On this date in 1968, 15-year-old Donna Steinke of Barnesville, Minnesota, was killed in an accidental fall from a hayrack during a church-sponsored hayride.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

A Barnesville, Minn., girl was fatally injured Sunday when she fell from a hayrack during a church-sponsored hayride.

Donna Steinke, 15, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Steinke, died when she fell about 8:30 p.m. from a hayrack on a Clay-Wilkin County line road.

Barnesville Police Chief Floyd Erdman said the hayride was sponsored by a youth group from Assumption Catholic Church at Barnesville. There were two vehicles carrying an estimated 70-75 teenagers.

Erdman said John Kava, driver of the vehicle on which Donna was riding, told him he heard a thump and the youngsters called to him to stop.

Clay County Coroner David Berge ruled death was accidental, caused by injuries from the fall.

Donna was born in Moorhead July 29, 1953, and was a sophomore in Barnesville High School where she was a member of the band.

In addition to her parents, she leaves two sisters and one brother, Cynthia, Carol and John, all at home.

Funeral Mass will be at 9 Thursday in Assumption Church, Rev. Andrew Winczewski officiating. Arrangements are through Dobmeier Funeral Home, Barnesville.

Three other Minnesota traffic deaths also were reported over the weekend, raising the state's road toll to 800, compared with 740 a year ago.

Leonard M. Mathews, 23, and his wife, Darlene, 22, were killed about 2:10 a.m. Sunday when a small, foreign car collided with a Milwaukee Road freight train just east of Glencoe.

Mathews' brother, Robert, 21, was hospitalized in fair condition at University of Minnesota Hospitals.

Glencoe Police Chief Roland Schmidt said he could not determine who was driving.

The car's gas tank exploded and the car burst into flames after the impact.

Frank Benner, Jr., 18, Nett Lake, Minn., died Saturday when his car rolled over on Highway 23 just east of that northern Minnesota community.

Today in History: Barnesville girl dies after fall during church hayride