Hiram Lucas 1874-1903

LUCAS

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/22/2010 at 09:17:07

Met A Sudden Death

Word was received here Saturday of the sudden death of Hiram Lucas at his home in northwestern Minnesota. None of the particulars of his death are known, except that he was killed in a well. The remains will be brought to this city, and it is expected they will arrive at 3 o’clock this afternoon. If they do arrive this afternoon the funeral will be held from the Free Baptist church tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise the funeral will be postponed until a later date.

Hiram Lucas was a brother of John and Walter Lucas of this city, and well known to the people of Estherville, where he lived until about two years ago. He was about 27 years old, and unmarried. He was a member of Emmet lodge No. 758, A.O.U.W., and carried an insurance policy for $2,000, his mother being the beneficiary. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, April 13, 1903)

Hiram Lucas Killed

Hiram Lucas, well known in Estherville, lost his life in a well he was helping repair at Frazee, in Otter Tail county, Minnesota, last Saturday [April 11, 1903]. Hiram was assisting his bother Dan with the well. They had curbed up the well for about eighteen feet to keep it from caving in, and when sinking the curbing it dropped down too far and left the upper part of the well without any support, and this part caved in on the unfortunate young man and buried him three feet deep. In fifteen minutes a large crowd had gathered at the well, but it was at least two hours before the body was recovered, and of course life was extinct. The remains were brought back to Estherville by Mr. and Ms. Dan Lucas on Monday, and the funeral was held at the Free Baptist church yesterday afternoon, Rev. Church preaching the sermon.

Hiram Lucas was born [ November 4, 1874] on the old Lucas farm north of town, on the ne1/4 of section 20. He was 28 years old last November, and was a hard-working, honest young man. He leaves a widowed mother, five brothers, (Silas, Charley, John, Walter, and Dan) and six sisters who are Betsy, Caroline, Minerva, Emma, Elvira and Eliza. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, April 15, 1903)

Remains Laid At Rest
Funeral of Hiram Lucas is Held Yesterday Afternoon

The remains of Hiram Lucas arrived home Monday afternoon and the funeral was held yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Free Baptist church, the funeral sermon being preached by Rev. Mr. Church. The Woodmen had charge of the funeral, and the pall bearers were among their number, being S. H. Fritz, O. E. Kochler, Oscar Robbins, Charles Wiltsie, R. J. Stephens and Charles Bemis. The interment was in Oak Hill cemetery.

Mr. Lucas was engaged in helping to take a curbing out of an old well when the accident happened. The well was about eighteen feet deep. The curbing gave way about half way up. His brother, Dan Lucas, called out to him to catch the rope, but before he could get the words out of his mouth the unfortunate man was covered with sand and dirt, and before he could be extricated he had suffocated.

This paper was mistaken in its issue of Monday when it said he belonged to the Workmen. He was a member of the Woodmen order, in which he carried insurance to the amount of $2,000. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, April 15, 1903)