Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr.--Young Victim of a Tragic Accident

 

Willard Mitchell, Jr.

Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr. was born on September 21, 1965 in Caldwell County, Kentucky. He was the oldest of three children born to Willard Barkley Mitchell, Sr. and Janie Marilyn Williams Mitchell.  His father Willard or Pete as he was known was a native of Caldwell County and worked as an employee of the International Shoe Company in Hopkinsville.  His mother was a native of Trigg County.  About a month before Willard, Jr. was born, Pete died tragically at the age of 26 when the car he was driving went out of control and struck a tree.

Willard Jr.’s two older siblings were brothers, Gordon Keith Mitchell, born in 1963 and Gregory Lynn Mitchell born in 1964.  After Pete’s death, Janie married Troy Dixon and she and her sons settled in Trigg County.  She worked as an employee of the Johnson Controls factory in Trigg County.

On the evening of May 12, 1978 a storm containing high winds accompanied by a tornado with over two inches of rainfall struck parts of Trigg County causing disaster conditions and a power back out for several hours in some parts of the county.  It was later estimated that $1.5 million in damages were attributed to the tornado and the severe rain storm shat raked through the county that night.

When the storm began, twelve year old Willard, Jr. was at the home of his grandmother located on Hwy. 525 known as New Hope Road about seven miles south of Cadiz.  The tornado that swept the area knocked out the power about 8 p.m. at the grandmother’s house.  Willard crossed the road to his own home to retrieve some matches to light candles at his grandmother’s house.  He was returning to his grandmother’s house about 8:30 p.m. when he darted across  the road  in  the  path  of  a  1978  Chevrolet pickup  truck  being driven west  bound  on  the  New Hope  Road.   Willard’s was  wearing a  green  army  coat  that had been pulled up over head and shoulders apparently blocking the view of where he was going, The driver of the truck,  neighbor Wesley Wallace,  apparently  saw  Willard in the road and attempted to avoid the  accident.  Mr. Wallace  apparently  hit  his  brakes  and swerved  into  the  left lane  but  could  not  avoid  hitting  the youth.  Willard was taken to the Trigg County Hospital Emergency Room by his step - father, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  There were no arrests made in the incident. Mr. Wallace was taken by ambulance to the hospital emergency room about 10:30 p.m. that night for treatment of shock.

Willard, Jr. who was in the seventh grade at Trigg County Middle School was buried on Sunday afternoon, May 14, 1978 in the Blue Spring Church Cemetery in Caldwell County near the grave of his father.

 

 

Tombstone of Willard Mitchell, Jr.

LINEAGE: (Willard Barkley Mitchell, Jr. was the son of Willard Barkley, Sr. and Janie Marilyn Williams Mitchell and the grandson of Sanford Frazier and Lillie Mae Gresham Williams.  Sanford was the son of George Raymond and Ida Elizabeth Hargrove Williams.  Ida was the first child of Jefferson and Ida Bridges Hargrove.  Ida was the third child of Starkie T. and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)