Gretchen,
There was no real obituary...but a nice artical on the accident..I found them in the CADeath index...Hope this helps...Alma

ZION EDWIN 10/02/1879 HAYES ZION M NEBRASKA MERCED 12/23/1940 61

ZION PEARL DELL 12/08/1884 JOHNSTON F IOWA MERCED 12/23/1940 56 yrs

ZION WILLIAM F 10/02/1879 HAYES ZION M NEBRASKA MERCED 12/23/1940 61 yrs


Merced Sun Star, Merced, CA. Monday, Dec 23, 1940

Three Killed In Head-on Atwater Crash.

E.H. Zion, Modesto Attorney, Dead; Trio On Yule Trip.

Three persons died today in a head-on automobile-truck collision in Atwater, and a youth was injured seriously.

The Dead.
E.H. Zion, 60, prominent Modesto attorney.

William F. Zion, 60, retired executive of the Great Northern railroad at Havre, Montana, and brother of E. H. Zion.

Mrs. William F. Zion, 55, Havre, Montana, wife of William F. Zion.


The Injured.
Robert Powell Zion, 17, son of E. H. Zion, who was driving the car. He suffered a broken arm, dislocated hip and severe cuts on his face and right leg. He was taken to Mercy hospital.

The Zion car was traveling south, when it was in collision with the north-bound heavy truck driven by Gomer Evans of Merced. Evans suffered only minor bruises which did not require hospital treatment. Evans was not held.

The Zion's were enroute to Ahwahnee sanitarium in Madera county to bring E. H. Zion's wife home for Christmas holidays.

Crash In Storm.
The crash occurred during a heavy rainfall. The location was within the Atwater city limits, but south of the main business and residential section.
E. H. and William F. Zion were twin brothers. The bodies were taken to Welch-Nelson mortuary, where funeral arrangements were being made.
E.H. Zion formerly was an assemblyman from Stanislaus county, and was a well-known attorney. He was known in Merced, where he had appeared in many courts cases.

The Merced Trial.
Among other cases, Zion was associated with the defense in the murder trial of Mrs. Bertha Talkington, accused seven years ago of killing her husband.
Superior Judges James D. Garibaldi and Hal S. Shaffer adjourned court today in respect to Zion.
Investigating officers were Chief of Police E. L. Walter of Atwater and Highway Patrolman Curtis Farr and Wayne Langston.

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Merced Sun Star, Merced, CA., Tuesday, December, 24, 1940

Modesto Rites Set For Victims.

The bodies of E. H. Zion, 60, Modesto attorney, his brother William F. Zion, 60, and his brothers wife, Mrs. William F. Zion, 55, were sent to Modesto late Monday for burial.

They were killed in an automobile-truck accident in Atwater Monday morning, when the car in which they were riding was in collision with a truck driven by Gomer Evans of Merced. Evans suffered only minor bruises.

Condition of Robert Powell Zion, 17, son of E. H. Zion and driver of the car, was described as "about the same" today by attendants at Mercy hospital. The youth suffered a broken arm, dislocated hip and severe cuts on his face and right leg in the crash.

Mrs. E.H. Zion, who had been waiting at Ahwahnee hospital for Zions to arrive to take her home for a Christmas visit, was brought to Merced last night by C. Ray Robinson, a family friend. She is said to be under treatment for shock today in Mercy hospital.