Johnson, George c1878 – 1903

JOHNSON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 9/9/2018 at 13:09:32

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Sept. 22, 1903, FP, C5

George Johnson Drowned.
Sunday evening a telegram was received at Cresco sarting{sic} that George Johnson had been drowned at Worthington, Minn., that day, but giving no further particulars. Yesterday, a second telegram stated that the body was recovered about 11 o’clock Sunday night. It is conjectured that he fell out of a boat, as in correspondence with friends here he wrote of owning an interest in a boat on a lake a short distance from the town.
He has been in charge of a lumber yard in Worthington since last spring.
His father left on the early train, Monday morning, to take charge of the body which will be brought to Lime Springs for interment.

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Sept. 25, 1903, LP, C5

George Johnson Drowned.
Sunday afternoon George Johnson and Jos. Christana went to lake Ocheda, duck hunting, which terminated fatally for the first named.
While on the lake in a small flat-bottomed boat about six o’clock and opposite Wills slough, Johnson stood up in the boat and shot at a flock of ducks, As he shot he lost his balance fell out and upset the boat, throwing Christana out. They both caught hold of the boat and hung on for about 20 minutes when Johnson started to swim in an easterly direction for the shore about half a mile away. He went only about ten feet when he suddenly sank and came up three times. Christana not being a swimmer was powerless to render any assistance, and the horror of the sight of a man drowning and unable to give any aid can be better imagined than described. Christana called for help and parties who were about half a mile away came to his relief. When taken to the shore he was nearly stiff from being in cold water so long.
Why Johnson started to swim ashore is not known, as he said nothing about doing so, but simply let go the boat and made toward the shore. He was considered a good swimmer, but had on hip boots, a heavy coat, a sweater and a box of shells in his pockets, all of this naturally overloaded him, besides he was chilled from being in the cold water.
Had he clung to the boat awhile longer he would have been rescued, as there is almost daily some one huntting{sic}on this lake. Work was at once commenced to secure the body and the search was kept up until nearly twelve o’clock before it was discovered and brought to the surface. There was a large number went out from town to assist in the search and all done good work. The remains were taken to Chanery & Mackays undertaking rooms for preparation for shipment and burial.
The coroner made an examination of the body and found no water in it and decided that death was caused by heart failure. The father says that himself and wife are both subject to heart trouble and think the boy was.
Mr. Johnson’s parents live at Cresco, Iowa. His father is a contractor and builder. The Mayor of Cresco was notified by wire of the accident Sunday night.
Mr. Johnson came here about six months ago and was in the employ of the Colman Lumber Co.. He had a large number of friends here and was well liked by all who knew him and his employer. He was a faithful and steady employee. While his parents are strangers here, yet the entire community regrets the sad accident of so promising a young man and sympathize with the bereaved family in the sudden taking away of their son. —Worthington, Minn., Advance.
George Johnson was born in Lime Springs, Iowa, about twenty-five years ago and, excepting one year spent in college, resided at that place continuously until three years ago when he with his parents moved to Cresco, Iowa.
The funeral was held at the M. E. church in Lime Spring, Wednesday, Sept, 23, Rev. John Gammons, of Cresco, officiating, the remains being interred in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
A detail of eight men from Co. “E” 53rd I. N. G., of which deceased was a member, attended the funeral, giving a soldiers’ last honors at the grave.

Pleasant Hill Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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