Person:Howard Hatfield (3)

Military marker: AMM 30, USNR, World War II, AM & 2 GS Find a Grave

HOWARD REX HATFIELD

Howard Rex Hatfield, son of Mrs. Herman Hager of La Plata and Robert Hatfield of Des Moines, Iowa, died in an auto accident north of Kirksville, Missouri Sunday, June 6, 1948.

Howard was born on June 19, 1923 at Yarrow, Missouri. He was united in marriage November 13, 1942 to Margie Gale Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Miller. To them was born one son, Randall James.

He united with the La Plata Baptist Church in 1941.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Verlin, at the age of five years.

Surviving are his wife and 20-month old son, his father and mother, one brother, Don Hatfield of Des Moines, Iowa; a half-brother, Roy Herman Hager; two half-sisters, Colleene and Peggy Sue Hager; one step-brother, Archie Hager, and four step-sisters, Mrs. Violet Pylnell and Mrs. Nadine Joiner of Kansas City, Mrs. Margarey Beck of Joplin and Mrs. Fern Gardner of Ft. Madison, Iowa.

He served overseas three years in World War II in the United States Naval Air Corp. He was a member of the United States Naval Reserve and was employed by the Stanoline Pipeline Company at the time of his death.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2:30 at the La Plata Baptist Church with Rev. Austin Rissmiller, pastor of the church, officiating. Burial was in the La Plata cemetery. Pallbearers were members of the American Legion.

HOWARD HATFIELD KILLED ON HIGHWAY SUNDAY

Howard Hatfield, 23, of La Plata, was killed instantly, and Jess Patton, Jr., 20, of La Plata, and Clarence Kellison, 20, of near Kirksville, were injured about one o'clock Sunday morning when the car driven by Patton collided with the back of Kellison's truck on Highway 63 about 5 1/2 miles north of Kirksville.

The Kellison truck had run out of gasoline, and stopped partly on the highway. State Highway Patrolman William Mabe and Deputy Sheriff George Scrivens stopped and told Kellison and the men with him to get the truck off the highway. The Patton car appeared and the officers attempted to flag it down, but Patton did not stop, and the right side of the car hit the back end of the truck, with Hatfield getting the full impact of the collision.

Trooper Mabe said that he and Deputy Sheriff Scrivens had been looking for reckless drivers, and were on their way to Lakeview, when they saw the Kellison truck on the highway and stopped.