Age 31. 422 West 58th Street Terrace, Kansas City, MO. Born on 10/09/1911, Oak Park, IL. Died of burns (death certificate). Trainee at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division, United Aircraft Corp., East Hartford, CT, plant. To the Grove with friend L. Ray Thiry, age 37 (Born 1/11/1905. Died 12/26/1981, age 76. Last residence Oak Grove, MO), also of Kansas City, MO (rooming in West Hartford, CT), and two unnamed girls for dinner (the latter three escaped). Were seated at a table "in the second row about in the middle" of the main dining room (The Boston Globe, 11/30/1942). When fire broke the group formed a single-file line with Mr. Eckerle at the rear. Mr. Thiry to a reporter (quote): "I turned and could see Eckerle just miss the door as the pressure from the other side forced him away" (The Boston Globe, 11/30/1942). Also: "I knew that there was no chance to get back to get Eckerle. The three of us were rushed into a taxicab and taken to the hospital." Hartford Courant, 12/02/1942: "Eckerle came here from the Midwest on October 9 to enter training preparatory to taking a position at the new United Aircraft plant in Kansas City, now under construction." The Kansas City Times, 11/30/1942: "He had planned to come home for the Christmas holidays." Was a graduate of Northeast High School, Kansas City, 1928. Was previously an assistant manager, Public Loan Corp., of Kansas City ('41 street listings). Lodged with Lamar C. Stoker, an acquaintance from Kansas City, at 93 Beacon Street, East Hartford (not present), but maintained the above Missouri address as his permanent residence (latter was shown on his death certificate and on the official November 1943 Boston Committee on Public Safety casualty list). Wife former Janet Cozad, age 29 (Born 5/17/1913. Died as Janet C. Gates-Maxwell on 2/03/2009, Atherton, CA, age 95), not present. Married on 12/03/1938, in Sedalia, MO. Survived by a daughter Phyllis, age 2, and infant son also named Lawrence, age 4 months. Widow would later outlive her victim husband by 66 years, 2 months. Trim physique (WWII draft registration, October '40: 6' 0," 160 lbs.). Was the lone Grove fire casualty from Missouri. Parents Mrs. Elmira E. (Aurick), of Kansas City, MO, and the late Mr. Charles E. Eckerle. Interment of his cremated remains at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, MO. Middle name Leopold.

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