James "Jimmie" Millslagle 1945-1948

MILLSLAGLE, SWALE, MORRIS

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/16/2012 at 22:32:19

Tombstone Topples on Child’s Head
Tragedy Occurs at Arlington, Minn.
An annual family gathering ended in tragedy yesterday when a loose tombstone in the Arlington, Minn., cemetery toppled over and killed three-year-old Jimmie Millslagle of Estherville. Jimmie, one of a family party which had gone to Arlington to decorate graves, apparently jumped up on a foot-high pedestal and pulled the upper, loose part of the monument down on himself, striking the left side of his head.

In the cemetery at the time of the accident about 1:30 yesterday afternoon were the boy’s mother, Mrs. Eugene Millslagle, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Swale, and his sister, Barbara, all of Estherville. His aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Morris of Iowa Falls and their two-year-old daughter were also part of the gathering. The group had just entered the Arlington cemetery and the older persons had gone on ahead with Jimmie and the little Morris girl just behind.

According to Mr. Swale, no one actually saw the accident. They heard a thud and turned around to see the little girl standing on one side of the tipped stone and only Jimmie’s new red cowboy hat showing from under the slab. The stone, which weighed about 100 pounds, was approximately four inches thick, two feet wide and four feet high. When Swale picked him up, Jimmie was bleeding profusely and had apparently died instantly. He was taken to Arlington hospital where the cause of death was listed as skull fracture.

During the last four years the pre-memorial day decoration of graves has been the time for an annual family get-to-gether with relatives coming from Minneapolis to Arlington to meet other members of the family. It has been their custom to go from Arlington to Winthrop, about 11 miles west of Arlington to place flowers on the grave of Mrs. Swale’s father there and afterwards to enjoy a big family dinner.

Jimmie was born on January 29, 1945, in Estherville. The Millslagle family has been living with the Swale’s for several months while waiting for available living facilities in Atlantic where Mr. Millslagle is employed as a Rock Island lineman. He arrived here this morning. The boy’s death is the second major tragedy in Estherville this week. Leonard Heningsen, also three years old, was killed Monday afternoon in a traffic accident on Half Mile hill.

Survivors include his parents and two sisters, Donnabelle, 17, and Barbara, 11, Mr. and Mrs. Swale, and paternal grandparents in Kimble, Minn. Funeral services will be held at 8:30 Tuesday morning in the Catholic church. Burial will be in the Catholic cemetery.

The body was brought her to the Sternborg Funeral home last night. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, May 29, 1948)