The Ontario Argus Observer (Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon)
Monday, August 25, 1952
Ray Alters Killed In Car Accident Sunday Afternoon
PAYETTE - Ray N. Alters, 61, of New Plymouth, long time Idaho newspaper man died at the Ontario hospital about 7 o'clock Sunday night to become Payette county's fourth traffic fatality of the year, Sheriff Ray Stephens reported this morning.
The sheriff said five others were hurt in the accident, which occurred at the intersection of county roads one half mile south and one mile east of the Palisade junction at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. They were Mrs. Alters, her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Lockhart of Sacramento, California, who arrived only Saturday for a visit with the Alters family; Mrs. Rhea Jensen, 30, of Emmett.
The Lockharts and Mrs. Alters are being treated at the Ontario hospital, and Mrs. Jensen at the Mary Secoy hospital at Emmett, the sheriff said.
The officer stated that Mr. Alters and Mrs. Jensen's husband Joseph W. of Emmett were the drivers of the two cars involved in the collision, and that the impact was so great that it caused the Alters auto to roll over twice.
Other occupants of the Jensen car were Bonnie 10, Darrell, 3 and Janet 2, children of the Jensen's.
Payette county coroner Gifford Schaffer said it has not been determined whether an inquest will be held.
Ray Nathaniel Alters was born in Illinois on July 21, 1890 and came to Idaho in 1914. After working for a newspaper in Payette for several years he moved to Weiser in 1925 and was employed there on the Weiser American as a printer for ten years.
He then moved back to Payette and worked on the Independent Enterprise there for a time before he and his son, Duane Alters, re-opened the Idaho Mountaineer at Idaho City in 1945. They sold that newspaper in December of that year, and in January of 1946 the elder Alters returned to Weiser and was employed on the Signal-American until December when he and his son purchased the Payette Valley Sentinel at New Plymouth which they operated until about a year ago when they sold it. Since that time Mr. Alters has been employed as a printer on the New Plymouth newspaper.
Besides his wife he is survived by his son, Duane, of Nyssa; three brothers; one sister and two grandchildren.
The Shaffer Chapel at Payette is arranging the services.
Reports from the hospitals at Ontario and Emmett this morning stated that the full extent of injuries of the accident victims had not been determined but that they were resting satisfactorily.
