Obituary--Madison Smith

Another in my series of unusual deaths. This one involves a farm implement called a hay tedder. It was used to "fluff" up the hay before raking into windrows for baling. Warning--it is fairly graphic.

from the 17 July 1913 Fremont Times Indicator

MADISON SMITH MEETS TRAGIC DEATH

Prominent Farmer Living West of Fremnt Was Mangled Beneath a Hay Tedder Last Friday.

Madison Smith, a prominent farmer living 3 1/2 miles west of this city met a tragic death while working in his hay field last Friday. the accident occurred between nine and ten o'clock. While driving a hay tedder, one of the horses attached to the machine kicked over the tongue thus breaking it off. This frightened the horses who soon became uncontrollable. When the frantic animals commenced to run the broken tongue gouged the earth, throwing Mr Smith from the seat. In his effort to subdue the frightened horses he wound the reins around his hands. When he fell under the machine it is probable that he was unable to free himself from the lines.
Mr. Smith was dragged about 80 rods across the field, his head and shoulders being beneath the forks of the tedder. The machine was in gear during the runaway.
Dr. Long was summoned immediately but life expired within a few minutes after his arrival. Mr Smith was unconscious from the time of the accident and lived about a half hour.
Mr. Smith's daughter, a girl of about 12 years was riding on the machine with him and it is probably that he threw her off in order that she might escape injury. She sustained only lght bruises on the head and leg.
James Madison Smith was born in Newaygo County March 25 1866 and was 47 years, 3 months and 16 days at the time of his death. In 1896 he married Martha A Bennet, of Brookside and three children, two daughters and a son, were born to this union. Mrs Smith passed away in July 1912. The three children, together with his aged father and mother survive him.
The funeral services were held at the home Sunday afternoon conducted by Rev. R. A. thibos, pastor of the Church of Christ and were attended by a large concourse of relatives and friends. Burial took place in Clark cemetery.

An unusual and tragic means of death. Life was tough and uncertain nearly 100 years ago. Factory workers, lumber men and farmers all had to face the possibility at all times.

Tombstone Tuesday--Curtice Cemetery

Yet another of the many county cemeteries I have not visited. But I will. The reason? One day, several years ago, when reviewing these pictures, my co worker called to me to ask if I was related to a "C J Cross'. After repeating the name to myself several times, I had a "Well, Duh!" moment. My father's grandfather! While we knew him as Jesse, his real name was Calvin Jesse. And there was his stone.Great Grandpa Jesse's stone was remarkable to me when I first saw the picture. It was a cement stone, painted silver, with the lettering looking as though someone had carved in the damp cement with a nail. And that may have been the case. However looking through our file pictures from the cemetery, I discovered several other stones about the same general shape as his, but with molded lettering. See below.
Jesse's stone is in the background here, on the left next to the earn. The central stone with the name Thomas is also cement, and also painted silver. It is placed between two granite stones that look much newer. The carving of the granite stones is hard to see in this picture, but when I look at a enlarged version there are deeply carved flowers outlined around the border. The remind me of the early to mid 20th century stones of other family members. The center stone, shaped similarly to Great Gramps, has clearly molded letters and decoration in the center. You can also see the lines of the mold along the edges.
Here below is another stone that, when closely studied, also appears to be of cement. Again a finer molding of the design on front--sort of a double heart inscribed Rest in Peace. The name on the top is difficult to make out even in the enlarged version.
The stone below in contrast looks quite modern. The person it remembers however is one of the earlier burials, dying in 1914. In perusing the transcript we have of Curtice Cemetery, only a handful died earlier.
Most of the names in the transcript show death dates from the early 1920's on into the 1960's, with a few beyond.
Even this large stone in front, for the David family appears with close scrutiny to be made of cement. As with the others, a closeup view shows the wear and pebbles poking to the service. The large stone near the shrub is too dark to tell the material it is made from.
This pictures shows the back of the above scene and the other side of the bordered plot.
The presence of these cement stones causes me to wonder if other cemeteries have this much cement work as well? Did I simply realize it because of Great Grandpa Jesse's stone? Have I overlooked them in other cemeteries?
Or was this a factor of the geographic location? Northern Newaygo county has gravel and marl that were used in the production of cement. Was there a local craftsman or business who specialized in grave markers using local materials?
Definitely worth pondering as well as researching.

Obituary--LaVerne Bondeville

Another in the series of unusual ways to die.

From the 14 September 1922 Fremont Times Indicator.

NEWAYGO YOUNG MAN FALLS IN CEMENT CONVEYOR; DIES SUNDAY

LaVerne bondville, aged 19, slipped and fell Sunday into the cement conveyor at the plant of the Portland Cement company, Newaygo, where he was employed, and died of his injuries.
The young man was alone in the basement at the time. Although his body was drawn into the machinery and one foot pulled off, Bondville worked himself loose and then crawled 50 feet to a ladder. He climbed the six foot ladder and then reached the laboratory 75 feet away, where he obtained aid. The leg was amputated at the knee in an effort ot save his life, but he was summoned late Sunday evening.
The young man resided with his parents in Newaygo.

Obviously in the days before OSHA. After crawling 125 feet, besides the ladder, I can only imagine the cause of death was blood loss or shock.

Obituary-- George Convis

I have been reviewing old obituaries and after the last one from my farm, and the one from my Hubby's great uncle who dropped dead while leading a cow down the "highway" (term highway used very loosely.) I have been inspired to post a series obituaries that have rather unusual ways of dying. Not all will be farm related however.
Having been on the outside of a pen when cattle loading time comes, I can understand how these things can happen. At least we use a truck and trailer.

