ECKART, Harold died 1897

ECKART, BORMAN

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 11/13/2012 at 17:54:52

From the Guttenberg Press we learn the sad news of the drowning of Harold, the two year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Eckart, which occurred last week Thursday evening. About seven o'clock that evening the father of the drowned child started up the river. Harold, his mother, grandmother and several others were on the river bank at the time and saw the skiff start off; after which the little boy and his mother returned to the house, just across the street from the river, but the others remained on the river bank.

Mrs. Eckart stepped into the back yard and when she returned a moment later the boy was gone, and all the enquiries a fond mother could make failed to find him. The mother from the first feared that the child had fallen into the river, but in view of the fact that so many people were along the river front and no one saw him go down the bank toward the river, it was at first thought impossible that he could have gone there; but after looking every place the child could possibly be in town, preparations were made to drag the river.

About 10:30 o'clock the body was found near the bank in about three feet of water. During all this time the father was absent, but returned about the time the body was found and was nearly crazed with grief on learing the fate of his loved one. Mrs. Eckart has always had a fear that the child would be drowned and exercised diligent care, and how the child slipped away from her and eluded the vision of the many people on the river bank will always be a mystery.

Little Harold was two years old, a bright healthy child, full of life and it seemed indeed sad that he should come to such an untimely death. The bereft parents who spent the first year of their married life in this city, have the sympathy of this community.

~Arlington News, July 29, 1897
~Note: burial is in the Guttenberg City cemetery, as are his parents John P. Eckart & Linnie K. Borman