Clarence Donald Crees 1938-1952

CREES, TRISLER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/18/2011 at 21:33:23

Donald Crees Drowns in West Des Moines
Apparently Suffered Cramps
Had Rescued Brother Earlier
By Bernice Schumacher
A 14-year-old Estherville boy drowned in the West Des Moines river yesterday afternoon after he and his younger brother became tired of fishing near the North Fourth street bridge and went swimming.

Drowning victim was Donald Crees, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Crees of North 14th street. Donald apparently suffered cramps or was swept away by the current into deeper water.

His brother Joe, 11, said that Donald had first pulled him (Joe) from the water before drowning himself, according to Mrs. Albert Kroenke who called the police department.

The two boys had left their fishing equipment, clothing and swimming trunks on a bridge pier before going into the water. Both parents of the boys were at work at the time of the tragedy.

Members of the volunteer fire department. Dr. C. Smith Kirkegaard and others at the river administered artificial respiration and oxygen through a resuscitator over an hour but were unable to revive Donald.

Mrs. Otto Swalve was visiting at the home of Mrs. Albert Kroenke near the river when her daughter, who had been playing outdoors said a “kid had fallen into the river.” Thinking the girl said “kitten”, they paid no further attention.

Shortly after that Mrs. Kroenke’s husband returned and heard Joe calling for help by the river. Kroenke ran to the river and, when the frightened boy told him his brother was in the water, summoned the police.

Police Chief Eugene Bolty and officer Ben Doughty went to the river and asked Joe where his brother was. Joe could only indicate that Donald was in the water somewhere.

Doughty dived into the river searching up and down while Bolty called the station by police radio for the fire department. In a few minutes the fire department responded and George Schryver joined the search in the water while other members of the fire department searched from shore.

The body was discovered lodged on a projecting piece of stump in water about five feet deep about 500 yards south of the bridge. Donald was taken from the water by Rex Riggs, Cliff Rauhauser and Jack Waldron. Artificial respiration was administered immediately by Francis Ellis and Schryver but the boy apparently was dead when his body was recovered. Gene Rost and Dr. C. Smith Kirkegaard operated the resuscitator.

Meanwhile the stunned mother of the boys asked for her son, Joe. George Schryver discovered him frightened and unclothed near the spot where they had been swimming.

Donald is survived by his parents, and two brothers, Purl Joe and Everett Lawrence, stationed with the armed services in North Carolina. A brother, Gary Eldon, died in infancy. Donald was born in March, 1938.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sternborg chapel, the Rev. H.J. Baker of the Free Methodist church officiating. Time of the service will be announced later. Burial will be in Eastside cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, June 12, 1952)

Funeral Held Saturday for Donald Crees
Pallbearers for the funeral Saturday of Clarence Donald Crees, who drowned in the Des Moines river here last week, were John Tibbetts, Glenn Peterson, Donny Summers, John Brunskill, Bob Lee and Lloyd Sampson.

Donald was born May 12, 1938, the son of Lawrence and Georgia Crees, near Swea City. He lived most of his life in and near Ringsted. Two and a half years ago he moved with his parents to Estherville.

Surviving his death are his parents; two brothers, A-3c Everett Crees of Camp Kilmer, N.J., and Joe at home; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Groves Crees of Osceola and Mrs. Effie Trisler of Osceola; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. An infant brother preceded him in death on June 6, 1950)