car could easily Mist up. Ivan drove past the Home of his Friend Jerry Hill just 200 Yards from the Moons and headed for Dorothy Thomas House a mile up. All three houses were on the same Road and the same party line one Long three shorts for the Moons on Short two Longs for Jerry four shorts for Dorothy. And boys being boys and girls being girls it was beginning to look like the three houses would be linked for a Long time by More than a country Road or Tele phone line. Ivan dated Dorothy and Jerry Date divan s younger sister Irene. They double dated frequently. They went cat fishing together and bowled together and sat in drive ins together. The boys took turn with their cars. Last sunday they drove to Ramsay Lake in Jerry s car. Tonight pro night it was Ivan s turn. Jerry had just bought a ring for  she was Only 16, just finishing her Junior year in High school and mrs. Moon said she could t accept the ring unless she told Jerry it would be a Long engage ment. Irene had t told him yet. That is where their Romance stood on the nigh of Friday May 15, 1959. Ivan and Dorothy were much farther along. She was 18 and graduating in 12 Days. She had been wearing his Diamond a year and it would t be Long now. Ivan had a steady Job As a Mechanic in a farm equipment store in Bethany. Things looked Good. Ivan expected they would be married before the end of the summer. Ivan turned off the Road toward the new Frame House where Dorothy lived with her aunt and Uncle Betty and Bob Agney. She had come to live with them when she was 6, when her parents separated at a time when the Agneys had no children of their own. Since then the Agneys had had children of their own. But that made no difference. Dorothy was the first child in their House. She was still something special. As Ivan turned in Little Brad Agney aged 3, was waiting with the usual shake Down. Gum he said. Ivan gave him Gur and was allowed Entrance. Contrary to All the natural Laws womankind. Dorothy was ready. Her Craif hair was Short in a poodle Cut. She wore a new Pale yellow Ballerina length formal which was heavily ruffled and spread wide Over an inner skirt containing 75 Yards of material. Ivan seemed to approve of what he saw. As they left mrs. Agney a sked that they return with Irene and Jerry so she conk. See How everyone  they promised and headed Back to the Moons. Then there were two. At Jerry Hill s House things were jumping. He had been talking about nothing but the prom for More than a week. Now. At last he came downstairs a slender slightly Short boy scrubbed and glistening in his new Blue suit. The week before he had turned 19 an got from his Mother and Brothers a Back seat radio speaker for his car. Tonight a Man of substance who held a steady Job As daytime manager of Broverman s Pool Hall opposite the fire House in Shelbyville Jerry Hill was taking his girl to the proc it was to be a big night and there was no particular Point in recalling that 11years ago tomorrow very Early tomorrow his father was killed in an Auto Accident. Ordinarily Jerry was very affectionate with his Mother. He d hug her and shed say Jerry save that for Irene and he Day i m just rehearsing  tonight Jerry did t hug his  the tiny living room was Ful of women enjoying ice Cream and cookies at a Stanley products  the ladies were gathered for a demonstration of the new line of dust mops furniture polishes brooms and other household gadgets. Jerry contented himself with the one question do i pass inspection the assembled ladies agreed he did and he left for Irene son foot. As usual his tired Black old Cocker Spaniel Mitzi followed him Over. Mitzi always waited at Irene s House until Jerry brought her Home from a Date. At the Moons House a Small Square Frame building with to but no inside plumbing the Walls throbbed with excited chatter. Jerry and Ivan gave the girls their wrist corsages 01 White carnations. The girls bubbled. The Flowers they said would look divine around the boys shoulders a they danced. They were so excited they could t Cut the Lapel holes in the boys new suits where each would Wear his Carnation. Mrs. Moon Cut the holes. Nobody was More excited than Irene Moon. A pretty Blond girl she sparkled in a new White floor length formal. She wore Low heels so she would t be taller than Jerry. Besides it would be easier f o dance and Irene just loved dancing. After dancing her greatest love was horses. She had her own Brown Riding horse named Dinah in the pasture out Side. Every Day that Irene returned from school Dinah waited at the Corner of the pasture nearest the Road for the school bus. Irene was a Fine student and had jus made the National Honor society. On Mon Day she was to be initiated. Her special Forte was math a fact duly noted by class mates wishing Best of Luck to a great algebra brain in her yearbook. Irene kept the books on the family farm and handled All the correspondence. Mom snaps picture at Long last everyone was ready. Mrs. Moon took their pictures outside the House with a Flash Box camera. Mrs. Moon told them to be Home by one. Irene protested of mom we want to go somewhere and eat afterwards mrs. Moon said one would be Fine. No one Felt it necessary to remind Ivan to drive carefully. Neither he nor Jerry drank. And it was t difficult for Ivan to recall that three years and three months ago his older married sister was killed in an Auto Accident. At the filling stations around town they d Tell you Ivan Moon Ivan it was her 18th birthday and a wonderful Day for Judy left. Her father snapped this twisted wreckage is Teia ony to the Force of the unexplained col this photo of her with Lyle Lorraine and Jerry Hayes a few hours before the tragedy. I on in which the seven Young people died returning from a prom. The stars and stripes was no hot rodder in pulling out Heddin t gun his car. It was now about 8. The dance started at 9 but the girls wanted to be there Early to take pictures of friends. Everyone got into the car. Then there were four. They drove Back up the country Road to the Agneys and were duly admired and photographed again. Ivan said we better get going. With All those ruffles it la take a half hour just to get Dorothy into the  everyone laughed. Have a Good time the Agneys said. The two couples left