Victims of head-on collision identified

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Three retired couples on their way to a Valentine's Day dinner were killed when a van crashed head-on into their car in western Missouri.

The couples, all from Concordia, about 60 miles east of Kansas City, were part of a group of close friends who attended the same church and met often to play cards or eat dinner.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the dead as Ledrue and Mildred Moehlman, both 75; Phyllis Kirchhoff, 66, and her husband, Leroy Kirchhoff, 72; Vernon Ziegelbein, 76, and his wife, Aleen Ziegelbein, 71; and the van's driver Owen Cawvey, 72, of Knob Noster.

Family members said the couples were headed for Sedalia, about 20 miles southeast of Concordia, for dinner Saturday when the car they were in caught fire around 5 p.m. Their car collided with a van that was northbound in the southbound lanes of Missouri 23 near Knob Noster, where Whiteman Air Force Base is located.

All three couples will be buried in the St. Paul's Lutheran Church cemetery.

Funeral services are scheduled Tuesday for the Ziegelbeins, Wednesday for the Moehlmans and Thursday for the Kirchhoffs.

Cawvey will be cremated with a funeral later.

Residents of Concordia, population about 2,400, rushed Saturday to bring food and comfort to the victims' families.

"The thing about small towns and especially Concordia, is that the family ties reach out pretty far," said Lee Hagan, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, where the couples were members.

"This doesn't just affect a few people. The entire community and congregation is grieving right now. At the same time they lean on their faith for comfort."

Angie Moehlman, 23, of the suburban Kansas City town of Blue Springs, remembered how happy her grandparents were last month as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with about 100 relatives and friends who traveled from as far away as Arizona and Nebraska.

Her grandfather, a veteran of the Korean War, repeatedly announced the day was the second happiest in his life.

"He said it like 50 times," she said.

"It was really -- looking in retrospect -- a final gift for them and us, a time to see them and enjoy such a wonderful gift, for them to see their friends."

The Ziegelbein's 49-year-old son, Keith of Jefferson City, said several members of the group had known each other since they were children. The couples square danced and sometimes vacationed together.

"They all really appreciated life together," Ziegelbein said. "That's what they were doing when they were killed."

All three couples will be buried in the St. Paul's Lutheran Church cemetery. Funeral services are scheduled Tuesday for the Ziegelbeins, Wednesday for the Moehlmans and Thursday for the Kirchhoffs.

Cawvey will be cremated with a funeral later.

Patrol Cpl. Doug Alexander said it was unclear what caused Cawvey to cross the center line. The accident is under investigation.