Gilbert, Fred 1878 - 1896

GILBERT

Posted By: volunteer
Date: 12/13/2006 at 21:38:07

Newton (IA) Journal
Wednesday, September 9, 1896

Skunk River’s last victim

Fred, the eighteen-year-old son of W. H. Gilbert, living three miles northeast of Prairie City, was drowned at Hickory Bend, last Wednesday afternoon, at 4:30. He was one of a picnic party that had gone for an outing for the day and he and a companion named Ward went in bathing. While swimming across the river he quickly sank in sight of a number of people. The river was dragged and the body recovered about 8 o’clock. The deceased was a young man of exemplary habits and would have entered the junior class of the Prairie City high school last Monday, had he lived. It was a tragic and quick ending of a bright young life.