11/02/1941
Name: James Allen Hedrick
Birth: 12 Sep 1897
Death: 2 Nov 1941 Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa
Cemetery: Graceland Cemetery
Burial: Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa
James Allen Hedrick, son of A.L. and Sue Hedrick, was born in Marion county, September 12, 1897 and departed this life at the Veterans hospital in Knoxville, Iowa on November 2, 1941. at the age of 44 years, 1 month and 20 days.
An accidental fall of 18 feet down an elevator shaft at the Veteran's hospital early Saturday morning resulted in the death of Allen Hedrick, he had been the supervisor of attendants at the hospital for many years.
On July 2, 1922, he was united in marriage to Miss Olive Ferguson. To this union two children, Helen and Lowell were born, who with their mother mourns his untimely death.
He also leaves his aged mother, three sisters, Erma Brooks and Edna Caulkins, of Knoxville, and Lois Starku, of Seattle, Washington, and two brothers, Sherman, of Milwaukee, Wisc., and Clyde of Omaha, Nebr… and many other relative and a host of friends.
Mr. Hedrick graduated from the Knoxville high school in the class of 1917, which was the last class to graduate from the old building, now the junior high. There were thirty-one members in the class, which was the largest class to that date. There were six boys and twenty-five girls.
He is the fourth member of the class to be taken by death. Allen took an active part in all school activities, especially athletics and had a high scholastic rating.
He had a leading role in the class play. The class motto was "Rowing, not Drifting: which might have been his life motto also.
On May 7, 1918 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Great Lakes Training Station. Later he was transferred to the League Island Navy Yard at Philadelpha, PA. He then served overseas at the Naval Aviation Center at Isle of Judy, France.