The O'Dea Families

     Margaret Hickey was born in January, 1896 in Saratoga Township, Marshall County, Illinois. She was the daughter of David Hickey and Mary Agnes Day. Margaret Hickey died on July 13, 1913 in Putnam, Putnam County, Illinois, at age 17. Margaret was killed in a car accident as it was reported in a local newspaper: "The young people were from 12 to 17 years of age, of the highest respectability, full of health and happiness, little thinking the awful termination of their pleasure trip had in store. They enjoyed their ride, their visit at the lake, each others company and left there for home at 9:45 p.m.
The road up the hill coming from Undercliff is narrow and in some places steep and at one of the worst places the auto met a team owned by Murphy Bros and driven by Wesley Cross of Putnam. Anxious to avoid an accident or giving the offense Mr. Kinsella drove his car outside the road to the right as he was going up the hill. The right wheels of his car struck the sideling grade and as he steered sharply to regain the main track, the wheels skidded farther and farther down the embankment the auto overturned and caught Mr. Kinsella, Margaret Hickey, and Mary McManus underneath.
Shouts and screams of pain and terror brought the YMCA boys camping near and others to their help, the car was rolled over down the declivity and it was found Margaret Hickey was dead, Kinsella badly hurt and unconscious, but Mary McManus uninjured."¹ She was buried in St. John Cemetery, Bradford, Stark County, Illinois.¹