2 November 1922 Fremont times Indicator, as a reprint from the Hart Courier

HART FARMER KILLED BY BULL
MET INSTANT DEATH WHEN HE WAS BUNTED AGAINST A STONE WALL.
Hart Courier--
George Convis, 72, was instantly killed Wednesday afternoon about 2:30 when a three year old bull he was leading suddenly became infuriated and turned on him bunting him against the cement wall of the barn.
Mr Convis had sold the animal to John bothe and with George Blackmer was attempting to deliver it to Bothe's slaughter house. Mr Convis was walking ahead leading it by a leading stick and George Blackmer was in the rear holding the animal back with a 20 foot rope. The animal had been the stall in the barn for the past six months, but seemed all right when taken out and until about 15 feet outside, then it suddenly became maddened and plunged for Mr Convis bunting him up against the barn and then bunting him again in the forehead. The animal then sttod quietly looking at Mr. Convis whil Mr. Blackmer pulled with all his might on the rope that was about its neck, then it suddenly turned and ran down into a field where Mrs Blackmer and some neighbors followed it and shot it. Mr Convis had implicit confidence in the animal and had suggested delivering him alone. He had owned it a long time and had always found it friendly.
Dr. Wood was immediately called following the accident and made an examination of the body of Mr Convis, expressing his belief that death came instantly, in all probability resulting from a broken neck.
Having been around our beef cattle, I can only say--What was he thinking? Of course, Hubby recently sold a heifer who he had kept saying was calm and tame. He was able to pet her while feeding her. He couldn't figure out why she went crazy when he tried to wash her before taking to the sale barn. She also frightened the men in the ring with her while being sold. And this was a bull in the obit. You never can trust them. Yikes!

Posting note

Just a note to followers:
Sandy, who is my co-poster on this blog, is having surgery today. It is repairing work on her ankle and tendons that were broken a year ago. She will be off work for some time, as well as heavily medicated. So for a while at least posts will be few and far between from her. And if you see one from her that looks a little loopy. Well, for the time being, we can blame the medication.

Tombstone Tuesday--Culp Cemetery

This is another of the county cemeteries I have not visited. With none of my family from the eastern part of the county, I have never visited it.
I do enjoy going through the pictures for each cemetery as I prepare these posts. Each of them have their own particular flavor. I especially like the old-fashioned wire fence surrounding Culp Cemetery. I also noticed that while the ground was well maintained, I did not see any modern granite stones. You can see that the background looks fairly empty here.
And indeed, when digging out the listings in the transcript book we show only 3 surnames in this cemetery--Culp, Daggett, and Rice. The most recent listed is 1875. I venture to guess that not all the stones are still readable or even visible.
Below you can see the condition of some of the stones. They are also visible in the picture above.
The darker set of stones appear to be for at least two different people. Maybe even three, as the stone still standing appears to wide to match the two pieces leaning and lying down. All the pieces are too dark and too weather weary to make out the inscription. The nearly buried stone may read Mary E, but not sure. The lighter stone, when I view a larger view of the stone, appears to have a picture of a lamb on the top, but the names are still illegible.
This broken stone appears to be made of cement. Unadorned except for the name inscribed it has been carefully laid on another piece of cement. I cannot match the letters I can read with any of the names in the transcript. This is one of the ones that lead me to believe not all of the names are listed. Notice that the ends of the stone above do not appear to match the broken section of the cement slab below it. Is that another tombstone?
As is so often the case, in the same cemetery here is this stone, barely touched by the elements. The name of William Erastus. son of William and Catherine Rice is clearly visible. Even the script at the very bottom appear to be still clean and crisp. Interestingly, the graves of William and Catherine do not appear anywhere in the cemetery transcript.
Overall as I look at the pictures we have of Culp Cemetery, the feeling I get is sadness. So many broken and possibly missing stones. The sight of the marble slabs laying flat on the ground is somewhat depressing.
I close with this stone that typifies Culp Cemetery. The name is only partially readable. I think it belongs to one of the Culp family members, possibly the Christopher listed in the transcript. The picture of the clasped hands, collecting sand as the stone lies quietly. The missing wedge from the side and next to it, the curved top of another stone.Somehow, I think that the rest for those in this cemetery was not peaceful. May they have it now.

Part 2--Mrs Charles Kempf

There, I feel better now after my rant yesterday. Now, not to the elusive Mrs Charles Kempf.

One fact is that in the same house she and her family lived in, my husband and I were crowded with just our 2 boys. Where in our house would they have put that big a family? This is a drafty farmhouse, and the upstairs, although it does have 3 rooms, is unfinished—not to mention not well insulated and unheated. Brrrrrrrrr.

But the thing that really kept bothering me about Mrs. Kempf is the lack of her own identity. I poked and researched around and finally on the 1920 census found out that her name was Flora. They also lived with his parents during 1910 census. I also found her in the Holton Cemetery records. Listed as Flo Kempf in a grave purchased by Fred Kempf who was Charles’s father.
Charles later moved his family to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by the time of the 1930 census, along with his mother. That explains why I couldn’t find him or his children in the area.
I was so moved by this story of this young farm woman that I have decided to tell her story for our next cemetery walk. One of the almost nameless woman who helped make our country grow.
Unsung, but if I can help it, not forgotten.