Monday June 17, 1935
***********************************************
Aged brothers are killed,  Five injured in Accident
Palmiro and Cosimo Lombardi are Wreck Victim's
***********************************************
ACCIDENT SEEN BY BY EYE WITNESS
***********************************************
Double funeral Service to be held here Wednesday

Two brothers planter members of Visalia's Italian colony, were killed
and five others were injured in an automobile crash at a blind intersection
two miles north of Ivanhoe at 6:40 o'clock yesterday morning. 

The dead are Cosimo Lombardi, 70  instantly killed when his neck was broken.
Palmiro (George) Lombardi, 72 who died a few minutes after he arrived at the hospital.

THE INJURED ARE:
W. E. Taylor, who is suffering from a broken pelvis and ruptured bladder.
E. Maraviglia, whose injuries consist of a few broken ribs and lacerations of the scalp and face.
Vergilio Lombardi,  who has minor injuries consisting of bruises and lacerations.
Joseph Ofroerer, Woodlake whose collarbone was broken.
His wife, Mrs. Margaret Ofroerer, who suffered broken leg and a severe cut on the head.

The five men riding in the car, owned by Taylor and driven by Vergilio, son of Palmiro, all residents
of this city, were in route to the California lands property north of Ivanhoe where they were employed.

Vergilio says that he slowed down as he approached the intersection and looked both ways.
He saw no other machine,  he said and started north across the intersection.

The car was in the middle of the cross-roads, when the west bound car driven by Joseph Gfroerer,
Woodlake agent for the Visalia Electric Railway, struck the Lombardi machine, 
knocking it against a power pole at the north west corner of the intersection.

EYE WITNESS:
Harry Stevens of the Ivanhoe district, who was driving west along the road the 
Ofroerer machine was traveling along, said that Ofroerer passed him a short distance
before he arrived at the intersection.  He said he saw Ofroerer machine strike the 
north bound Lombardi car almost in the center of the road.
 
Maraviglia, Taylor and Palmiro Lombardi were brought to the hospital here in the Visalia
fire department ambulance, while Mr. and Mrs. Ofroerer were taken to the Sequoia Hospital
in Woodlake.   

Lombardi died within minutes after he arrived at the hospital. Both Maraviglia
and Taylor were reported to be in sastifactory condition and considering the extent of their 
injuries. Virgilio Lombardi suffered only minor hurts and was not taken to the hospital. 

Attendents at Sequoia Hospital at Woodlake declined to coment on the condition of Mr. and 
Mrs. Ofroerer.

WELL KNOWN HERE:
The Lombardi brothers were widely known throughout this sector of Tulare County, 
where they have resided over 30 years.

Palmiro Lombardi, generally known as George Lombardi came to this country more than
32 years ago from a town near Pisa, Italy. He returned to Italy after his first trip here, 
and again returned to California, arriving in the Sacramento Valley in 1903, and
Visalia in 1904.  

He was one of the first members of Visalia's Italian colony, and is 
believed to have been amoung the first two or three men of that nationality to settle here.

For years he was employed by the California Packing corporation in the cannery here and 
was known by thousands of persons employed by that concern during the many 
years the cannery was in operation here.  He held the post of cooking room foremane 
until the cannery closed operations here several years ago. 

He was a member of the Catholic member federation.  His survivors included: 
a daughter, Mrs. Candida Martinelli, a son Vergilio Lombardi, three grandchildren: 
Miss Louise Martinelli and Ronald and Jacqueline Lombardi, all of this city.
  
Cosimo Lombardi was like his brother, one of the leaders of the Italian colony here.
He followed George Lombardi to this country, arriving in Visalia in 1905.  He sent back 
to Italy for members of his family as soon as he established a home here, and for
many years was engaged in vineyard work.

Since he was one of the first Italian settlers here,  he was similary well known 
throughout this section, particularly among his countrymen who followed him
in locating in Visalia.  

His survivor's include: the widow, Mrs. Marriana Lombardi
of Visalia and the following children: Mrs. Angeletta Romannazi, Mrs. Anita Joseph,
Mrs. Linda Rolfa of Tulare: Pete Lombardi of Fresno and Joe, John and Mario Lombardi 
of Vislia. Fifteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren survive.

FUNERAL SERVICES:
Double funeral services will be conducted for the two brothers at St. Mary's Catholic
Church, on Wednesday morning, June 19 at 9 o'clock with Rev. Geo. D Doyle officiating.
Burial in the Visalia Catholic cemetary will follow with the Brooks Chapel in charge of
arrangements.
 
Joint rosary services will be held at the Brooks Chapel at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday morning.
  
Mr. and Mrs. Ofroerer, who are well known in the Woodlake and Ivanhoe districts, 
were involved in an automobile accident in the Coast range mountains near Santa Cruz 
less than a year ago. Then as was the case yesterday, they were in route to visit with 
their son Emmert Ofroererwho resides at Santa Cruz.  Mrs. Ofroerer is still suffering
from the injuries she recieved at that time. 

Yesterday they were on their way to Los Banos, where they were to have met their 
son and at the time of the accident occured proceeding to the Joe Fitzgerald Ranch
where members of the Fitzgerald family were to have joined them for the trip.

Coroner Roy Brooks and Capt. W. E. Riley of the California Highway Patrol investigated
the accident.  Brooks announced that the inquest will be delayed until a later
date, in order that the injured persons may be able to attend.	

The intersection at which the accident occured is a "blind" from the south and the east, 
the investigating officers reported.