SHIPLEY, Pvt. John H. Jr., WWII
SHIPLEY, MERRITT, HASBROUCK
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/11/2013 at 14:09:18
The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, November 04, 1942, Page 1PVT. JOHN H. SHIPLEY, JR., KILLED in CAR-TRUCK CRASH
2 Others Dead in Auto Collison Near Sparta, Wis.
Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY, Jr., 23, technician fifth grade, of Mason City, was killed near Sparta, Wis., Wednesday morning when the car in which he was riding with two other soldiers from Camp McCoy collided with a truck.
Pvt. Hartley R. SMITH, Leavenworth, Kans., also was killed and Pvt. Verlyn MERRITT, New Hampton, was fatally injured. He was taken to a La Crosse, Wis., hospital, where he died.
The driver of the semi-trailer truck is held pending an investigation.
Private SHIPLEY, a native of Mason City, where he was born Nov. 24, 1918, entered the service April 21, 1942. He had been employed by the Northwestern Bell Telephone company in Des Moines before his enlistment. He was a graduate of the Mason City high school and Grinnell college.
He was active in athletics and a member of the Mason City high school basketball championship team some years ago.
Surviving Private SHIPLEY are his parents, John C. SHIPLEY, 114 Third street northwest, and Mrs. HASBROUCK SHIPLEY, Omaha, Nebr., and one brother, Dave SHIPLEY, Mason City. Private SHIPLEY had returned to Camp McCoy last Friday after visiting in Mason City on an eight-day furlough.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
The three soldiers, member of the 301st ordnance regiment stationed at Camp McCoy, were killed at 2 o'clock Wednesday morning when their car collided head-on with a truck belonging to the Werner Transportation company of St. Paul and driven by Raymond E. SMITH of New Lisbon, Wis.
The Ford car driven by the soldiers was demolished and later burned. The engine was thrown 36 feet from the place of the collision. The driver SMITH was uninjured by the tractor part of the truck was destroyed.
SHIPLEY'S body was found under the truck. MERRITT was lying on the highway while Hartley SMITH'S body was on the shoulder of the road.
The accident occurred on highway 16, fifteen miles east of La Crosse on the direct route from La Crosse to the camp.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, November 05, 1942, Page 8WHERE HIGHWAY KILLED MASON CITYAN
Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY, technician fifth grade, of Mason City, and two other soldier companions, Pvt. Hartley R. SMITH of Leavenworth, Kans., and Pfc. Verlyn C. MERRITT of New Hampton, Iowa, all of Camp McCoy, were fatally injured when the car in which they were riding collided with a semi-trailer truck driven by Raymond E. Smith, New Lisbon, early Wednesday morning.
Private SHIPLEY and Private SMITH were killed instantly. Pfc. MERRITT died in a hospital at La Crosse later.
The impact tore the front end of the truck's tractor apart, though the driver was uninjured.
Following the collision fire consumed the car in which the soldiers had been riding. They were thrown clear of the car in the accident.
(La Crosse Tribune photo)
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Friday, November 06, 1942, Page 11PVT. JOHN H. SHIPLEY, JR., RITES to BE HELD SATURDAY
Services for Crash Victim to Be Held at Methodist Church
Funeral services for Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY, Jr., 23, technician fifth grade, who was killed near Sparta, Wis., Wednesday when the care in which he was riding collided with a truck, will be held at the First Methodist church at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Marvin B. KOBER, pastor of the church, will be in charge of the services.
Private SHIPLEY was a member of the 301st ordnance regiment stationed at Camp McCoy, near Sparta, Wis. He was born Nov. 24, 1918, in Mason City, and entered the service April 21, 1942. He had been employed by the Northwestern Bell Telephone company in Des Moines before his enlistment.
A graduate of the Mason City high school and Grinnell college, he had been active in athletics and was a member of the state championship high school basketball team of 1936.
Surviving are his parents, John C. SHIPLEY, 114 Third street northwest, and Mrs. Helen HASBROUCK SHIPLEY, Omaha, Nebr., and one brother, Dave SHIPLEY, Mason City.
