Sandy Shaw

F, b. 3 January 1935, d. 29 January 2011
  • Birth*: Sandy Shaw was born on 3 January 1935 at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.1,2
  • Marriage*: She married Joseph Charles Sullivan on 24 June 1967.1
  • Married Name: As of 1967,her married name was Sullivan.
  • Residence*: Sandy Shaw lived in 2007 at Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA; Moved there in 2005.3
  • Biography*: Had lunch with Sandy Shaw Sullivan on May 26, 2007 at Maggioni's in Old Orchard while she was visiting Chicago and friends. She said she was born on the south side of Chicago near Midway Airport. She was an only child.3
  • Death*: She died on 29 January 2011 at Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, at age 76.
    Video shows woman killed by MAX 'touched' passing train, fell between cars
    Takenaga/The Oregonian
    Sandy Sullivan of Northeast Portland became caught under a Yellow Line MAX train after her cane reportedly got stuck between the train and the platform Friday night. She later died at OHSU.
    Surveillance video shows that a woman who died after being injured Friday night at MAX station had reached out, touched a slowing train and then fell into a gap between cars.
    A TriMet spokeswoman said today that video taken at the stop at Northwest Sixth Avenue and Davis Street and reviewed by investigators contradicts earlier reports that Sandy Sullivan's cane became stuck between the platform and an arriving train about 9:22 p.m.
    A witness had reported that Sullivan, 76, tried to free her cane, lost her balance and slid beneath the northbound Yellow Line MAX train.
    Sullivan, of Northeast Portland, intially survived the accident but died at 12:01 a.m. after being taken to OHSU Hospital in Portland. Exact cause of death hadn't been determined by late Monday afternoon.
    TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said the agency has reviewed the platform video, which showed Sullivan and a friend were standing about mid-platform when the train approached the station.
    "There were no other riders near the two women and they were standing behind the tactile warning strip," Fetsch said. "As the first train is passing them, Ms. Sullivan reaches out with her left hand and touches the moving train. She is turned around and then falls between the gap between the train cars."
    Fetsch said both Sullivan and her friend were using canes.
    TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said the tragedy "should serve as a reminder to all of us to be alert around moving trains. Even if you're standing behind the tactile warning strip, it's important to take an extra step back as a train enters a station. That extra step will help ensure your safety."
    TriMet won't release the video until the investigation is concluded, Fetsch said.
    Cassandra Cave, 18, of Milwaukie, a rider from the train, said the Sullivan could be heard talking to a firefighter after the accident. Cave said she heard Sullivan say she was 76.
    Firefighters extricated Sullivan in less than 20 minutes, said Lt. Rich Tyler, a fire spokesman.
    TriMet service was disrupted in the Old Town area for a time because the area was blocked off during the response and investigation of the incident.
    Published: Monday, January 31, 2011, 2:26 PM Updated: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 9:37 AM
    By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian



    Sandra Louise Sullivan
    Sullivan, Sandra Louise 76 01/03/1935 01/29/2011 Sandy lived life to the fullest, despite some physical problems. She enjoyed all the activities Portland had to offer-she held season tickets to the Portland Trail Blazers and was in regular attendance at the opera, the symphony, plays in Ashland and art shows. In addition, she was very active at Holladay Park Plaza where she lived, serving on many committees. We will all miss her smiling face and enthusiasm for life.
    Published in The Oregonian on February 10, 2011


