KEARNEY, Neb. — The names of two law enforcement officers who died while on duty in Buffalo County were nearly lost to history but now are etched into memorials for eternity.

Their stories are now preserved thanks largely to the work of Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Harly Amy.

“I think it’s important for these guys to be recognized for their commitment and their service to their communities and I don’t want their sacrifice to be in vain,” Amy said.

Last summer, the sheriff’s office received a letter from the Officer Down Memorial page asking about a former deputy named Willis Daggett.

Amy, who had already led a project to identify graves of former officers, looked into the tip and discovered records showing Daggett worked for the county starting in 1929.

“I collected a bunch of records, a bunch of newspaper articles, and found the nearest family that I could, which in this case was in Houston,” Amy said.

His research revealed Daggett died when trying to serve a warrant in 1930. He lost control of his 1929 Dodge Model 6 patrol car, hit a guardrail and plunged into Clear Creek. 

“Of course in those days, there’s no radios, there’s no GPS," Amy said. "He was able to get himself out of the car, out of the river and walk to a nearby farmhouse for help.”

But as this Ravenna News article says, he eventually died from a skull fracture.

Amy was ready to submit Daggett’s name for the National Law Enforcement Memorial, when county attorney Shawn Eatherton mentioned something in a conversation with the county sheriff.

“That his (great)-grandfather had also been a law enforcement officer who was killed in a car accident while pursuing a suspect," Amy said.
"We had never heard of that either.”

Eatherton’s great-grandpa, Orren Eatherton, was a night marshal in Shelton when his patrol vehicle flipped during a pursuit. The fatal crash was discovered the next morning.

“He died giving to the people and I think that’s an honor that, when men and women make that choice, that I’m proud to play a part in that,” Eatherton said.

Thanks to Amy’s research, Daggett and Eatherton were honored at a ceremony in Kearney last week and their names were added to the state law enforcement memorial here in Grand Island. Amy, Eatherton and two other deputies also went to Washington D.C. to see the names added to the national law enforcement memorial.

“It was an absolutely incredible experience to see that many people who had been affected by the loss of a law enforcement officer in their families or their communities,” Amy said.

“It gives you chills," Eatherton said. "It’s a very impressive and very well-earned honor for all those who have given.”

And for Amy, it’s the culmination of an unexpected dive into the local history of his profession.

“But to see them in there, where they were possibly lost, you know, those names were forgotten," Amy said. "Now (they’re) being recognized and now where people can see them and they’ll always be there, is a nice feeling.”