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Title
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Kate Shelley, Grave Memorial
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Commemorates
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Shelley, Kate
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Biographical Text
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Copper square plaque featuring debossed text affixed to stone. Erected in July of 1955.
The memorial dedicated to Shelley is located at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Boone, IA. Her place of burial is also located at this site. The plaque was placed there by the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen. It honors Shelley by sharing the heroic story of how she aided in the rescue of those involved in the Honey Creek Disaster of 1881.
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Text
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1881 KATE SHELLEY 1956
HERS IS A DEED BOUND FOR LEGEND...A STORY TO BE TOLD
UNTIL THE LAST ORDER FADES AND THE LAST RAIL RUSTS.
ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 6, 1881. KATE SHELLEY, THEN A GIRL OF
15 YEARS, CROSSED THE DES MOINES RIVER BRIDGE AT
MOINGONA, IOWA IN TEMPEST AND FLOOD AND PREVENTED A
C. AND N.W. PASSENGER AND EXPRESS TRAIN FROM PLUNGING
INTO RAIN-SWOLLEN HONEY CREEK WHERE TWO MEN HAD DIED
WHEN A BRIDGE COLLAPSED UNDER THEIR LOCOMOTIVE. HER
HEROISM SAVED THE TRAIN AND THOSE ABOARD AND LED TO
RESCUE OF SURVIVORS FROM THE HONEY CREEK DISASTER.
THIS TABLET PLACED BY THE ORDER OF
RAILWAY CONDUCTORS AND BRAKEMEN
TO PERPETUATE THE EXAMPLE OF KATE
SHELLEY AND HER COURAGE. DEDICATED
ON THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF
HER DEED - JULY 6, 1956 - AT BOONE, IOWA.
THIS MEMORIAL VOTED BY THE FORTY -
FIFTH GRAND DIVISION OF THE PRDER
OF RAILWAY CONDUCTORS AND BRAKE -
MEN IN SESSION AT COLUMBUS, OHIO
MAY 5, 1954 - WITH ENDURING GRATITUDE
TO THE WOMEN OF RAILROADING.
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Date Created
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1955-07
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Type
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English
Grave
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English
Signage
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Bibliographic Citation
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"Kate Shelley 400' Won't Salute Her Grave Again," The Houston Post. Aug. 11, 1956.
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Kate Shelley, Find a Grave
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Project Researcher
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O'Neill, Iris
