BUTLER, William died 1886
BUTLER, MYERS, SURRING, KASCEL, SHERBONDA
Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 8/8/2019 at 17:28:56
On Monday evening William Butler, a laborer, living at the brow of the hill, head of Giard Avenue, was coming down river in a skiff towing a raft of wood and ties.
When he reached the pontoon the draw was opened a short distance, and the heavy, rapid current carried the frail bark into the opening, the skiff striking the draw chains which keeled it to one side, and Butler thinking it would upset jumped to the opposite side of the skiff when it turned throwing him into the current, when he sank to rise no more, undoubtedly becoming tangled in the chains, or dropping in between the piling was unable to extricate himself, as there is considerable suction at the place he went down.
The body was recovered an hour or two later and later in the night conveyed to his home, from which place the funeral occurred yesterday at 2 o'clock, Rev. Mabry officiating.
The sister of the deceased, Mrs. Agusta Surring and her husband, from Allamakee county, are present; other relatives, parents, sisters and brothers, residing in Wisconsin, were expected but did not arrive in time for the funeral.
It is a sad case, one that calls loudly upon the charity of the people. The family are left in poor circumstances, wife and six children, the eldest in her ninth year. Kind friends have interceded in their behalf so that for the present they are provided with the necessaries of life.
The deceased husband and father was a hard working laborer. He was born in Germany and came to America in 1856, remaining in Wisconsin until a few years ago when he came to Iowa. He was 38 years of age on the 18th of July last.
~North Iowa Times, Thursday, August 26, 1886
Note: His burial place is unknown. He & family are enumerated on census living in Linton twp., Allamakee county. The 1913 biography of Nicholas Kascel, h/o Augusta Butler, who was the d/o William & Minnie (Myers) Butler, mentions the drowning of Wm. Butler and remarriage of Minnie to Jacob Sherbonda. The full biography from Past & Present of Allamakee County; by Ellery M. Hancock can be read on the Allamakee co. IAGenWeb.
1913 Biographies
Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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