Downey, Lawrence 1911 - 1957

DOWNEY, HARDING, WALZ, DINAN

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 9/23/2024 at 14:39:39

Clayton County Register, 24 Jan. 1957.

Funeral services were held Tuesday morning, Jan. 22, for Lawence Downey, 45, Garnavillo township farmer who was killed in a truck mishap early last Saturday morning Jan. 19. Services were conducted from St. Joseph's Catholic church in Elkader with Msgr. D. A. Gorman officiating. Burial was in St. Joseph's cemetery.

Downey is believed to have been killed about 6 o'clock Saturday morning when the truck he was driving ran off the Pony Hollow road, into a ditch. The site of the accident is a short distance north of the old Pony Hollow school grounds.

Sheriff Forrest Fischer, Deputy Milton Klink and Coroner Clifford Pilkington who investigated reported that Downey had been thrown from the truck and had been dragged a short distance before one of the wheels passed over his head. The coroner's verdict was accidental death resulting from a crushed skull.

Officials said Downey had apparently knocked the shift lever out of gear as he fell from the machine. The truck after hitting the ditch had rolled partway up a hillside then turned back into the ditch and had almost regained the road before it's momentum ceased. The truck then coasted back down into the ditch.

The truck motor was still running and the headlights were on when Orville Stannard, Elkader, passed along the road and discovered the accident a few minutes after 8 o'clock. Stannard notified the Sheriff, who was on the scene a few minutes later. Sheriff Fischer said that Downey, lying flat on his back on the ground was still clutching a partly-smoked cigarette between two fingers.

Downey was born on April 04, 1911, and was a son of James N. and Agnes Harding Downey. He was of the third generation of Downeys who had lived on the home farm which straddles the Garnavillo-Read township line. On January 09, 1941, he was married to Jeanette Walz.

Surviving are his wife, one son, James, at home; one brother, Wilson, who lives on adjacent farm and one sister, Mrs. Margaret Dinan of Elgin.

Pallbearers were Marvin Kainz, Halden Reimer, Herbert Lau, Virgil Uriell, Elmer Miehe and George Heck.