THOMPSON, Claire

Wickenburg (AZ) Sun Friday, January 6, 1956, p 1 Auto Accident Claims Lives of Two Local Women What started out to be a desert picnic in late afternoon of a pleasant New Year's Day turned into tragedy when the car in which two Wickenburg women were riding left the highway and turned over about two miles from Arrowhead on the road to Hillside. Mrs Melba Repannas, age 30, died of head injuries shortly after midnight Wednesday while the other occupant of the car, Mrs Claire W Thompson, age 55, died of similar injuries at 1:47am Thursday at Community Hospital here where both were brought after the accident. Cause of the accident had not been determined at the time The SUN went to press. They were riding in a comparatively new sedan and were crushed when the car landed on its top, flattening the latter to the doors, according to peace officers. Desert Cypress Residents Both Mrs Repannas and Mrs Thompson came to Wickenburg around Thanksgiving day and occupied adjoining trailers at the Desert Cypress Trailer Ranch. Mrs Repannas had been employed only a few days at the Bar 7 Rancho restaurant. Mrs Thompson was a writer, a WAC veteran of World War II and the widow of a soldier killed in Korea. She came here from Portland, Ore. Her sister, Mrs Erma Fletcher, arrived from Portland at 3pm Tuesday, to be with the injured woman. Young Daughter Mrs Repannas is survived by a 6-year-old daughter, Lanette, who was living with her here. Her father, Wendall Crider, is a resident of Phoenix. He was here at the time of her death. Funeral arrangements for both were pending Thursday. The accident did not happen in the Wickenburg highway patrol district and was investigated by Yavapai County authorities.