The whole school was startled and grieves last Sunday to hear of the death by accident of Elsie Harris, a member of the senior class.
The accident occurred somewhat after 10 o’clock Saturday night, when the car in which she was riding turned turtle down a 14-foot embankment on the Germantown Road, seven miles north of Winston-Salem. The other occupants of the car were uninjured, with the exception of Irma Heaton, also a senior at Salem, who was slightly hurt.
Miss Harris was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Harris of New Bern, North Carolina, and would have graduated in music the first of June. Her piano recital was to have been given on May 10th. She had attended Salem College for four years, and previous to her entrance as a freshman had been a student in the Academy for two years.
The car was driven by James Rountree and the other members of the party were Irma Heaton of Tallapoosa, Georgia, Miss Jane Noblle, graduate of Salem College and member of the city school faculty, with whom Miss Heaton was spending the week-end, Dr. R.E. Smith and Dr. W.F. Medearis.
The accident occurred suddenly at a sharp curve in the road. Mr. Rountree said he did not see the curve and before he knew it, the car had run up an embankment and turned over down the 14-foot embankment. Dr. Medearis stated that the car was not moving at a rapid rate of speed and that the accident had occurred before anyone was aware of it.
Miss Harris was a prominent member of the Senior class, a member of Delta Sigma Delta Sorority, class prophet and song leader. During her freshman year she was I.R.S. representative for her class; the following year, she was Vice President, and during her Junior year she was class secretary. During 1923-24-25-26 she was Pan Hellenic representative. The whole school is deeply grieved over the tragedy, and extends sympathy to the members of her family and her many other friends.
The body was accompanied to New Bern Sunday morning by Dr. Rondthaler, and the following members of her society left Sunday night to attend the funeral: Helen Mitchell, Anne turner, Elizabeth Transou and Clara Moye. The Senior class sent their president, Helen Griffin, as an official representative, to attend the funeral and to extend sympathy to Miss Harris’ family and friends.
Miss Flavella Stockton, Rev. and Mrs. Ernest Stockton, Mr. James Rountree, Dr. W.F. Medearis, and Dr. R.E. Smith also went to New Bern Sunday.
The funeral was held at 3 o’clock Monday afternoon, April 19th, in the Christian Church of New Bern, conducted by Rev. J.G. Ulmer, pastor, assisted by Rev. E. Stockton and Dr. Ronthaler.
The following account of the funeral is taken from the Sun Journal, New Bern, N.C.:
“The funeral was most impressive. Hundreds of friends here and from other parts of the state gathered to pay their last respects to one they had known and loved. The casket, as it was carried into the church, was a mass of flowers, while there were many more banked about the altar.
“During the funeral service, Professor J. Henri Bourdelais, of this city, sang a solo. Professor Bourdelais was Miss Harris’ first music teacher and he had always taken great pride in her musical accomplishments. She was an unusually gifted pianist, and her recital, May 10, was looked forward to as one of the leading features of the commencement season.”
From the front page of The Salemite, Winston-Salem, N.C., April 24, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2015236777/1926-04-24/ed-1/seq-1/
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