A tribute by the late Rollin "Oscar" Sullivan to his first wife, Ruth , written after her tragic death in a 1959 car crash outside of Evanston, WY (Oscar's younger brother Phil, known for the rockabilly song, 'You Get a Thrill,' also died in the same accident.)
Here's an account of the tragedy from the Salt Lake Tribune (10-10-1959) :
CRASH NEAR EVANSTON KILLS 2 OF "GRAND OLE OPRY"
(Friday, October 9, 1959)
Evanston, Wyo. -- Two members of the Grand Ole Opry troupe were killed in a head-on automobile collision 15 miles east of Evanston on U.S. Highway 30 South about 6 a.m. Friday.
Dead are PHILLIP SULLIVAN, 33, Madison, Tenn., and his sister-in-law, MRS. RUTH EVELYN SULLIVAN, 37, Hendersonville, Tenn. Both had skull fractures and possibly broken necks.
A third member of the troupe, ROLLIN SULLIVAN, 40, husband of the woman who was killed was listed as "fair" by Uinta County Hospital, where he was under treatment.
He is best known by his stage name, "OSCAR" of the LONZO and OSCAR comedy team. He was sleeping in the back seat of a car driven by his wife when the collision occurred.
Also injured was the driver of the second car, RONALD D. TERRY, 29, Green River, Wyo. He was treated for internal injuries at Uinta County Hospital, then transferred to Dee Hospital in Ogden. He was in "fair" condition late Friday, a hospital spokesman announced, and was to be transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Salt Lake City.
The Grand Ole Opry troupe had played a show in Lander, Wyo., Thursday and was en route to Contact, Nev., for a Friday night performance.
Other members of the troupe, including a brother of ROLLIN SULLIVAN, "LONZO" of the comedy team, were in another car ahead of the one involved in the collision. Late Friday officers were trying to contact persons of the lead car in Nevada.
Wyoming Highway Patrolman Leonard E. Weld said the SULLIVAN auto was westbound and the TERRY car eastbound. The officer said the eastbound car had crossed into the wrong lane of traffic.
Uinta County Coroner Gilbert O. Bills said an inquest is planned.
Note: Oscar was seriously injured in the accident and it took him five months to recover.
L to R are: Rollin Sullivan, Johnny Sullivan, Smokey Pleacher, and "Cousin Luther" (Jack Logan) THIS VIDEO IS POSTED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. (NON-COMMERCIAL USE)
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