Memorials › Walter Bruno "Ben" Vanzura

Walter Bruno "Ben" Vanzura

11 Dec 1892 – 24 Oct 1957

Birth11 Dec 1892
Death24 Oct 1957
CemeterySaint Marys Catholic Cemetery
West , McLennan County , Texas , USA
Added byDoreen Morelli on 14 Feb 2010
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44519797

Bio

NOTE: The date of death is incorrect on the tombstone; the correct date of death is October 24 and is verified by the Death Index and his Death Certificate, and newspaper obituary. Walter Vanzura Drowns At Lake Whitney Thursday Walter Vanzura drowned at Lake Whitney shortly after noon, Thursday, Oct. 24. A telephone call from Whitney's Justice of the Peace Haymie Webb at 2 p.m. relayed the tragic news to The News. Mr. Webb stated several fishermen were present when the accident occurred. Mr. Vanzura had apparently been fishing alone below the dam at the filling basin. Two sluice gates were open and water was flowing through them when Mr. Vanzura apparently tried to cross over, lost his footing, and fell into the river below. He was wearing wading boots, which filled with water and became leads holding him down. His body was recovered at 1:40 after he had been in the water for almost an hour. John Lee Hruska, a former West resident, was present and furnished definite identification. Mr. Vanzura is survived by his widow; three sons, Larry of Shreveport, La., Walter Jr. of Waco, and Willie of Harlingen; and a daughter, Mrs. Joyce Taggart of Waco. No other details were available at press time. The West News, West, Texas, Volume 67, No. 25, Edition 1, Friday, October 25, 1957. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Walter Vanzura's Funeral Services Held Saturday Funeral services were held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at St. Mary's Church of the Assumption for Walter Vanzura who drowned at Lake Whitney at approximately 12:30 Thursday. Msgr. I.J. Valenta officiated. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery. Rosary was recited at 7 p.m. Friday at Aderhold-Moore Funeral Home. Mr. Vanzura was born on December 11, 1892 in Vesky, Moravia. He came to Texas with his parents when he was approximately 8 years old. For about six months, the family lived in Engle, Texas, and in South Texas. In 1902 they moved to the West community to make their home. Mr. Vanzura was well-known in West and will be remembered as an ardent sportsman--fisherman and hunter. It has been more than 35 years since he first went deer hunting, and he never missed going any Fall since his first trip. There were about eleven fishermen present when the tragedy occurred. Among those present were his brother, Rudolph Vanzura, who was fishing with Frank J. Marak and Joe Sembera of West. Mr. Orville Baker of McGregor was fishing near Mr. Vanzura, and was one of the men caught when the gate was suddenly opened. He stated that he and another fisherman were able to take refuge on a ledge under the dam and he was able to make his way to the bank after the gate was closed when someone yelled to the engineer pump station that Mr. Vanzura had fallen into the water. Mr. Vanzura fell into the water at 12:30 and Mr. Leonard Webb, Justice of the Peace of Whitney, who conducted the investigation said the body was recovered at 1:40 p.m. Billy Tidwell of the engineer's office waded into the Brazos River and recovered Mr. Vanzura's body from water which was arm-pit deep. The group from West was fishing about 400 yards downstream and saw the accident. Mr. Rud. Vanzura stated that the siren was sounded warning the fishermen that a gate was to be opened, but the gate was opened before the fishermen had a chance to get to high ground, in fact, he said, the siren was sounded and the gate was opened at the same time. Mr. Vanzura continued, "They opened No. 8 mud gate, something they had never done before, and there were 11 fishermen caught. I could see this one fisherman in the middle of the concrete walkway, but I did not know it was Walter. he started across, but the current was so swift he evidently found he couldn't make it, so he started to turn around and go back, and when he turned, he lost his footing, fell and struck his head on the concrete. He could not get up, but started to crawl back. He moved two feet before the water swept him into the river. He yelled for help, and a couple of fishermen who were within casting distance of him yelled 'swim for the willows,' which I thought was a mistake, but he tried. He was swept under the water and came up once, but with all that fishing gear, he could not make it a second time." Mr. Rud. Vanzura and Mr. Marak explained that if someone had not made the engineers understand a person had drowned, and they hadn't immediately closed that gate, in all probability the entire 11 fishermen would have drowned. Mr. Bill Goetz, the brother-in-law of the deceased, spoke to the Corp of Engineers at the Dam and they admitted to him that they did not look to see if anyone was fishing and that the fishermen did not have sufficient time to get out after the siren had sounded. Mr. Goetz explained, in most instances after the siren sounds the Engineers must go into the dam to start the generator to raise the gates, but in this instance, the main generator was under repair, and a small gate was opened at the same time the siren sounded, and the fishermen were trapped by opposing currents of water. Mr. Vanzura's sons, Larry and Walter report a full and complete investigation is being conducted, and the Corps of Engineers is erecting more signs to forbid fishing below the dam. Fishing below the dam has always been "off limits" but in the past, fishermen from all parts of the country have ignored the sign to take advantage of the excellent fishing in the area. Mr. Vanzura is survived by his widow; three sons, Larry Vanzura of Shreveport, La., Walter Jr., of Waco, and Willie Vanzura of Harlingen; a daughter, Mrs. Joyce Taggart of Waco; two grandchildren; two brothers, Ben Vanzura of West and Rudolph Vanzura of Tours; two sisters, Mrs. Vince Sula of West and Miss Frances Vanzura of Cuero. Pallbearers were Frank Lichnovsky, August Dulak, Bill Zatopek, Vaclav Bezdek, Albert Vanzura and Frank Marak. The West News, West, Texas, Volume 67, No. 26, Edition 1, Friday, November 1, 1957, page 1 Contributor: Betty Fajkus Marek (48445083)

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