Yeast, Rachel 1833 - 1908

YEAST, ENGLE, HURLEY

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:24

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Feb. 11, 1908, FP, C6

Family Burned to Death.
The saddest calamity that has befallen this community for years occurred Tuesday night about 8 miles west of Harmony, Minnesota, when the residence of Thomas Yeast was entirely consumed by fire and Mrs. Racheal Yeast, age 75, her daughter Orissa Engle, husband C. W. Engle and baby perished in the flames. The Preston Times prints the story of Mr. Yeast who escaped with severe burns, as follows:
“The house, a story and a half affair was occupied by the two families, the old people sleeping down stairs, Mr. Engle had one room upstairs (The room through which the stove pipe passed) and his wife and baby occupied an adjoining room. It is supposed that the fire started from the chimney and fanned by high wind which was blowing, gained rapid headway before Mr. Engle was awakened. He must have become bewildered for instead of looking to his wife and baby, he rushed through the flames to the old people below and shouted that the house was burning down, begged to have someone throw something over him to put out the flames, Mr. Yeast promptly threw a quilt over him and made for a window, which he broke out, and called to his wife and Charley to follow him. Instead Mrs. Yeast started for the door saying just as he leaped through the window, “I am going after Rissa and the baby.” The last seen of Mr. Engle was when he fell or threw himself onto the bed just vacated by Mrs. Yeast. The latter barefooted and only clad in his under clothing, made several attempts to call the ones left behind but finally gave it up and hurried through the snow to the home of his son-in-law, Jesse Hurley, some 40 rods distant to summon assistance. A general alarm was sounded over the telephone line and neighbors and friends rushed to the scene but could do nothing. As we go to press, the skulls and some bones of the unfortunate ones have been removed from the ruins.”

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows her first name spelled Rachel and that she was born in 1833. It also shows her date of death as Feb. 4; however, for the Engle family it shows date of death as Feb. 5. They are all buried in Waukokee Cemetery in Waukokee, MN.