BERTRAM McLAUGHLIN 1906-1933
MCLAUGHLIN, OLSON, HILL, COLLINS, OMEARA, RAMSEY, TRUMBULL, MCGUIRE, CONDON, GROTH, PURCELL, HOWE, LOPEZ
Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 4/23/2005 at 20:25:14
YOUTH DROWNED IN NEW MEXICO: BERT McLAUGHLIN'S REMAINS BROUGHT HERE FOR BURIAL MONDAY AT HANOVER
- Bert McLaughlin, 26, son of John McLaughlin of Hanover, was drowned while bathing in Lake Isabelle, at Las Vegas, New Mexico, last Wednesday night. The remains were brought to his father's home and funeral services were held Monday morning at Hanover Catholic church, with high requiem mass by Reverend P. Reynolds. Burial was made at Hanover. Bert McLaughlin was born July 20, 1906, in Hanover township, Allamakee County. He graduated from the Waukon high school and attended St. Joseph's College at Dubuque. He left there six years ago, going to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where two of his sisters also reside. The following story of the tragedy that brought the young man's life to a sudden close is reprinted from the Morning Las Vegan, published at Las Vegas:
"A farewell party Wednesday night for Mr. and Mrs. William Olson ended tragically with the death of Mrs. Olson's brother, John Bertrand McLaughlin, popular young man of the city, who drowned while swimming in Lake Isabelle adjacent to the La Jara clubhouse. An inquest was held Thursday afternoon, a coroner's jury rendering a verdict of accidental death by drowning. McLaughlin had gone to the lake with a friend and eight other couples for the party, arriving at the club about 9 o'clock. Dancing was started before time for serving luncheon. McLaughlin remarked that he was warm and asked some of the men in the party to go swimming with him. No one accepted the invitation and the guests thought nothing more of the incident. About an hour later, calls were heard for help and the men in the party rushed to the shore of the lake, but they were unable to see anyone. Rescue parties were organized and frantic efforts were made to aid the unfortunate youth who had gone for a swim alone. Lee Williams, C. P. Trumbull and Marvin McGuire rushed boats from an adjoining lake to aid in the search. One member of the party came to Las Vegas for help, the two fire departments and the Johnsen and Nolan ambulance responding. After several hours' search, the body was discovered on the bottom of the lake in about 12 feet of water approximately 150 yards from shore.
Searchlights from the fire trucks were used to locate the body. Several members of the rescue parties endeavored to find the body by diving and bringing it to the surface, but were not successful.
Included in the party at the clubhouse besides the deceased and Mr. And Mrs. Olson were: Mr. and Mrs Frank Condon, Margaret Carvill, Mr and Mrs. Eddie Groth, Mr. and Mrs Luther Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Curry, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hill, Mr. and Mrs. John Miller and Dr. and Mrs. James Purcell.
McLaughlin, formerly clerk at the Meadows Hotel, had been employed as bookkeeper for the Johnsen Furniture company for the past 18 months. He came to Las Vegas six years ago from Waukon, Iowa, his birthplace. He was 26 years old. He is survived by his father, John McLaughlin, of Waukon; two sisters, Mrs. Olson and Mrs. Earl Hill, of Las Vegas; three brothers, Donald McLaughlin, Chicago, James McLaughlin, of Minneapolis and Ralph McLaughlin of Waukon.
Rosary services were held at 7:30 o'clock Thursday night at the Johnsen Memorial Mortuary. The body will be sent to Waukon, leaving here tonight at 7:15 o'clock. The deceased was a member of the Immaculate Conception congregation and of the Knights of Columbus."
