Eileen Mae Stanley (1943)

ALDRICH, STANLEY

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson
Date: 8/23/2006 at 23:01:55

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, July 28, 1943

Eileen Mae Stanley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester W. Stanley, was born May 4, 1932, and was taken from us July 18, 1943, at the age of 11 years, 2 months and 18 days.

Eileen was a kind, loving and lovely child, gentle and tender to all. She loved all of God's living creatures, had many pets, and liked to read, study and go to school. She loved her own little Bible, and spent many happy hours reading about God's great men and women.

Eileen attended the local rural school until last year, when she went to the DeSoto public school. She would have been in the fifth grade this year.

The little girl leaves to mourn her loss her mother and father, Bertha and Chester Stanley, her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and a host of schoolmates, little pals, loving friends and kind neighbors. Her brother, Jack, preceded her in death in 1925, at the age of 3 years.

Funeral services were held at the Earlham Christian church in charge of the Rev. Clayton P. Shepard. Interment was made in the Earlham cemetery.
_________________________

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, July 21, 1943
Page 1

Victim Pinned Between Auto and Tree; Four Vehicles Involved

One of the most tragic accidents in recent years occurred in Winterset Sunday evening, when 11-year-old Eileen Stanley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Stanley of Jefferson township, was killed as the result of a freak motor vehicle wreck.

The little girl was crushed to death between a car and a tree in front of the Winterset hospital, after three automobiles and a Burlington bus had figured in the crash.

The vehicles involved in the crash were: A car driven by Chester Stanley, father of the girl; a car driven by William Patterson; a Burlington bus driven by H.A. Tatro of Des Moines; and a car parked there by Frank Gregg.

Stanley had just brought his wife and daughter to the hospital to visit friends. He had drawn off onto the shoulder at the east side of the street to let them out, as he was heading north, Mrs. Stanley and the girl walked across the street toward the hospital.

Stanley started to drive farther up the street. He reports that he was merely pulling further up the shoulder, to find a more level place to park. He says he did not pull out on the slab. This point was disputed, however, by some witnesses, who thought that he did turn out on the concrete just as Patterson's car came up behind him, also going north up the hill. Patterson did not stop, but pulled out around Stanley's car into the path of the Burlington bus that was coming from the north. The bus and Patterson's car collided. As the bus had pulled far to the right in an effort to avoid Patterson's car, it then went on to strike Gregg's car, which was parked at an angle at the curb. Gregg's car was knocked up onto the parking with considerable force, just as Mrs. Stanley and Eileen were ascending the steps from the street to the sidewalk.

Both tried to get away from the car hurling toward them, but it caught the girl, crushing her against the tree on the parking there.

Stanley ran across the street from his car and Eugene Kirby ran over from his home. The two men exerted what must have been super-human strength to lift the car off the girl. Kirby carried her into the hospital, where she died almost immediately, without regaining consciousness.

Mrs. Stanley, who witnessed her daughter's death at such close quarters, was overcome with grief and shock. Eileen was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley. Their only other child, a little boy, was killed about 15 years ago when run over by a loaded wagon at their farm home.

No one else was injured in the freak crash. Stanley's car was not hit at all, and although Patterson's car was badly wrecked, he escaped uninjured. The bus, which was running empty except for the driver appeared damaged very little, but the car driven by Gregg was almost demolished.

Funeral services for the victim of the tragedy were held Tuesday afternoon from the Earlham Church of Christ, in charge of the pastor, the Rev. Clayton P. Shepard. Burial was made in the Earlham cemetery.
_________________________

The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, July 22, 1943
Page 1, Column 7

Freak Accident Takes Life Of Young Girl

STANDLEY GIRL IS ONLY VICTIM CAR, BUS CRASH

First Traffic Fatality Recorded In This County In 1943

Eileen Standley (sic) , 11-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Standley of near Winterset, was killed here about 6:45 p.m. Sunday, when she became the only victim of an accident involving three cars and a Burlington bus. She was pinned to a large tree by an old model Chevrolet that had been parked in front of the local hospital, and the second of the two cars hit by the bus.

Accounts of the accident as reported by persons living near the scene and those involved indicate that the Standley car had just stopped on the east side of the highway and had let the young girl out to go in the hospital directly across the street. The car was headed north and when it started to pull back on the road, another car headed north and driven by W. D. Patterson, pulled out to go around the Standley automobile and directly into the path of the 22,000 pound Burlington Trailways bus going south.

Struck Two Cars

The bus struck the Patterson car a glancing blow, doing considerable damage and then crashed into the rear of the car owned by Frank Greg of this city which was parked in front of the hospital. The parked car was jammed forward nearly 20 feet and pinned the Standley girl against the tree. Her chest was crushed and she lived only a few minutes.

Eileen was the only child in the family, a brother having been killed in 1925 in a fall from a wagon.

Driver of the bus was H. A. Tatro of Des Moines. He was on an extra run to Greenfield and was to pick up passengers there. No passengers were in the bus when the accident occurred.

Funeral services were held for Eileen Mae Standley Tuesday at the Earlham Christian church. Interment was made at the Earlham Cemetery. Rev. Clayton P. Shepard conducted the services, and the funeral was under the direction of Ramsey–Richards of this city.

Gravesite
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen