BILLIE LOUISE "Billie Lou" BRATTON
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - November 17, 1960
THREE KILLED--VAIL PASS CLAIMS FIFTH LIFE. Two fatal accidents in the area Sunday included the tragic death of Lovely Billie Lou BRATTON, 18-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pat BRATTON of Burns. The second accident occurred on Eagle County's Death Strip, Vail Pass, claiming the lives of two Denver women, who became numbers 4 and 5 to die on Vail Pass this year.
Billie Lou was a passenger in a car driven by Emily HERBERT, 17 of Ogden, Utah, when the car hit an icy spot on Highway 6 half a mile west of Dillon. The car went across the road into the path of one driven by a Mr. LUNDY of Grand Junction. The side of the HERBERT car went into the front end of LUNDY's car, Officer McHENRY reported.
All five young people, returning to college in Ft. Collins, were seriously injured. Billie was taken to a Denver hospital, where she died.
Miss HERBERT suffered a fractured pelvis and internal injuries. Frank ABELARD, 18 of Denver, fractured pelvis. Judy BIEHL, 20, Cozad, Neb., fractured pelvis and internal injuries. Rick Alexander, another 18-year old Burns youth, had head cuts, internal injuries, and McHENRY reported no movement in Rick's legs.
All four young people were taken to the Leadville hospital.
McHENRY reported no injuries for LUNDY. Mrs. LUNDY, however, was taken to a Grand Junction hospital for treatment of neck, head and throat injuries.
Of the seven fatal highway accidents in Eagle County so far this year, five have occurred on Vail--three of these at the same place--a point about 12 miles from the junction of Hwys 6 & 24.
Sandra SMITH, 22, of Denver became Vail Pass's fourth victim; 72-year old Nellie Fay HILL of Denver was the fifth. The women were passengers in a car driven by Eva KINSTON, 34, also of Denver when the car went out of control on a curve near Black Lake No. 1, and rolled over, stopping near the lake below the road. Officers TURNER and HAGAN and Cpl. Russell CONFER said Miss SMITH's injuries were a fractured skull, broken back and she died at the scene of the accident.
Mrs. HILL had a broken left leg and internal injuries. She died two hours later in the Leadville hospital. Miss KINSTON was taken to the same hospital for treatment of broken back and multiple contusions.
Eagle Valley Enterprise - November 1960
Funeral services for Billie Louise BRATTON, 18, were held in Glenwood Springs Nov. 18. Interment was in the Glenwood cemetery.
Billie Louise BRATTON, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pat BRATTON of Burns, was born in Steamboat Springs, February 14, 1942 and had lived at Burns for 16 years. She was a graduate of McCoy High School and was attending Colorado State University at Ft. Collins at the time of her death.
One of the most popular of the Burns-McCoy community young people, Billie Lou made a large acquaintance throughout Eagle County through her school and 4-H Club activities. He held many ribbons earned in her club work, in home economics division and livestock projects.
She died Tuesday, Nov. 15 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver of a brain injury suffered in a head-on car collision Nov. 13 near Dillon. She was one of five young people in a car when it skidded on an icy spot half a mile west of Dillon, and rammed into a car driven by Dale LUNDY of Grand Junction. All young people were injured and the other four, Richard Alexander, 18 of Burns; Frank AVELARD, 18 of Lakewood; Emily HERBERT 17, Ogden, Utah, driver of the car; and Judy DIELH of Cozal, Neb., were taken to the Leadville hospital.
