Notes
Note N287 Index
THE FREMONT COUNTY SUN. July 5, 1900. "A SAD AFFAIR. Three Young Women Drowned in the Nishna River on the Fourth. TWO FAMILIES SPENDING THE DAY FISHING. One of the Victims a Daughter of Peter Large; the Others Were Sisters, and Daughters of Stanley Sumner".-- The 4th of July, 1900, will long be remembered by many of the residents of Fremont county on account of the tragic events which happened that day and especially will the day be remembered by those to whom it brought such sorrow in the sudden loss of loved ones.
One of the saddest happenings in the history of this county was the drowning of three young women in the Nishnabotana river above the bridge just east of Sidney.
Several of the families in the vicinity of Lacey Grove northwest of Sidney had arranged to spend the day on the Nishna river at Smith lake. The families of Peter Large and Stanley Sumner were together and made some mistake in the arrangements and went to the Otte Lake instead of the one on Mr. Hawley's place. They stopped just above the river bridge and ate their dinners and thought they would remain there for the day. There were eleven in this group consisting of three young men, two of them Large boys and one Sumner boy, three young women, two of them Sumner girls and one Large, the mothers Sumner and Large, and Mr. Large, also two younger Sumner boys.
After eating their dinner the boys went to look for a bathing place where the girls might go into the water without any danger.The girls had taken clothing with them suitable for going into the water. The water was shallow where they went. in. In the meantime Mr. Large and the boys had gone farther up the river where they went in bathing. Mrs.Large and Mrs. Sumner were on the banks but a short distnce below where the girls had gone in wading. It appears that Mrs. Sumner saw some commotion among the girls but thought they were only playing, but it is likely that it was their drowning struggles, as when they went a short time after to look after them the three young women were drowned. There had been no outcry to cause any alarm and the exact facts concerning the matter will never be known.
The names and ages of the three young women are as follows: Lillie Belle Large, aged twenty years; Nancy Belle Sumner, nineteen; Rosa Nellie Sumner, fifteen.
The women gave the alarm as soon as they saw what had happened and the young men came at once to the sad task of taking the dead bodies of their sisters from the water. Frank Brandon and the Frazer boys had gone to the river to bathe and were the first on the scene of the accident, just as the bodies had been taken from the water. They did all they could to bring them back to life. One of the young men came with all possible speed to Sidney for medical assistance. Charlie and Paul Jordan were just starting to the field as the young man who was going for the doctor came up. They hitched up to their buggy and went to the river as rapidly as possible and rendered what assistance they could and other help soon arrived, but all attempts at resuscitation proved unavailing.
The girls had gotten into deep water. The two older girls had removed their shoes and stockings. Nellie Sunmner, the younger of the three girls, had her shoes and stockings on when taken from the river, from which fact it is supposed that she had not intended to go into the water with the others, and that she met her death in an attempt at the rescue of the others, but this is only supposition, as nothing more definite is known about the sad occurence.
The bodies were brought to Sidney and placed in the undertaking rooms of A. Wildberger where they were suitably prepared and placed in coffins and were taken to their homes.
As soon as the almost distracted families got to Sidney word was sent to other members of the families in the county.
One very sad feature was the absence of Mr. Sumner who had started just a few days ago overland for Arkansas, and as there is no telling just where he can be found, it will be impossible to get him here before his daughters are buried.
The burial of the young women took place this morning in the Lacy Grove cemetery. The funeral was very largely attended.
This was such an unusually sad affair that it has cast a gloom over the entire community and the sympathy of all goes out to the stricken families.
Notes
Note N172 Index
Obituary Erma R Sumner (Appleyard)
Appleyard, Erma Sumner
Aug 20, 1919 - Jul 4, 2012
Age 92. Omaha.
MEMORIAL SERVICE 6pm Tuesday, July 10, 2012, with family receiving friends 1 hour prior, all at Braman Mortuary 72nd St. Chapel. To leave a condolence visit
www.bramanmortuary.com
BRAMAN MORTUARY - 72nd St. Chapel
1702 N. 72nd St. 402-391-2171
Published in Omaha World-Herald on July 8, 2012
Notes
Note N173 Index
Obituary James Albert Sumner
The Hamburg Reporter
Hamburg, Iowa July 17, 1969
James Albert Sumner, son of Albert Bird and Mable Lockett Sumner, was born in Sidney Dec. 7, 1929 and died June 28, 1969 at Ogallala, Nebr. at the age of 39 years, 5 months, and 21 days.
He attended the Sidney School and lived the majority of his life in the Sidney community.
On Sept. 28, 1968, he was united in marriage to Wilma Jean Barrett and they made their home in Ogallala, until his death. He was preceded in death by his mother and an infant sister and brother.
James is survived by his Wife, Wilma Jean; his father, Albert Bird Sumner, Sidney; and seven sisters, Mrs. Mildred Light of Hamburg, Mrs. Wayne (Vera) Boyer of Anderson, Mrs. Floyd (Erma) Appleyard, Mrs. Marion (Frances) Goodwin, Mrs. Dean (Thelma) Howard of Omaha, Mrs. Gene (Lois) Shelton of Ashland, Ore., and Mrs. Doris Meek of Hamburg.
Funeral Services were held July 1 at the Rush Funeral Home with the Rev. Earl R. Melton officiating. Interment was in the Sidney Cemetery.