Pallbearers will be George GITZ, Harry PAGE, J. C. STODDARD, Frink LOVELL, Fred EBLING, Howard KNESEL, William H. HAYNES, Roy BOSWORTH and Jack SHEPARD.
The body of Private SHIPLEY will arrive in Mason City Saturday morning with a military escort. Burial will be at Elmwood cemetery. The Patterson funeral home in charge.
RELEASE DRIVER
LA CROSSE, WIS. - With all physical facts supporting his story, Raymond E. Smith, New Lisbon, driver of the Werner brothers truck involved in the collision on highway 16 that resulted in the death of three soldiers, was released from custody late Wednesday.
Smith declared the car bearing the soldiers swerved suddenly on to his side of the highway and struck the truck head-on.
Two of the soldiers were killed instantly, while the third died at a local hospital at noon Wednesday.
The accident was at 2 a. m. Wednesday on highway 16 one-half mile east of the Bangor junction of highway 162.
Pvt. Hartley R. SMITH, 21, regimental headquarters detachment at Camp McCoy, and Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY, 23, company A, first battalion, were killed instantly. Pfc. Verlyn C. MERRITT, company A, first battalion, died in the hospital. All three soldiers were members of the 301st ordnance division. District Attorney Fred W. Crosby Thursday morning declared there will be no inquest into the deaths. Military authorities co-operated with La Crosse county officers in completing the investigation.
MERRITT is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles MERRITT, New Hampton, IA.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, November 07, 1942, Page 7MILITARY RITES HELD HERE FOR JOHN H. SHIPLEY
Doctor Marvin Kober Pays Tribute From Commander's Letter
Funeral services for Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY, 23, one of three soldiers killed in an auto-truck accident near Sparta, Wis., Wednesday morning, were held at the First Methodist church Saturday afternoon with Doctor Marvin B. KOBER, pastor of the church, in charge.
Using the oft-quoted words of Saint Paul to his friends in Corinth, "thus faith and hope and love last on - these three, but the greatest of all is love," as the basis for his memorial address, Doctor KOBER paid tribute to John H. SHIPLEY'S memory by quoted from a letter received from the Company Commander, which spoke of him in the highest terms as a soldier, cited his willingness to perform any duty and commenting on the number of friends he had made.
"We rest in faith that means perfection is the crowning flower of life," said Doctor KOBER. "Here it is seen in puny blossom and little fruit, but in the great tomorrows of the universe it will have broadest petal and finest flower, for life on earth is being shaped to glorious ends . . . and thus even the failures of our lives are a prophecy and even the bitter tears and strong yearnings that will not down speak to us of the fair and the true toward which we strive. Even the patriots who seem to die in vain make liberty more sacred by their pain."
Mrs. Bertha PATCHEN played obsequial (sic) music on the organ.
In charge of flowers were Mrs. Harry PAGE, Mrs. Fred EBLING, Mrs. Frink LOVELL, Mrs. Carl SNYDER, Mrs. J. C. STODDARD, Mrs. Roy BOSWORTH and Mrs. Fred DUFFIELD.
Pallbearers were George GITZ, Harry PAGE, J. C. STODDARD, Frink LOVELL, Fred EBLING, Howard KNESEL, William H. HAYNES, Roy BOSWORTH and Jack SHEPARD.
Members of Alpha Chi of Beta Sigma Phi attended the services in a group.
R. P. TIGHE, revenue accounting auditor, and A. G. NELSON, accounts supervisor, both of Des Moines of the Northwestern Bell Telephone company where John had been employed, were among those from out of town attending the funeral.
Military rites were held at the grave in Elmwood cemetery with the colors and color bearers furnished by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The bugler and firing squad were from the Iowa state guard.
The body arrived in Mason City early Saturday morning with a military escort from Camp McCoy. The Patterson funeral home was in charge.
Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2013
Pvt. John H. SHIPLEY Obituary
Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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