Billie Lou is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick P. BRATTON, and a brother, Jimmy of Burns; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred ALLEN of Yampa; aunts and uncles: Mr. and Mrs. Frank BRATTON, Canon City; Ed BRATTON, Buena Vista; Mr. and Mrs. James BRATTON, Grand Junction; Earl BRATTON, Sebastapol, Calif.; Tom BRATTON, Craig; Mr. and Mrs. Richard BRATTON, Osburn, Ida.; Mr. and Mrs. Dan BRATTON, Grants, N. Mex.; Mr. and Mrs. Orvel BRATTON, Grand Junction; Mr. and Mrs. Bill ALLEN, Denver; Mr. and Mrs. Art ORR, Yampa; Mr. and Mrs. Sam GALLION, Tacoma, Wash.; and Mr. and Mrs. Jim WILSON, Glenwood Springs and a great-uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Clenton WHEELER, Salt Lake City.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 16 - November 16, 1960
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 10 - November 15, 1960
Unknown - November 1960
BILLIE BRATTON DIED OF INJURIES FROM CAR CRASH. Funeral services will be held Friday, November 18, at the Burdge Garden Chapel at 2 p.m. for Billie Louis BRATTON, 18, of Burns, Colo. Interment will be in Rosebud Cemetery in Glenwood SPrings and the Burdge Mortuary has charge of the arrangements.
Billie Louise BRATTON was born February 14, 1942 at Steamboat Springs and had been a resident of the Burns area for the past 18 years. She was a graduate of McCoy High School and was attending Colorado State University at Ft. Collins. Billie Lou was a member of the Burns 4-H Club.
Miss BRATTON died Tuesday, November 15, at 1:10 a.m. at St. Joseph's hospital in Denver of a brain injury suffered in an automobile head-on collision Sunday evening near Dillon.
She was one of four people riding in a car when it skidded on an icy spot on the east side of Vail Pass and rammed into a car driven by Dale LUNDY of Grand Junction. The passengers in the car which Miss BRATTON was riding were: Richard ALEXANDER, 18, of Burns; Frank AVELARD, 18, of Lakewood; Emiley HERBERT, 17, of Ogden, Utah, and driver of the car; Judy DIEHL of Cozal, Nebr. All are in a Leadville hospital with internal injuries. Mrs. LUNDY, a passenger in the other car, was taken to Valley View hospital in Glenwood Springs and was later transferred to St. Mary's hospital in Grand Junction. She received bruises and lacerations on the face and hands. Mr. LUNDY was shaken up but was not hospitalized.
Survivors are: her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick P. BRATTON of Burns; one brother, Jimmy BRATTON of Burns; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred ALLEN of Yampa; aunts and uncles, Mr. and Mrs. Frank BRATTON of Canon City, Ed BRATTON of Buena Vista, Mr. and Mrs. James BRATTON of Grand Junction, Earl BRATTON of Sebastopol, Calif., Tom BRATTON of Craig, Mr. and Mrs. Richard BRATTON of Osburn, Idaho, Mr. and Mrs. Dan BRATTON of Grants, N.M., Mr. and Mrs. Orvel BRATTON of Grand Junction, Mr. and Mrs. Bill ALLEN of Denver, Mr. and Mrs. Art ORR of Yampa Mr. and Mrs. Sam GALLION of Tacoma, Wash., and Mr. and Mrs. Jim Wilson of Glenwood Springs; and one great-uncle, Clenton WHEELER of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Unknown - November 15, 1960
YOUNG GIRL DIES OF INJURIES FROM VAIL PASS CRASH.
Mrs. Dale LUNDY of 1515 Chipeta Ave. was recovering in St. Mary's Hospital today from inuries she received in a two-car accident on the east side of Vail Pass near Dillon Sunday night.
An 18-year-old Burns, Colo., girl, Billie Lou BRATTON, one of four people riding in the other car, died early today in a Denver hospital of injuries received in the wreck. The three other pasengers, two girls and a boy, are all in a Leadville hospital with internal injuries.
Mrs. LUNDY, 47, received bruises and lacerations on the face and hands when her car was rammed by the other vehicle. She was taken to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood and later transferred to St. Mary's.
Her husband, 50, who was driving, was shaken up but was not admitted to the hospital. He is a school district 51 physical education supervisor..
The state patrol said that the LUNDYs were driving west when the other car, headed east, skidded on an icy spot and rammed them.
