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Thursday, September 4, 2014

In Memoriam - September 4th


1851 Ruth (Hodgerson) Robertson in Illinois age 36.  She was born in Virginia in 1815 and married Lewis Robertson.  The couple had eight children: John, Mary, Mahaly, William, Sarah, David, George and Nancy.  Ruth is buried in Hodgerson Cemetery in Loami, IL.

1889 Amy Dubois daughter of Thomas & Kimberly (Fink) Dubois, 1 day old in Kankakee, IL.

1929 Ada Colclasure 1 year old the daughter of Clarence & Marybelle (Fitzgerald) Colclasure.

1939 Jackie Barr son of John & Ruby (Gurley) Barr was born in Colorado Springs, CO in 1922.  He drowned at age 17 in a CCC camp in Kettle Falls, WA.  Excerpt from letter from Civilian Conservation Corps to Ruby Musteen, Oct. 3, 1939:
About 100 yards from camp is a small artificial lake known as Sherman Lake, which for several years has been used for swimming and boating by the boys at Camp Growden, and then only at certain hours under the supervision of a qualified Red Cross life-guard.  At about 10:30 A.M., on the 4th of September (Labor Day), Jackie, together with three of his buddies were boating in the middle of the lake about thirty-five yards from shore, where the water is about twelve (12) feet deep.  The boys had permission to use the boat and the life-guard was on duty at the water's edge.  Several other men were standing around the boat landing.  One of the boys in the boat was an excellent swimmer, one could not swim at all, while Jackie and the other boy were considered to be fair swimmers.  What happened next has been confirmed by all who were present and saw the accident.
The boys began to rock the boat, which then capsized.  The good swimmer went to the assistance of the boy who could not swim.  In the meantime the life-guard had plunged in to the rescue, followed by three other men.  Jackie had taken a few strokes toward the shore when he turned around and started back to the overturned boat.  Before he reached it he began to show signs of distress.  The fourth man in the boat and one from the shore reached him, but he began to struggle.  One of the rescuers was seized with cramps while the other man sank with Jackie and had to let go his hold.  In the meantime, the life-guard had rescued the boy who could not swim and the other occupants of the boat had reached shore.  By this time six other men had entered the water, all trying to rescue Jackie and in turn one of the men who had first gone to his assistance, I mean the one who was taken with a cramp.  By this time the whole camp was out, shouting encouragement to the rescuers.  Led by the camp educational adviser and the life-guard, about six or seven men continued diving until just twenty minutes after the accident Jackie was brought up and to the shore.  Under the direction of the camp doctor, who used every known medical means to stimulate heart action, artificial respiration, including the use of a pulmotor, was carried on for three hours, until at last they had to sorrowfully give up their efforts to restore life.
It was a sad day in camp as Jackie was well known and well liked by all the boys and the officers in the camp.
Jackie is buried in Hopewell Cemetery in Wayne Co. IL

1965 Stokely Courtright age 83 in Fairfield, IL.  He was born in Geff, IL in 1881 and married Gladys Field.  They had ten children: Vera, Kenneth, Guy, Walter, Marion, Maxine, James, Lois, Arthur and an infant son.

1984 Zelphia (Lathrop) Shelton in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  She was born in Wayne Co., IL in 1908 the daughter of Joel & Louisa (Dove) Lathrop.  Zelphia married Clyde Shelton and they had no children.  She is buried in Farnsworth / Mt. Zion Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.

1996 Paul Eugene Robertson, 72, of Sims died 7:25 p.m. Sept. 4, 1996 at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind.
He was a retired sawmill worker at Airtex and had his own woodworking shop.
Mr. Robertson was born Oct. 28, 1923, in Wayne County, a son of Leonard and Grace (Atkinson) Robertson.  June 21, 1942, he married Mabel Butler, who died April 2, 1996.
Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Richardson Funeral Home in Wayne City with the Rev. Richard McCormick officiating.  Burial will be in Thomason Cemetery.
Friends may call after 6 p.m. Friday at Richardson Funeral Home in Wayne City.
Mr. Robertson is survived by one son, Paul Robertson Jr. and wife Sharon of Hammond; one daughter, Barbara and Joe Boone of Fairfield; two grandchildren, Lynnette and Tony Robertson of Hammond; one brother, Leroy Robertson of Sims; one sister, Minnie Mae Torrest of Oakland City, Ind.; and two half-sisters, Genevieve Mohorovich of Oakland, Calif., and [Wilma] Harris of Colorado Springs, Colo.
He was an Army veteran of World War II.  He was a member of the Fairfield American Legion.
Mr. Robertson was preceded in death by his parents, wife, one daughter, one granddaughter, one great-grandchild; one brother and one half-brother and one half-sister.

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