Pekin Daily Times, July 1953

Robert Crafton, 22, Killed In River Accident
Havana - A hot July 4th picnic excursion ended in cold tragedy for a Pekin family Saturday afternoon in the tepid waters of the Illinois River offshore of Havana.

Robert Crafton, 22 year old sailor on leave, son of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Crafton, 226 Sapp street, Pekin, died when he was overurn by an outboard motor boat operated by his father.

The young sailor's body was not recovered for five hours.

Crafton accompanied his parents and brother William to Havana for the outing.

Deep Laceration
Around 1 p.m. (cst) Robert, William and their father were cruising the river in an outboard boat near midstream off the foot of Main street when the sailor fell off the bow of the craft. He was apparently run over by the propeller. When found he had a deep laceration of the skull around the left ear and of the shoulder.

His father told Mason county coroner, Richard Hurley that he felt the propeller strike his son in the water.

It was reported the sailor was standing in the bow of the craft, holding on to the painter. A sudden lurch of the boat apparently threw him into the water. It was reported the boat lurched when hit by a wave caused by one of two passing barges.

Mr. Crafton said he stopped the boat immediately and dove futiley for his son.

Help was summoned. The emerancy crew of the Havana fire department, Fire Chief Alger Carpenter in charge, plus volunteer boatmen, dragged the river for five hours.

The body was recovered at ?:?? p.m. by fisherman Chester Huffman and two unidentified companions. Caught along the bottom by a drag line, the body was found an estimated 30 to 73 yards down-stream of the mishap.

Body At Kuecks
The body was brought to the Kuecks funeral home in Pekin where friends may call.

The young sailor was born in Pekin Dec. 21, 1930, a son of Woodrow and Edith Neville Crafton. His marriage to Georgina Leggett took place in Pekin on Feb. 21, 1950 (?).

Surviving are his parents, his widow, a year-old daughter, Sherry Lee; a brother, William Crafton and a sister, Miss Freda Crafton, all of Pekin.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Kuecks Funeral home, with Dr. C. C. Nording, pastor of Grace Methodist church officiating. Burial will be in War Veteran's Memorial cemetery.

Contributed by: Donna (Singleton) Yavorshak & Sara Hemp