KEHOE, John F. 1911-1962

KEHOE, SPEIRS, LAMMERT, DUNN, LEASE

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 10/22/2014 at 19:12:39

[Star Clipper, Traer, IA, Friday 3-16-1962]

Daughter of Late Traerite
Is 1 of 5 Killed in Crash

Mrs. John F. Kehoe, the daughter of a deceased former Traer couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Speirs, and her husband were among five persons killed in a head-on crash between a car and a truck Thursday morning, Mar. 8, near Gallup, New Mexico.

The other victims were Mr. and Mrs. Arthur D. Watson, of Cedar Falls; and Mrs. Marie Dunn, 52, of Savannah, Illinois, a sister of Mr. Kehoe.

The accident occurred on U.S. 66 about 25 miles from Gallup, New Mexico. The car, belonging to Kehoe, collided with a semi-trailer truck loaded with cement blocks on an icy highway. The five were killed instantly. The driver of the truck, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, escaped injury. "I was just driving along and suddenly the car was in front of me," the truck driver told officers who investigated the accident. "I didn't have a chance to do a thing."

A New Mexico state police captain said the car on impact was six feet over the center line into the westbound lane of the truck. The truck apparently went over the top of the car and the force of impact sheared the front wheels off the truck. One of the victims was thrown out and the other four were trapped in the demolished vehicle. A pet dog in the car also was killed.

The accident occurred about 9 a.m. central time between Top of the World and Thoreau. The scene was a short distance from the start of a divided four-lane highway. The five had taken a trip to Arizona and were scheduled to return to Waterloo last Sunday. They had been visiting Mrs. Dunn's husband, Albert, in Tucson, Arizona, where he works on a ranch in the winter.

The bodies were taken to a mortuary in Gallup. Two Waterloo funeral directors flew to that city Friday to return the bodies to Waterloo.

Services for the Kehoes were held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in St. Mary's church in Waterloo, and burial was in Mt. Olivet cemetery.

Mr. Kehoe, 51, was born at Farley, Iowa, on April 6, 1911, but had been a resident of Waterloo since boyhood. He was a well known labor union leader in Waterloo, and was employed by the Chamberlain Corporation there until 14 years ago when he became a business agent for the International Association of Machinists, District 134. In 1961 he became state president of the Iowa State Council of Machinists. He was also owner of the Jet, a tavern in Waterloo, and Arthur D. Watson, of Cedar Falls, who with his wife was killed in the accident last week, was his partner in this enterprise. Mr. Kehoe was a member of St. Mary's Catholic church and several Catholic organizations and fraternal societies.

His wife was the former Mary Francis Speirs, and they were married in Waterloo on November 26, 1936. Mrs. Kehoe's father, John, was a brother of the several Speirs brothers of the Traer community. Her mother was the former Edith Lammert, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lammert. Mrs. Kehoe was born at Traer, but was a young girl when she went to Waterloo with her parents from the Traer community. She was an East high school graduate. Both of her parents preceded her in death a few years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe were parents of four sons: Lawrence, 23, of Effingham, Illinois, Donald, 22, of Waterloo, John P., 16 and William 7, both at home; and four daughters: Sharon, 19, Mary, 17, Joan, 16 and Diane, 9, all at home. One grandson and Mr. Kehoe's mother, Mrs. Gertrude Lease, of Savannah, Illinois, also survive.

Mr. Kehoe was preceded in death by his father. His sister, Mrs. Dunn, was killed in the accident. Mrs. Kehoe was preceded in death by a brother, in addition to her parents.