A funeral Mass for Harley Marie Lyn Hedge, 2, will be held this Saturday, June 23, at 10 a.m. at St. Clare Catholic Church, St. Clair.
Hedge drowned Monday evening in a swimming pool at a residence in the 200 block of Deep Woods Drive off of Highway K southeast of St. Clair, Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said.
Visitation will be held this Friday, June 22, from 3-8 p.m. at Russell Colonial Funeral Home, St. Clair. A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Toelke confirmed that the girl was in the care of her great-grandmother, Helen Frick, at the time of the incident.
At about 6 p.m. on Monday, the 2-year-old and Frick, who had guardianship of the child, were outside picking berries in the yard. The sheriff said Hedge told her great-grandmother that she was going in the house, and she left walking in that direction.
Toelke said Frick saw the toddler walk toward the front porch of the house, and she continued to pick berries.
About three minutes later, Toelke said the great-grandmother did not see Hedge, so she went to look for her but couldn’t find her in or around the house. Frick and three other children who were home at the time then searched for the girl and found her at the bottom of the swimming pool in the yard.
Toelke said Frick pulled the girl out of the water and began performing CPR until emergency personnel arrived.
Toelke said when deputies got to the scene, they observed St. Clair Fire Protection District personnel performing CPR on the child. Deputies assisted until an ambulance arrived.
St. Clair Ambulance personnel transported the girl to Mercy Hospital Washington, where she was pronounced dead.
Toelke said on Tuesday morning he did not know if the pool was above-ground or in the ground. He also did not know the location of the pool in relation to the front porch of the home.
Hedge is survived by her father, Keith Hedge, St. Clair; her mother, Shawna Kamper, St. Clair; and other relatives.
For more information, see the Weekend Missourian.
