Obituaries: Laurie O. Mercer, 1973, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: May 30, 1973 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American

L. O. Mercer Drowns In Accident

Mail carrier Laurie O. Mercer of Winnfield accidentally drowned Sunday night
after his boat struck a tree and overturned on Saline Lake.  His wife
and stepson clung to the boat and were rescued by a fisherman.

Sheriff Sanford Jordan said that Mercer's body was recovered at ____ p.m.
about three hours after the accident.

Mrs. Mercer said that her husband was operating the boat from the forward
seating position where the controls were and evidently was thrown too far away
from the boat to grasp it as she and her son, A. L. Mosley did.  She said they
never saw her husband after the boat overturned.

Mosley lives in Morgan City and he had brought the boat to Winnfield for
Mercer to try out.

The fisherman, C. E. Richardson of Houston, told Jordan that he was running
his boat nearby and came to the rescue.

The Mercers had left Stump's Landing and had gone by the Dalton Martin camp. 
They were in the tree line near Durham's and the accident occurred when Mercer
was leaving the timber and turning back into the boat road at Durham's.

None of the family wore life preservers but had the cushion type preservers
in the boat.

The accident occurred in water more than 12 feet deep, the sheriff estimated.

Mercer was 48 and he had first gone to work for the post office here in 1954,
spent a short while at the Texarkana post office and returned to Winnfield
in 1958.  He served as City Carrier No. 1 until three years ago when he took
Rural Route No. 1.  He was a World War II veteran and a member of the VFW.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Southern Funeral Home
Chapel with the Rev. Robert Gage and Rev. C. W. Jones officiating.  Burial
was in the Pine Hill Cemetery.

In addition to his wife and stepson, survivors are his father, Perry H.
Mercer, Monroe; a half brother, Perry Mercer, Jr., Monroe.