Close friends killed in U.S. 36 traffic accident

Peggy J. Rinehart and her longtime friend Wanda L. Findley made it a practice to come into the Bethany Senior Center at noon on most days and dine together in the lunchroom.

“They had their own table and would always sit together with friends,” said senior center administrator Mike Parkhurst, who was a neighbor of both of the ladies.

Their final visit to the senior center was last Thursday when Peggy told Parkhurst that she and Wanda planned to go to Stewartsville for some yard sales and then go on to St. Joseph.

Peggy had been treated for an eye problem and Wanda had recently suffered a stroke.

“I told them to be careful,” Mike said. “Peggy said, ‘We always are’.”

Mrs. Rinehart, 86, and Mrs. Findley, 81, were killed Saturday morning when their car was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer on U.S. 36 at Stewartsville.

The Highway Patrol reported that Mrs. Rinehart was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Impala westbound on the highway at Sharp Road at about 8:10 a.m. A 2015 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Daljit Singh, 25, of Stockton, Calif., drove into the rear of the car, which was destroyed by the impact. Mrs. Rinehart and Mrs. Findley were pronounced dead at the scene. Singh was uninjured.

Highway Patrol Sgt. M. A. Ott and Sgt. G. D. Ward investigated the accident, assisted by Sgt. A. A. Henry, Corporal P. M. Kimball, Trooper T. B. Heintz, Trooper M. D. Obert, CVO S. R. Dye and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. The Stewartsville Fire Department also responded to the scene.

Mrs. Rinehart was a founding member of the Harrison County Senior Citizen Fund board and was the current chairman of the organization. The organization provides funding for local programs for elderly residents of Harrison County.

She also served for many years on the Harrison County Council on Aging and the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging. She was organist at the First Baptist Church for 50 years.

Mrs. Findley was known for the shiny purse that she always carried. She was an avid dancer and had won several dance contests at the Missouri and Iowa state fairs.

“They were always well dressed and came into the center like clockwork,” Parkhurst said.

Parkurst said their friends at the senior center paused for a moment on Monday when they passed Wanda and Peggy’s table.

“They were just like family to all of us out here,” he said.

The senior center will be closed on Friday for Mrs. Rinehart’s funeral.