Nanon Dawson 1901-1915

DAWSON

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:28

February 11, 1915 - The Clinton Advertiser page 3

The remains of Nanon Dawson will be brought to Clinton on the I & I at noon Saturday. The funeral will be held from the home of Con Tussing, 321 Fourth avenue, it was announced this afternoon. Howard Dawson, father of the dead girl, is expected to arrive this afternoon to make arrangements for the funeral. These will be announced tomorrow.

Nanon Dawson, the thirteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dawson, formerly of this city, died Wednesday night at St. Luke's hospital, in Davenport, from injuries received in a coasting accident.

A sled on which Nanon, her little sister Onolee, and two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Wickleman were coasting down the Fulton street hill, went under a Mount Ida car. Nanon succeeded in throwing her younger sister from the sled. She received only slight injuries. The other members of the party escaped injury.

Terribly wounded, the girl was rescued from beneath the car, and conveyed to St. Luke's hospital, where she died during the night.

Nanon was born in Clinton in 1901, and lived here until a few months ago when her parents moved to Davenport. Her father had charge of a department of the McClelland company in that city.

The funeral arrangements were not announced today.

The Davenport Democrat prints the following story of the sad accident in the down-river city:

"Uncle Bert, please don't let them move this car."

"Papa, I tried to save the other children."

"Della, you and Eleanor go home. You mamma will be worried."

Pinioned under the massive steel truck and cruel wheels of a Mt. Ida street car, with her warm life blood ebbing away and her little form mangled in a shocking degree, the above were the heroic words addressed by 13-year-old Nanon Dawson to her uncle, A. F. Dawson, president of the First National bank, and her father, M. H. Dawson, general manager of the T. W. McClelland company, and to her cousin, Della Wickelman. The child is now at St. Luke's hospital in a critical condition, the left leg being so badly mangled that it was necessary to amputate it near the hip.

The coasting accident in which the child was so seriously injured was one of the most pathetic in the history of Davenport. It occurred at 8 o'clock last evening at the intersection of Fulton avenue and Jersey Ridge road in East Davenport.

The Dawson children, Nanon, aged 13 years, and Onalee, aged 8 years, are bright and interesting daughters of Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Dawson, 2407 Fulton avenue, McClelland heights. The family recently moved to this city from Clinton.

Last evening two cousins of the Dawson children, Della and Eleanor Wickelman, 1613 Iowa street, were visiting at the Dawson home. At 8 o'clock they started for home and the Dawson children volunteered to accompany them to the car two blocks distant. There is a steep hill intervening between the Dawson home and the car tracks and securing their large sled, the Dawson children and their cousins all loaded themselves thereon and started down the hill. Nanon Dawson sat on the front of the sled to do the steering. In her lap she held her cousin, Della Wickelman, in the center was Eleanor Wickelman and in the rear Onalee Dawson.

As they reached the bottom of the hill at Mt. Ida street car made the turn at Fulton avenue and Jersey Ridge road. The Wickelman children, evidently realizing their danger, threw themselves off the sled before it struck the car. They escaped uninjured.

But the Dawson children were not so fortunate. Both went under the car. Onalee, the younger, cleared the tracks and aside from being severely cut and bruised, escaped injury. Nanon was caught by one of the wheels and pinioned fast to the rails after being dragged a distance of several feet. It was impossible to extricate her from her terrible position. The wheel had cut deep into the flesh and it was impossible to move the car without further endangering the little one's life. An automobile was dispatched to the street car barn a mile distant and a "jack" brought to the scene of the accident. With the aid of the tool the car was raised from the track and the little form of the child removed. It required at least 25 minutes from the time of the accident until it was possible to extricate the child. In the meantime Dr. Donahue had arrived on the scene and the ambulance was in waiting. The little patient, still conscious, was taken to St. Juke's hospital. Not once did the child utter an outcry and it was only after the anaesthetics had been administered, that she lost consciousness. The leg was found to be so severely mangled that amputation was necessary just below the hip. The amputation was performed by Drs. Allen, Donahue and Schroeder. Although the child's condition is critical, yet hopes are being entertained for her recovery.

The little patient lost considerable blood and the body was thoroughly chilled during the terrible ordeal through which it passed. Her grit and heroism were marvelous. Soon after the father arrived upon the scene he missed the Wickleman children, and fearing they too might have been injured, asked his daughter where they were. "I told them to go right home as their mamma would miss them and they did" responded the girl. This is but one of the several instances showing her great presence of mind even when facing death.

Onalee, the 8-year-old sister, was taken to the home, two blocks distant, where Dr. Haller attended to her injuries. Both little girls were students at Pierce school.

February 12, 1915 - The Clinton Advertiser page 3

The funeral of the late Nanon Dawson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dawson, formerly of this city, will be held from the Con Tussing residence at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, it was announced today.

The remains of the little girl, who died from the effects of injuries received in a coasting accident, will arrive in Clinton at 1:04 o'clock Saturday afternoon from Davenport, via the I & I interurban. The body will be taken directly to the Tussing home. Rev. H. J. Rendall, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, will officiate at the funeral service.

Interment will follow in Springdale cemetery.

February 13, 1915 - The Clinton Advertiser page 6

The funeral of little Nanon Dawson--the thirteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dawson of Davenport, was held this afternoon from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Con Hussing, 321 Fourth avenue.

The funeral party arrived on the I & I interurban from Davenport at one o'clock. The body was taken immediately to the Tussing home, where a simple and impressive requiem service was conducted by Rev. H. J. Dendall, minister of the First Presbyterian church.

Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, their daughter Onolee, and several relatives formed the funeral party from Davenport. Many friends followed the remains to their last resting place in Springdale after the service at the home.

Nanon Dawson was injured in a coasting accident on the Fulton street hill in Davenport this week. After throwing her little sister from the sled, she plunged under the wheels of a car, and one of her limbs was so badly mangled that her death followed. She was a bright, popular little girl, who had made her home in Clinton most of her life, going to Davenport with her parents a few months ago when Mr. Dawson accepted a position there as head of a department for the McClelland company.