A startling discovery of a once-in-a-million mix-up of accident victims revealed late Tuesday night that Mrs. Mabelle Mae Yesso, 34 of 371 Harbor St, was the Conneaut woman who died of a fractured nick following a one-car crash south of Westfield NY at 9:55 p.m. Sunday. The victim was originally identified as Mrs. Lyle Woodworth, 33, of 139 Marshall St. Mrs. Woodworth, now at Westfield Memorial Hospital, today is reported in very critical condition and still unconscious. Late X-rays have shown she suffered several fractured vertebrae in addition to a fractured skull in the crash.

The strange case of mistaken identity was corrected largely through the insistence of Mrs. Woodworth’s mother, Mrs. Joseph Holecko of Youngstown, that the person for whom calling hours were being held at the Cunningham Funeral Home Tuesday was not her daughter. The first indication of the mistake came Monday, soon after the funeral home had brought the body back to Conneaut. Mr. Woodworth, although believing it was his wife’s corpse, said the rings did not look like hers.
Doubted Daughter Victim

Mrs. Holecko doubted the victim was her daughter from the time she arrived here from Youngstown. Finally, Tuesday night she asked that the body’s ears be checked. Her daughter, she said, had pierced ears. The body did not. She asked for a check of an earlier accident scar on the knee. There was none. A check of teeth (Mrs. Yesso had bridges and Mrs. Woodworth didn’t) was the final request by Mrs. Holecko and proved her correct. Earlier, a local hairdresser called to the funeral home to groom the body, steadfastly denied that the person was Mrs. Woodworth. Another friend who accompanied the hairdresser, however was not certain of identification.
Denies Blame

Westfield Memorial Hospital Superintendent, Mrs. Grace R. Shields, today said the hospital was "absolutely blameless" in the mix-up. She said clothing and purses were deposited "in a bunch" at the hospital and that neither Mr. Woodworth nor Mrs. Yesso’s former husband, Julius, questioned the identification. Mr. Woodworth accompanied Mrs. Yesso’s body back to Conneaut and Mr. Yesso and Mrs. Yesso’s sister, Mrs. Felix Bartone of 116 Orange St, remained at the hospital until last night with Mrs. Woodworth, thinking it was Mrs. Yesso, Mrs. Shields said. "With injuries such as a fractured neck and fractured skull, the faces swell up" almost beyond recognition, Mrs. Shields said. Funeral Director Leo Cunningham today said the two women were very similar in weight, height and color of hair.
Makes Identification

Called by Mr. Cunningham, a doctor at Westfield made correct identification about 11 p.m. Tuesday. Mrs. Yesso and Mrs. Woodworth and their three children were on a Sunday ride when the accident happened. The car went off Rt. 17, at a curve between Mayville and Westfield NY, hit loose gravel, went out of control and rolled over several times before coming to rest on its roof. All five were thrown out of the demolished auto.

The two Woodworth children, Arlene, 10 and Raymond, 6, and the Yesso boy, Richard, 10, all escaped serious injury and are now at home.

Mrs. Yesso was born March 14, 1920, in West Springfield PA, and had been a resident of the area her entire life. She was employed at State Garage, 322 State St. She is survived by her son; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wheeler of 486 Furnace Rd; sister, Mrs. Bartone; and brother, Edwin Van Gorder of Cherry Hill PA. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Thompson Funeral Home with Rev. Arthur Kirk of East Conneaut Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Center Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home at any time. Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Woodworth, originally scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Youngstown, have been canceled.

Note: Original article is below, also dated Wednesday, Nov 10, 1954 – pictures of Mrs. Yesso and Mrs. Woodworth are with both articles.
Set Rites for Auto Victim; Mrs. Yesso Still Critical

Funeral services have been scheduled for Mrs. Madeline Woodworth, 33, wife of Lyle Woodworth, 139 Marshall St. Mrs. Woodworth died of a fractured neck early Monday following a one-car crash on Rt. 17, south of Westfield NY, Sunday night.

Driver of the car, Mrs. Mabelle Mae Yesso, 34, of 371 Harbor St, is still on the critical list at Westfield Memorial Hospital today. She suffered a fractured skull in the crash. The two Woodworth children, Arlene, 10, and Raymond, 6, also passengers in the car, returned home Monday, but Richard Yesso, 10, remained at the hospital with a minor knee injury. The women and children were on a Sunday drive when the car went off the road at a curve, hit loose gravel and overturned several times. The car, which Mrs. Yesso recently purchased at her place of work, State Garage, 322 State St, was a total loss.

Mrs. Woodworth’s body will be taken to the Joseph Vaschak Funeral Home, 40 Lincoln Ave, Youngstown, Wednesday morning. Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, Youngstown. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call at the Leo Cunningham Funeral Home here tonight.

Mrs. Woodworth was born July 22, 1921, in Youngstown, the daughter of Joseph and Catherine Holecko. She and her husband, who is an Astatic employee, came here approximately 10 years ago. She was a member of St. Mary’s Church and Conneaut Women of the Moose. Survivors, in addition to her husband, children and parents, include a sister, Mrs. Margaret Calabrat, two brothers, Joseph and David, and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Ruby, all of Youngstown.

The News-Herald
Saturday, Feb. 25, 1956

Rites Monday For
Michael Stanziano

Funeral services for Michael F. Stanziano, 44, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at the Cunningham Funeral Home.  Officiating will be Rev. Orlando Rich, pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church.  Burial will be in the family lot at St. Joseph's Cemetery.
Mr. Stanziano died Friday in Brown Memorial Hsopital.
Friends may call at the funeral home this evening as well as Sunday afternoon and evening.