    Fetsch said she could not tell from the video why Sullivan had reached her hand out, though she speculated that the woman may have been off-balance before touching the train. "When you have a cane in one hand and you lose your balance, you reach out," Fetsch said.
    The canes used by Sullivan and her friend were not the white canes used by people with visual disabilities, Fetsch said.
    TriMet statement
    After reviewing its video of the incident, TriMet described the event on Monday, Jan. 31:
    "About 9:15 p.m., Ms. Sullivan and her friend were standing about mid-platform when the train approached the station. There were no other riders near the two women and they were standing behind the tactile warning strip. As the first train is passing them, Ms. Sullivan reaches out with her left hand and touches the moving train. She is turned around and then falls between the gap between the train cars. Both Ms. Sullivan and her friend used canes, but contrary to early reports, the video does not show that the cane got stuck between the curb and the train.
    "TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said 'This tragic incident should serve as a reminder to all of us to be alert around moving trains. Even if you’re standing behind the tactile warning strip, it’s important to take an extra step back as a train enters a station. That extra step will help ensure your safety.' ...
    TriMet added that "the investigation continues" and said it would not release the video to the public until the investigation was complete.
    KOIN account
    Citing "witnesses," KOIN-TV had the most complete immediate account of what may have happened, though TriMet later said parts were inaccurate:
    "It happened about 9:30 p.m., as a train was slowly pulling into the MAX platform at Northwest 6th Avenue near Davis, in the Old Town district. Witnesses say the 76-year-old woman was with a companion on the platform when she apparently lost her balance, stuck her cane out and it got caught between two train cars. She was pulled down between those rail cars, dragged several feet and pinned under the train. It took about a half hour for rescue crews to get her out."
    Just after the incident, one KOIN reporter wrote on Twitter that two sources said she "may have been pushed," but no other sources corroborated this and a fire spokesman said the next day that he had no reason to believe this was the case. TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said Jan. 31 that the agency's video showed it to be inaccurate.
    Aftermath
    Attempted rescue
    The Oregonian's coverage included an interview with witness Cassandra Cave, who says she could see the woman's leg beneath the train car.
    According to multiple reports, the woman was conscious when Portland Fire and Rescue workers arrived at 9:22, but she died in the hospital Saturday morning.
    A Portland fire spokesman said Jan. 29 that the woman was extracted after crews used a T-rex saw to cut off the plates that cover the wheels of the MAX train. They were then able to put the woman on a backboard and move her into the ambulance.
    "She was conscious and talking to our people during the entire rescue," he said.
    Operator placed on paid leave
    The MAX train's operator, a man, was placed on paid leave immediately after the incident. Spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said there was no indication that the operator could have prevented the potentially traumatic event.
    "He's on his days off, and he'll be off as we do the investigation," Fetsch said Jan. 31. "We give him the support he needs to deal with this."
    Fetsch said TriMet does not release names of staff during its investigations.
    25th accidental MAX fatality
    According to TriMet, Sullivan was the 27th person to die in a MAX-related incident, including two people who committed suicide, since the system opened in 1986. She was the first person to die on the downtown transit mall since light rail was added in 2009.
    The previous transit mall fatality had occurred in 2000, when, according to TriMet, a pedestrian ran in front of a #14 bus.
    Reactions
    On MAX FAQs
    In a post about the incident, blogger "Camelopardis" wrote that it's too common for people to stand near the edge of the platform while a MAX train is present:
    "It sounds like it was possible that she was standing/walking too close to the edge of the platform as the train came in. Of course no one deserves to die for making a mistake like that, but I couldn’t begin to tell you the number of people who are lucky they don’t end up in the news for the same reason she did."
    On A Perspective of Portland
    In a post, blogger Larry Norton was skeptical of the initial explanation.
    "Being very familiar with that station, it seems neigh impossible that someone could either fall beneath or in between two train cars," he wrote.
    From Ted Buehler
    In a comment on this page, AROW organizer Ted Buehler called the design of rail platforms in the United States "uninformly bad." The tactile warning strip on the edge of TriMet's platform, he said, is too narrow at less than 2 feet wide.
    Under rules laid down by the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Buehler wrote, "death is only one wobble away."
    http://portlandafoot.org/w/January_2011_MAX_fatality;"> accessed January 7, 2012.4

Family: Joseph Charles Sullivan b. 5 Aug 1929, d. 19 Jan 2002

Citations

  1. [S410] Philip M. Sullivan Family Bible.
  2. [S665] Elaine Beaudoin's personal knowledge Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, personal files, Sandy told me where she was born at a lunch in 2007.
  3. [S665] Elaine Beaudoin's personal knowledge Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, personal files.
  4. [S1449] Letter, Attorney at Law Greta E. Gibbs to Ralph and Elaine Beaudoin, December 31, 2011, Text of letter: I am sorry to have to tell you that your friend Sandra L. Sullivan died on January 29, 2011 following an accident with a MAX train. The details can still be obtained from the Internet. Her death was not only a shock to her friends at Holladay Park Plaza, but to the general public in Portland. Sincerely, Greta E. Gibbs.

Hanora Shea

F

Family: Patrick Bowler

A. Sheridan

M

Mary Sheridan

F, b. 1828, d. before 5 May 1870

Family: Michael Sullivan b. c 1826, d. 15 Jan 1915

Citations

  1. [S1462] 1850 US Census, Pennsylvania, Northampton, Williams Township, Washington, DC, Page 31A, Ancestry.com, accessed February 10, 2012.
  2. [S611] New World, May 28, 1904, Accessed February 22, 2006.
  3. [S301] Michael Sulllivan Grave card, Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, USA.
  4. [S301] Michael Sulllivan Grave card, Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, USA, Lot 34, Block 1, Sect. B.

Emily Sherwood1

F
  • Married Name: Her married name was Tilton.1
  • Marriage*: Emily Sherwood married Unknown Tilton.1

Citations

  1. [S652] Chicago Tribune, November 11, 1947, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive; Record Number: 19471104dn057.

