Notes
Note N203 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 N194 Index
Obituary LeRoy Anton Youngblom
Kanabec Times, Mora, MN
September 13, 2007 page 19
LeRoy Anton Youngblom of Brook Park, died unexpectedly on Friday, Sept. 7, 2007. He was 72 years old. He was born on Aug. 22, 1935, in New Ulm to Clarence and Lilly Youngblom. He attended several one-room schools before graduating from Winthrop Community High School in 1953. He joined the army and served in the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1956. He returned to Minnesota after the war and attended the University of Minnesota. He was united in marriage to Karen Marie Volinkaty in 1958.
In 1963 LeRoy, his brother Jon, and their families moved to the Brook Park area and tried their hand at farming. In 1972 LeRoy and his family moved west of the farmstead and built, with the help of friends, the house that he would reside in for the next 35 years.
He was employed for Northwest Airlines for 27 years. During that time his skill as a jet engine mechanic landed him in places, such as Tokyo, Seoul, London, Stockholm, and many other places across the world. He retired in 1993.
He had many hobbies, including cross county skiing, biking, fishing, and volunteering. In 1981, he entered his first ski race which was the newly founded Mora Vasaloppet. He skied the Vasaloppet race for the next 26 years, never missing a race. His interest in skiing grew into a passion and let him to become the 1926th person to earn a Worldlopper Master’s medal; which requires skiers to complete in Worldlopper ski races in at least 10 different countries. At different times, he competed in the Senior Olympics in various bicycling events. He was also a Mora Classic competitor for eight years.
He was an active member of the Vasaloppet Board of Directors since 1995 and has spent countless hours constructing and maintaining the ski trails and Nordic Center buildings. LeRoy cherished the friends he acquired across the country and the world in the many years of skiing, biking, and traveling.
He was a longtime member and served a as the president of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Council in Brook Park. He was the Mayor of Brook Park for 10 years, a lifetime member of the NRA and the VFW, member of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), Ducks Unlimited, Brook Park Cemetery Board, and an active member of the Pine County Republicans as well as numerous other committees, boards and organizations.
He was most known for being willing to lend a helping hand to strangers and friends alike and for living life to the fullest. He always had a smile to offer and lots of stories (with pictures) to share about his latest adventures.
He is survived by his significant other, Linda L. Rother, of Mora; four children, Mary (David) Mortenson of Rush City, Andrea (Barry) Martfeld of Stacy, David (JoAnne) Youngblom of LeSueur, and Thomas (Kris McNally) Youngblom of Mora; one brother, Jon (Susan) Youngblom of Hinckley; four grandchildren, Brandon (Kelly) Martfeld, Brent (Abby Fairbanks) Martfeld, Andrew Youngblom, and Taylor Youngblom; four step-grandchildren, Michael Mortenson, Clayton (Caralee) Mortenson, Jennifer (Blair Peterson) Mortenson, Crystal (Christopher) Kester; one great grandchild, Landon; five step great grandchildren, Myla, Brecken, Avy, Chanse, and Ethan, and countless other relatives and close friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Lilly, his wife Karen, daughter Karla and siblings Carl and Wanda.
Visitation will be Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007 from 5-8 p.m. at Dresser-Methven Funeral Home in Mora with Pastor Michael Breech officiating.
Pallbearers will be Joel Hippen, Jaye Hippen, Scott Hippen, Brent Hippen, Steve Johnson, and Lawnie Fosse. Honorary pallbearers will be Brandon Martfeld, Brent Martfeld, Andrew Youngblom, Clayton Mortenson and Michael Mortenson.
Burial will be at Brook Park Cemetery.
Military Honors will be provided by Lee Goldsmith Post 201.
Arrangements by Dresser-Methven Funeral Home.