headed for Shelbyville. Shelbyville is a farming town of 4,600, a quiet town a bit too Busy to be called sleepy and too Serene to be called bustling. Main Street is wide and clean. The county courthouse Steps Are Broad and Roomy enough for men in baseball Caps and Dusty jeans to gather and Converse or just watch the traffic or the Day. And across from the courthouse inevitably in a Little fenced off Triangle stands a Monument to the War dead. The town has two industries to speak of. One makes Hay Bailers. The other makes hairpins. Other than that Shelby Ville exists for the surrounding Corn and soybean Farmers. They come in on Friday nights and while the women shop the men mostly stand around or have a Beer. The town is about 120 years old and clings proudly to its historical footnote Abe Lincoln once Rode Over Here from Springfield to debate a judge. It has changed Little. The population remain fairly constant. It has Little racial mixture and few stresses. Most families have been Here for three or four generations and As one Man says they be Kinda lost track of where people came  and a Little after 8, on the night of May 15, while Ivan Moon and his groupware driving in from the North Lyle Pfeif Fer was about ready to drive in from the West. Most boys who go formal to the Shelby Ville High prom rent their White jacket Black tie shirt Sti ids cuff links Cummer bund and Black pants from Richardson s clothing store on main Street for $9.75. But not Lyle Pfeiffer and his Friend Jerry Hayes. They were College men. They had brought their formal clothes Down with them from Champaign where they were freshmen fraternity Brothers and roommates at the University of Illinois. Lyle was 18 Jerry 19. Both were handsome clean Cut excellent students. Lyle had. A College scholarship. In High school he was president of his chapter of the future Farmers of America. In his High school at Woodlawn 111., 100 Miles South Jerry had been valedictorian and Active in the 4-h club. This place Best Jerry was now studying veterinary Medicine Lyle Dairy technique. Lyle planned after graduation to return to his father s 130 acres he frequently said this place looks Best to me of any i  because his own Home was so far Jerry Hayes often spent weekends at Lyle s  Pfeiffer had grown fond of their son s Friend and began to regard him As one of the family. But one May reasonably suspect that Lorraine Pfeiffer s feeling toward Jerry Hayes was t exactly familial. He was at Tractive intelligent attentive. And he Wasa College Man and 19. Lorraine who still lived at Home and helped her dad milk the cows at 5 am was Only a Junior in High school and 17. And now on a Clear Beautiful night filled with stars and the whispers of May Jerry was taking her to the prom. They were double dating with her brother Lyle and his girl Judy keen. The pre Danee excitement was such that Lorraine did t want to be Home where the boys might see her getting ready. So she spent the afternoon at Judy san afternoon of girl talk and girl  the Pfeiffer farm Lyle and Jerry got by Saul Pett a staff writer into the Pfeiffer family car a 1948 Chevy. And Walter Pfeiffer a tall gaunt Farmer with weathered face and eyes reddened by dust and Sun quietly told his son remember the Chevy s bearing is shot. Better not drive her to Decatur or anyplace that far after the  the emphasis was Ori the durability of the car. Walter Pfeiffer had no particular reason  his son to drive carefully the boy was level headed. About 8 30, Lyle Pfeiffer an Jerry Hayes arrived at Judy keen s Small Frame housein Shelbyville. They came in on the Tail end of a party. This Clay May 15, 1959, was Judy s 18th birthday. Tonight she was going to the prom. In 12 Days she would graduate High school. A girl could t ask for More momentous events. For her birthday this attractive Blond girl had asked for and received from her parents a combination birthday graduation gift an extra Fine extra expensive White graduation dress. Came her birthday and her parents added several blouses. The girls were now ready. They should have been they had been getting ready All afternoon with the help of mrs. Keen who did their hair. Melvin keen superintendent of a Road construction company Jerry Hill Irene Lyle Judy Lorraine Jerry Hayes Dorothy ,. And Ivarre. Momma what happened took pictures of his daughter and he friends. He took pictures of them eating slices of Judy s birthday cake. He took pictures of the girls in their new dresses and wrist corsages roses for Judy carnations for Lorraine. He took pictures of the girls pin Ning on the boys boutonnieres. Home by 2 30 the Pfeiffer had left it up to the keens to decide when the couples should return that night. Now m Elvin keen told them it s Okay if you want to go out and eat afterwards As Long As you Tell me when you la be  they said they d get Home by 2 30. Mel Vin keen was Content with that Lyle Al ways got Judy Home when he said he would. And they left for the prom in the Pfeif Fer car. Mrs. Keen and some friends also went to the dance. Mrs. Keen was recovering froma recent illness everyone thought it would be Good for her to get out and watch the kids dance and listen to the music. There were in fact about. 100 adults sit Ting in the balconies of the High school thursday july 9, 1959 the stars and stripes gym that night. Outside of the country club about the Only Way to hear a live orchestra in Shelbyville is at the High school Homecoming dance in the fall and the prom in the Spring. Tonight the music was supplied by Frankie Leonard and his nine piece orches tra from Springfield. In their powder Blue jackets and dark trousers As Classy As anything you d see in chicag Othey played under the East Basket. Mostly they played Sweet slow music like separate tables  stardust  a Are dancing Only every fourth number approached Rock n Roll and they were mile versions. In Shelbyville the girls can dance fast but Many of the country boys Are too heavy fooled for the speedy stuff. Ivan Moon and his group entered the gym and took More pictures and the went to their tame. Lyle Pfiffer and his group arrived later and went to their  soon they were All dancing. The gym Nad a Murdi Cloras decor that night Gay carnival scenes clowns Smil continued on Page 14j Page 13