As told by his sister, Helen Filcher

Ted died in an auto accident on Hwy. 35 approximately three miles north of Creston, MT, in the early hours of December 27, 1953. He was 21 years old.

He had attended a dance in Bigfork. The kids he went to the dance with were getting drunk and weren't ready to go home so Ted took an early ride home in the back seat of a convertible driven by a casual acquaintance.

After rounding a curve and heading north on dry, straight roads, the car left the road on the right, rolled over and landed upside down in the shallow barrow pit. None of the three occupants were injured.

In the stress and confusion, the two youths in the front seat lifted the car to let Ted escape from the back seat. As he emerged from the inverted car, they could hold it no longer and dropped it on him, killing him immediately.

Ted was very likeable; he was pretty quiet and serious. He helped our mom a lot [she was a widow]. He was very generous and always willing to help someone. I was about four years older than him; I was married when he died.

There were seven of us kids. We moved to Columbia Falls, Montana from North Dakota in 1945. We had fun out on the farm; sleigh riding and horse back riding. We didn't have many toys.

After Ted was killed, the other two boys came around and helped mom; got firewood, took her to the store, etc. They were very kind to her and very good.

The adjoining landowner has long since removed the cross and farmed the state barrow pit.

September 9, 1932 -
December 27, 1953