BRAKLEY, Leroy - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Funeral services for Leroy Melvin (Lee) Brakley, 515 Fourth St., 61-year-old Covington city street department worker, who was killed by a cave-in while at work in a ditch for a storm sewer Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 13, were held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bodine & Shelby Funeral Home here. The Rev. Glenn Ray, pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiated and burial was in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Mr. Brakley was dead when fellow workmen dug him out of the earth fall. The accident occurred at about 3:20 p.m. and Ralph Nelson, Fountain County Coroner, said he suffered crush injuries of the chest. The accident victim was working in a five-foot ditch with Dave Noble, City Street Supt., and Ed Lape, Covington, another employee, laying a 10-inch tile for a storm sewer. Supt. Noble was ready to mud the tile in and he asked Lape and Brakley to climb out of the ditch. Lape walked around Brakley and climbed out. According to Supt. Noble, he again asked Brakley to climb out but before he did, a huge chunk of earth fell from the top of the ditch, knocked Brakley down and crushed him against the tile. The storm sewer was being laid in the Marr Addition by employees of the street department under the supervision of Supt. Noble. Gerald O'Neal also was present as he was operating the earth-digging machine, contracted for the job. Mr. Brakley was born Nov. 3, 1902 in Covington, the son of Caleb and Henrietta Carrier Brakley. He was a life-time resident of this community and he was a mechanic and laborer. He had been employed by the Covington street department since 1959. He served in the U. S. Army shortly after World War II. He was married twice, first to Ruth Wilson. He was married Aug. 23, 1941 to Birdella Holycross, who survives. Surviving, in addition to his wife, are: one son, Donald, of St. Joseph, Mich.; two grandchildren; three brothers, Loren of Crown Point, George of Munster and Caleb of Covington; and one sister, Mrs. Mary Hall of Danville, Ill. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son and a sister. All of the Covington City employees served as pallbearers and honorary pallbearers.