Jeremiah "Jerry" LaPatra was born in Watertown in 1871 and lived there all of his life. His parents were Florence and Joseph LaPatra. His father was a stonemason, and so was Jerry until he began working at the Watertown railroad yards. He started out there as a brakeman and was promoted after about five years to a yard conductor, in which position he worked for 15 years for the New York Central Railroad at the Pine Street yards.
He married Clara J. Roberts on 23 February 1890 at the parsonage of the Arsenal Street Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. J. B. Kenyon officiating. Clara's parents had been married at the same parsonage in 1868. She was a month shy of her 17th birthday; he was 18 or 19 years old. They would have two children who survived: Lewis E. LaPatra (born c. 1896) and Helen (b. c. 1902). They had four children who did not survive (including baby Arthur, who died 21 March 1893 at the age of 10 months). Their last home together was at 716 Arsenal Street, where they lived from 1911-1920.
On Saturday afternoon, 28 August 1920 Jerry was working on top of two box cars being switched from one train to another when they collided with a third car. Jerry was thrown down between the cars and run over. He died instantly at 3:30 p.m. at the age of 48 years. A subsequent investigation ruled that the death was accidental, and that Jerry LaPatra was considered to have been a "careful and experienced" railroad man.
His funeral took place at 10:30 Tuesday morning, 31 August 1920, from Faith [Presbyterian] Chapel, the Rev. James H. Keeling officiating, followed by burial at North Watertown Cemetery. Sadly, Jerry's mother had died of influenza and had been buried at the same cemetery just a few months earlier.
Jeremiah "Jerry" LaPatra was born in Watertown in 1871 and lived there all of his life. His parents were Florence and Joseph LaPatra. His father was a stonemason, and so was Jerry until he began working at the Watertown railroad yards. He started out there as a brakeman and was promoted after about five years to a yard conductor, in which position he worked for 15 years for the New York Central Railroad at the Pine Street yards.
He married Clara J. Roberts on 23 February 1890 at the parsonage of the Arsenal Street Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. J. B. Kenyon officiating. Clara's parents had been married at the same parsonage in 1868. She was a month shy of her 17th birthday; he was 18 or 19 years old. They would have two children who survived: Lewis E. LaPatra (born c. 1896) and Helen (b. c. 1902). They had four children who did not survive (including baby Arthur, who died 21 March 1893 at the age of 10 months). Their last home together was at 716 Arsenal Street, where they lived from 1911-1920.
On Saturday afternoon, 28 August 1920 Jerry was working on top of two box cars being switched from one train to another when they collided with a third car. Jerry was thrown down between the cars and run over. He died instantly at 3:30 p.m. at the age of 48 years. A subsequent investigation ruled that the death was accidental, and that Jerry LaPatra was considered to have been a "careful and experienced" railroad man.
His funeral took place at 10:30 Tuesday morning, 31 August 1920, from Faith [Presbyterian] Chapel, the Rev. James H. Keeling officiating, followed by burial at North Watertown Cemetery. Sadly, Jerry's mother had died of influenza and had been buried at the same cemetery just a few months earlier.
Inscription
FATHER / JERRY / 1871-1920
MOTHER / CLARA / 1873-1941
LaPATRA
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