A Cape Girardeau man and an Essex youth were killed in the collision of two automobiles on Highway 114 a mile south of Essex at 7:15 Thursday night.  Three other persons were injured, two seriously.

Kenneth Ray Barks, 32 years old, of 605 Albert, died instantly.  He was a laboratory and x-ray technician at Cape Osteopathic Hospital and resided with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Barks.

Also killed was James Troy Ritchie, 15 years old, of Essex.

His twin brother, Irvin Roy Ritchie, suffered serious chest injuries and was rushed to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

In Doctors Hospital at Poplar Bluff are Shirl Wayne Ritchie, 24, of Essex, who has a serious head injury and Sue Hartline, 32, of Poplar Bluff, with bruises and lacerations.

The State Highway Patrol troop headquarters at Poplar Bluff said Barks was a passenger in the sedan driven by Mrs. Hartline and the Ritchie boys were in the other car driven by Shirl Ritchie.

The Patrol said the Hartline car, going east, apparently had gone out of control on a sharp curve, left the road and struck the Ritchie vehicle as it was pulling out of a sideroad traveling west

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Obituary:

Kenneth Ray Barks was born Oct. 23, 1929, at Neelys Landing.  The family has resided here at various times, returning the last time nine years ago.

Mr. Barks was graduated from Central High School in 1947 and from the Gradwohl School of Laboratory Technique in St. Louis April 12, 1957.  He had worked as a laboratory and x-ray technician at the hospital since Aug. 30, 1959.

Having served in the Air Force during the Korean War, Mr. Barks was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838.

Besides his parents, he is survived by two brothers, Richard, who is also a laboratory technician at Cape Osteopathic Hospital, and James Barks, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol at Camdenton and a former Cape Girardeau County deputy sheriff; and two nieces and three nephews.

The body is at Haman's Funeral Home and will not be viewed until Saturday morning, it was announced.

Services will be conducted at 2 Sunday afternoon at Bethany Baptist Church by the Rev. Glenn Cummings.  Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.  The body is to be taken to the church at noon Sunday.