Six Are Drowned Near Green Island

KEENEY, CHREST

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/15/2007 at 15:58:21

Six Are Drowned Near Green Island Sunday.
Mass Funeral Held For Five Keeney Victims.
Relatives, friends and neighbors-estimated to approach 1,000-sorrowfully gathered at Salem Lutheran Church in Andrew to pay last respects to five of six drowning victims, among them three Andrew children-sons of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Keeney.
Mass funeral services for the three Keeney brothers, Ronald, 13, Milton, 10, and Donald, 8 and for Harlan Keeney, 30, and his 9 year old son, Gayle, solemly took place at 2:00 P.M., Wednesday as an impressive climax to a holiday family reunion that ended in grim tragedy.
The five, along with Mabel Chrest, 30, of Davenport, met death Sunday afternoon when a fishing boat capsized on the Mississippi River near Green Island. Five other members of the fishing party were saved.
Survivors were Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Keeney, parents of the three drowned boys; Mrs. Harlan Keeney, Davenport, wife and mother of two of the victims, her son Byron, Jr.; and Carroll Goetz, 24, Davenport.
Occupants of the 14 foot vessel became panicy as water started coming into the boat when an outboard motor started. Sheriff Lorin C. Felderman reported the boat capsized hurling all eleven into six and one-half feet of water.
Some of the survivors were reported to have clung to the boat for an hour before other fisherman and Green Island townspeople rescued them. Bodies of the victims were recovered by a party of Green Island men. All were taken from water six to six and one-half feet in depth. Harlan Keeney, born in Bellevue was a Davenport welder. His widow is the former Maxine Henry of Bellevue. He was a cousin of Raymond Keeney. He, his wife, youngsters, Goetz and Mabel Chrest, had come to spend the weekend with relatives. Harlan is survived by his wife, a son Byron, 14; a daughter, Janice; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Byron Keeney, and a brother, Delbert.
The three Keeney youngsters are survived by their parents, four sisters, Jeanette, Joyce, Vona and Lois; one brother, Reynold and their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Keeney of Andrew.
Funeral services for Mabel Chrest were held at 3:30 P.M., Thursday, in the Preston Lutheran Church. Burial was made in the Preston Cemetery.
She is survived by her father, August Chrest, Rock Island, Illinois; two sisters, Mrs. Viola Norvelle , Rock Island; and Mrs. Helen Vrbicke of Cedar Rapids, and a brother in Portland, Oregon. (Maquoketa Community Press, June 2, 1949.)