Extracted from The Odessa American (Odessa, TX)
Wednesday, February 26, 1969

Wreck Claims Third Victim

MIDLAND (Staff) -- A train-automobile crash here Feb. 14 Wednesday morning has claimed its third victim.

Franklin (Cowboy) Padgett, 50, who lived north of here at Scarsdale Stables, died Tuesday afternoon in Midland Memorial Hospital of injuries received in the collision at the Garfield Street crossing.

Still in a critical condition in the hospital was Berry Louise Kennemur, 17, who was driver of the automobile and whose sister, Mary Alberta, 12, and brother, George, 13, were fatally injured in the crash.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tue[s]day in Newnie W. Ellis Funeral Chapel conducted by Rev. Bill Basse, pastor of Temple Baptist Church.

Burial will be in Odessa Cemetery.

Born Jan. 31, 1910 in Raleigh, Miss., he moved to Kernes in 1913 and the the 1920s moved to Breckenridge. He came to Midland in 1931 and was employed as a stable operator for Scarsdale Stables.

Survivors include two sons, Ross and Russ Padgett, both of Midland; his mother, Mrs. Lenorah Padgett of Crane; two brothers, Olen Padgett of Boise, Idaho, C. T. Padgett of Kernes; a sister, Mrs. Retha Mathis of Crane.

Padgett and the three children were in his automobile when it was struck by an eastbound Texas and Pacific freight train.