Johnson, Thorwald Ross 1882-1903

JOHNSON

Posted By: Howard
Date: 4/11/2016 at 16:55:54

A Sad Casualty
Another household in Hampton has been plunged into mourning and the deepest distress by the accidental death of a son. Thorwald Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson, residing on West Fourth street, was drowned in Pickeral Lake, near St. Paul, last Sunday evening.

He had gone out from Minneapolis to Sunday with a friend, the son of railroad Commissioner Staples, and towards evening the young men went with to other young men to bathe, Johnson was floating on his back, when he suddenly sank without warning, and all the efforts of his comrades to rescue him were in vain. In about two hours afterwards the body was recovered with grappling hooks.

Walter Krag , who had been a student with Thorwald, went up the same evening, or early the next morning, and returned with the body at 1:00 o'clock yesterday morning. And the funeral services were held yesterday afternoon, a short service being held at the home by Rev. Mr. Tower, from which the sad procession winded its way to the Danish church in Hamilton township, where the funeral sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev. Skovland, and the burial was made beside the grave of his brother, who it will be remembered, lost his life in an accident at the Iowa central depot here about ten years ago.

There were as many of his classmates in attendance as could be there, and the floral offerings were numerous and beautiful. As especially worthy of mention were magnificent pieces from his fraternity society at the university, and also from the nurses at St. Lukes hospital, where he was temporarily engaged during his vacation.

Thorwald Ross Johnson was born on his father's farm in Reeve township, April 13, 1882. In 1898, he graduated from the Hampton high school, and while he was the youngest member of the class, and perhaps the youngest pupil who ever graduated from our high school, he was equal in scholarship to the best of his class.

From here he went to State University of Minnesota, graduating there from with distinguished honor last year, and immediately entered the medical department of the university, where he pursued his studies with such diligence and assiduity that he had not even taken the customary vacation. He gave every promise of a bright and useful future, and his untimely taking off has cast a gloom over the entire community within the circle of his acquaintance. The blow to his grief stricken parents is made still more grievous, from the fact that this is the second son that has been taken from them by accidental death.

Their eldest son, John Johnson, who resides in Chicago, was home to the funeral services and burial of his brother.

Franklin County Recorder July 15, 1903