Ronald Wells Armatage, 37, was killed in a railroad accident about 10:15 PM on Tuesday, May 6, 1967. He was head brakeman on the Union Pacific Railroad west-bound freight No. 807. The accident presumably occurred on a bridge spanning Ham's Fork about 18 miles east of Kemmerer. W.D. Arnell was the engineer, Charles T. Sharpe the conductor, and R. M. Burgoyne rear brakeman. Reportedly Mr. Armatage had gone back to investigate sparks seen coming from the last diesel electric power unit or the first freight car. The train had been slowed down on approaching east Kemmerer and was stopped in the yard. Engineer Arnell notified fellow crew members and Kemmerer station that Mr. Armatage was missing. On returning to the bridge the freight crew discovered the lower part of a severed leg and personal effects belonging to Mr. Armatage. It was presumed he fell from the bridge into Ham's Fork and a search continued today.
Mr. Armatage was born on September 8, 1929 at Georgetown, the son of Wilford and Mildred Smith Armatage. He attended elementary school in Georgetown and graduated from Montpelier High School May 29, 1947. He was employed as a meat cutter at Safeway store in Montpelier before entering the service July 16, 1948. He served with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California as private first class until July 17, 1950. He was in the Infantry Reserve and was called back from inactive duty on October 12, 1950, and spent some months in Hawaii. He was released on November 23, 1951.
He entered employment with the Union Pacific Railroad as a brakeman, September 6, 1952. He was a member of the LDS Church and served as an elder. He was married to Verla Nye of Paris on June 23, 1953 in the Idaho Falls Temple. He is survived by his widow, two sons and one daughter.
He is survived by his widow; two sons, Steven, 13 and Kevin. 11 and one daughter, Rhonda, 9; his parents of Montpelier; one brother, Ross S. Armatage, who is attending Northwest University Dental School at Glenview, Illinois; two sisters, Mrs Max (Velma) Stoor of Bern, and Mrs. Darrell (Joan) Hansen of Murray, Utah; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Florence Barkdull Smith of Georgetown.