Waukon Republican Standard, 7/5/1933 - contributed by Kathy Maurer
UNION PRAIRIE YOUNG MAN DROWNED AT LAS VEGAS, N.M. - John McLaughlin, Union Prairie township, received the sad news last week of the accidental drowning of his son Bertram at Las Vegas, New Mexico. Deceased was a twin and was born in Union Prairie township on July 18, 1906, his (twin) sister Marie having been laid to rest nine years ago on July 4. He graduated from the Waukon high school in 1924, and attended Columbia college at Dubuque for a year. Five years ago last January he went to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where his two sisters reside and secured the position of bookkeeper for a furniture firm. A farewell party was being held for his sister, Mrs. William Olson and family who were moving from Las Vegas, and during the evening Bert slipped away for a swim unbeknown to anyone. Later he was missed and a search instituted and his clothes found on the bank. He had evidently been taken with the cramps which caused his untimely death. Besides his father he is survived by three brothers and two sisters, namely: Donald, Chicago; James, Minneapolis; Ralph at home; Mrs. Wm. Olson and Mrs. Earl Hill of Las Vegas, all of whom were present at the last sad rites and have the sympathy of all in their great sorrow. The body was brought to Waukon Sunday and taken to the home of his aunt, Mrs. Wm. Collins of Union Prairie township, where many friends of the family called to pay their last respects to a fine young man. Funeral services were held Monday morning at St. Mary's Church, Hanover. A requiem mass was celebrated by the pastor Rev. P. Reynolds, assisted by Rev. C. C. Drummy of Waukon. The former also preached the sermon and spoke words of consolation to the bereaved ones. Burial was in the cemetery beside the remains of his twin sister and mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Mary O'Meara, daughter of Dennis O'Meara, of Hanover township.
Waukon paper, 8/1933 - contributed by Kathy Maurer
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Youth Drowns While Bathing in Local Lake
John Bertrand McLaughlin Victim of Icy Waters of La Jara LakeThe cold water of one of the La Jara club lakes northeast of here last night took the life of John Bertrand McLaughlin, Las Vegas youth who was attending a farewell party at the clubhouse near the lakes. A coroner's jury this afternoon will determine cause of death.
The youth, accompanied by a friend and eight other couples, went to the club last night for a farewell party tendered his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Olson, who were to move to Silver City tomorrow to make their home. The party was dancing and about 10 o'clock Mr. McLaughlin went to the lake, unaccompanied, to swim. He stripped and jumped into the lake and about 10 minutes after 10 o'clock Luther Ramsey, Olson and Earl Hill, the latter two men brothers-in-law of the youth, heard him cry for help. They rushed to the lake, but were unable to sight the swimmer. The lake is closed to fishing and had no boas on it. Rescue parties were quickly organized and Lee, William, C.P. Trumbull and Marvin McGuire rushed boats from an adjoining lake to the spot where the youth was believed swimming.
[illegible] were used to penetrate the water, but the body could not be found. Those attending the party and taking part in the rescue search included Mr. and Mrs. Frank Condon, Mr. and Mrs. Eddy Groth, Margaret [illegible], Mr. and Mrs. Charles [illegible] Mr. and Mrs. Luther Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. William Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hill, Mr. and Mrs. [illegible] and [illegible] and Mrs. Purcell.
The two Las Vegas fire departments were summoned as were the Johnson and Nolan ambulances. Firemen, equipped with grappling hooks, probed about the lake in search of the body. At daylight, about 4:25 o'clock, Frank Howe sighted the body and Pablo Lopez, using a hook pushed the body to the [illegible].
McLaughlin had been employed as [illegible] at the Johnsen Furniture store here for the last 18 months and previously was employed at the Meadows hotel. He came to Las Vegas in 1928 from his home at Waukon, Ia., where he was born July 20, 1906. He is survived by a father, John McLaughlin, Waukon, Ia., two sisters, Mrs. William Olson and Mrs. Earl Hill of Las Vegas, three brothers James McLaughlin, Minneapolis, Ralph McLaughin, Waukon, and Donald McLaughlin, Chicago. The body will be sent to Waukon, Ia., tomorrow night for burial there. Rosary services will be conducted at 7:30 o'clock tonight at the Johnsen Memorial Mortuary.
~source: Las Vegas Daily Optic, (Las Vegas, New Mexico) June 29, 1933
~note: 'Woodmansee' records the burial of John Bertram McLaughlin (7/20/1906-6/29/1933) in St. Mary's cemetery Hanover.
Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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