Joseph L. Slattery - 1942-1954

SLATTERY, SPINNER, MONROE

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 6/13/2011 at 11:27:55

SOURCE: Waukon, Iowa newspaper February 16 or 19, 1954 and the diary of Creston C. Kelly
Contributor: Connie (Kelly) Ellis (Not related)

Joe Slattery, 11 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Slattery of Waterville, Iowa, was killed instantly Sunday afternoon when a 100 pound rock/boulder fell from a cliff north of Marquette, Iowa on highway 13 and struck the roof of the Slattery car. The Slatterys were driving along the river road two-tenths of a mile from Marquette when the rock, loosened by the weather, fell from the bluff and bounced to hit the corner of the car's top. The boy was pronounced dead on arrival at the McGregor hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Slattery were in the front seat with their son, Don, age 16, who was driving. Don suffered a bruised neck but others in the car were not injured. In the back seat with Joe were his 13 year old sister, Ellen and a cousin, JoAnn Monroe, also 13. The group was en route to Dubuque, Iowa to attend a Clarke College operatta in which an older son, Tom, student at Loras College was to take part.

The funeral will be held from the home to Cherry Mound St. Pius Catholic Church at 9:00 Wednesday, February 17 with burial at Cherry Mound Cemetery.

Note: Mrs. Slattery was Esther Spinner. JoAnn Monroe's mother, Rita Monroe,(Mrs. Thomas Monroe) was a sister to Esther. Joe was born in 1942 and was an elementary grade school student at the Waterville Consolidated School, in Waterville, Iowa. (My uncle, James Lee Kelly, was a classmate of Joey's. Joey's death was very tragic and shocking to the community. Even today, when driving under the bluffs next to the Mississippi River, I think of Joey).