Christopherson, Esther 1896 - 1913

CHRISTOPHERSON

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 6/17/2013 at 13:43:00

Postville Review, Friday, 24 Oct. 1913. Taken from the Waukon Journal.

Miss Esther Christopherson, a 17 year old girl and motherless, died at the Waukon Hospital last Thursday as a result of fearful burns received two weeks previous at the Ole Johnson farm in Hanover township. She had been presented with a celluloid comb and it being too small someone told her that if she heated it it could be stretched, meaning that it should be put in hot water. The girl undertook to heat it over a lamp when it caught fire. She tried to smother the fire with her clothing which also took fire and before it could be extinguished she was fearfully burned about the lower limbs and body. We glean from the Waukon Journal.

Note that the submitter is not related.

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Added by Joy Moore on 8/24/2020:

Source: Cresco Plain Dealer Oct. 31, 1913, P-2, C-2

Miss Esther Christopherson died at the local hospital Thursday night where she had been brought several days pre­viously to be treated for severe burns received a couple of weeks ago, and which refused to heal.

The deceased, who was about 17 years old, was working in the Ole Johnson home; down in the Ferris mill neighbor­hood in Hanover township, when the accident occurred. She had been presented with a celluloid comb. It was too small and some one told her that if she heated it it could be stretched, mean­ing that it should be put in hot water. The girl undertook to heat it over a
lamp when it caught fire. She tried to smother the fire with her clothing which also took fire and before it could be extinguished she received severe burns on the lower limbs and body.

The dead girl had no immediate rela­tives in the neighborhood, the mother being dead and the father living at De­corah. The funeral was held yester­day, the services and burial being at the Iowa River Norwegian church.— Waukon Journal.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows she was born July 14, 1896 and died Oct. 16, 1913. She is buried in Iowa River Cemetery.