May Sherwood1,2

F, b. July 1856, d. 3 November 1947

Family: William H. Cooley b. c 2 Mar 1852, d. 31 Jan 1907

Citations

  1. [S642] Chicago Tribune, January 25, 1918, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive; Record Number: 19180125dn011, Accessed March 10, 2006.
  2. [S652] Chicago Tribune, November 11, 1947, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive; Record Number: 19471104dn057.
  3. [S643] 1900 US Census, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, Washington, DC, ED 351; Page 20A; Ward 12, Ancestery.com; Accessed March 10, 2006.
  4. [S644] 1910 US Census, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, Washington, DC, ED 667; Page 152B; Part 2; Line 29, Ward 13, Ancestery.com; Accessed March 10, 2006.
  5. [S646] 1920 US Census, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, Washington, DC, ED 795, Page 10B, Ward 13, Ancestry.com; accessed March 13, 2006.
  6. [S682] 1930 US Census, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, Washington, DC, ED 1083, Page 13B, Ancestry.com; accessed April 10, 2006.

Unknown Sherwood1

M

Family:

Citations

  1. [S652] Chicago Tribune, November 11, 1947, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive; Record Number: 19471104dn057.

Renata Shirk1

F, b. before 1870
  • Birth*: Renata Shirk was born before 1870. Date is estimated based on the date of the birth of her daughter Catharine.1
  • Marriage*: She married John Reck before 1890.1
  • Married Name: As of before 1890,her married name was Reck.1
  • Blog*: Renata Shirk was mentioned in a blog at http://batkereck.blogspot.com Batke/Reck Genealogy Blog on 27 March 2010.2

Family: John Reck b. b 1870

Citations

  1. [S1150] Catharine Reck Batke, 367-12-0849, Social Security Application, Internal Revenue Service.
  2. [S665] Elaine Beaudoin's personal knowledge Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, personal files.
  3. [S1223] The Herald-Palladium, October 29, 1979, p. 10.

Ella Sieler1

F, d. after 1918

Family: Arthur J. Sullivan b. 10 Apr 1889, d. 29 Dec 1918

Citations

  1. [S688] Chicago Tribune, December 31, 1918, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive; Record Number: 19181231dn037.
  2. [S1735] Probate file 52249 (Doc. 182, Page 188), Proof of Heirship, testimoney of Ella K. Sullivan, January 17, 1919, 5 pages.
  3. [S857] Arthur Sullivan, Illinois Certificate of death, Micropublication #1852692, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  4. [S684] Chicago Tribune, November 25, 1918, Chicago Tribune Historical Archive: Record Number 19181125dn031.

Louise Simon1

F, b. 3 May 1897, d. 30 August 1977
  • Birth*: Louise Simon was born on 3 May 1897.2
  • Married Name: As of before 1964,her married name was Reich.3
  • Married Name: As of 7 August 1964,her married name was Batke.1
  • Marriage*: She married Karl Batke, son of Martin Batke and Anna Lock, on 7 August 1964. The following article appeared in the newspaper:
    Newspaper article: Mrs. Reich Says Vows
    Pink flowers from the bride's garden graced the altar of th Emmanuel Lutheran Church for the wedding Wednesday of Mrs. Louise Reich and Carl Batke.
    The former Mrs. Reich was attired in a pale salmon dress with matching accessories.
    Barbara Metzler, granddaughter of the bridegroom, was the maid of honor and Elmer Reich of San Francisco, the bride's son, was the best man. Andy Andersen, grandson of Mrs. Reich, ushered.
    A reception was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Lange, son in law and daughter of Mrs. Reich. Among the out of town guests were Fred Batke of Stockton, brother of the bridegroom; George and J. J. Simon of Visalia, brothers of the bride, and their wives, and William Foote of San Francisco.
    Mrs. Batke is the widow of H. P. Reich. Her children are Mrs. Madeline Andresen, Mrs. G. A. Castleman and Joseph Reich, candidate for Fresno County Supervisor, all of Fresno; Herman Reich of Los Angeles and Mrs. Florence Leike and Mrs. Wesley Jamison of San Jose and Mrs. Lange and Elmer Reich.
    Batke, a retired rancher, is the father of Mrs. Sam Metzler.1,3
  • Address*: As of 14 March 1970, Louise Simon and Karl Batke lived at 4404 E. Lyell Avenue, Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA.4
  • Death*: Louise Simon died on 30 August 1977 at Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA, at age 80.2,5

Family: Karl Batke b. 16 Oct 1882, d. 14 Mar 1970

Citations

  1. [S1105] California Marriage Index, online http://search.ancestry.com, Carl Batke/Louise (Simon) Reich, accessed August 13, 2007.
  2. [S1002] U. S. Social Security Administration, Louise Batke, accessed February 3, 2010.
  3. [S1106] The Fresno Bee, August 11, 1964, page 12A.
  4. [S1113] The Fresno Bee, March 16, 1970, page 10-B, Ancestry.com, accessed December 27, 2009.
  5. [S1086] California Death Records on line, online http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi, Louise Batke, accessed February 10, 2010.