Alonzo Luther Darst

Alonzo Luther "Lonnie" Darst was a 30-year-old man from Cheshire, Ohio, who died in the Silver Bridge collapse. His body was recovered around January 1968.

Darst Rites to be Held on Tuesday
Daily Tribune (Gallipolis, OH) - Publication date unknown

Services for Alonzo (Lonnie) Darst, 30, Cheshire, a victim of the Dec. 15, 1967 Silver Bridge collapse, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the McCoy-Wetherholt Funeral Home by the Rev. John M. Jeffrey.

Darst, operator of a dump truck for the James W. Merry Stone Co. was the 38th body to be recovered from the Ohio, on Saturday afternoon.

Burial will be in Gravel Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. today.

Born Dec. 9, 1937, in Cheshire Twp., he was the son of Douglas and Mary Gilmore Darst, Spring Valley Estates. He attended school at Cheshire.

On Dec. 20, 1959, he was married to the former Georgia Barton, and she survives along with three children, David, 6; Debra, 4; and Daniel, 3.

Other survivors are three sisters, Mrs. Ellen Gilbert, Cheshire; Mrs. Helen Gilbert, Gallipolis; and Mrs. Grace Ellis, Mesa, Ariz., and a brother, Richard Darst, Cheshire.

Obituary
Daily Tribune (Gallipolis, OH) - Published February 6, 1968

ALONZA LUTHER, son of Douglas and Mary (Gilmore) Darst was born at Cheshire, Ohio, on December 9, 1937, Died at Gallipolis, Ohio, Dec. 15, 1967, age 30 years 6 days.

He was united in marriage to Georgie Barton Dec. 20, 1959. To this union were born three children.

Lonnie was a Kind son. Loving Husband and father, and was loved by all who knew him.

His beliefs and desires were expressed in deeds rather than words. We are even glad to trust him in the hands of him who knoweth all things and does all things well.

Death came very suddenly, leading him to a higher life where pain, sickness, and death never comes.

He leaves to mourn their loss his wife, two sons, one daughter: David Alonzo, Daniel Ray, and Debra Ann all at home. One Brother, three sisters: Richard Darst, Cheshire, Ohio; Mrs. Dale (Grace) Ellis, Masa, Arizona; Mrs. Brady (Ellen) Gilbert, Cheshire, Ohio; Mrs. Gleason (Helen) Gilbert, Gallipolis, Ohio. His Father and Mother, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Darst of Gallipolis, Ohio. He will be greatly missed, and these words have and will continue to come forceably to the ones who love him best.

We miss thee from our midst dear one,

We miss thee from thy place.

A shadow o'er our life is cast

We miss the sunshine of thy face.

We miss thy kind and willing hand,

Thy fond and earnest care.

Our home is dark without thee…