Aikens, Mrs. Doug and children d. 1896

AIKENS

Posted By: volunteer
Date: 12/15/2006 at 12:47:38

Newton (IA) Journal
Wednesday, May 27, 1896

JASPER COUNTY’S CALAMITY
A Terrific Cyclone
21 People Killed
LIST OF THE KILLED

The list of the dead from the storm at Valeria and vicinity, Sunday night, May 24th, are as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Phalen, and their five children, Charlie, Mike, Susie, Mollie and Dan.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bailey, and three children of a brother of his, living in Colfax.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Boelenburg and their adopted child, eight years old.

Lucretia Whitney and Martha Dickey, sisters of Solomon Dickey.

The wife, son Charlie and another child of Mr. Doug Aikens.

Grandmother Shell, mother of Mrs. William Osborne.

It is a singular fact that in this county, there are but few persons who were slightly hurt in the storm. Those who were injured at all were either fatally so, or killed outright.
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Notes picked up yesterday.

The funeral of Charles Phelan and his five children was held at the home of Daniel Phelan, one-half mile west of Valeria yesterday, at 10 o’clock, conducted by Rev. Father Quinn. The attendance was very large. It seemed that all those who could in any way get there, were there to pay their last respects to these people who had so suddenly been called into the other world. And to see the six caskets lying side by side,was a very sad and painful sight. And then as the funeral procession started to the Holy Cross cemetery, where burial took place, led by five hearses, and followed by a procession of carriages a quarter of a mile in length, the scene is not easily forgotten.

The remains of Martha Dicky and Lucretia Whitney and little Charles Aikens were, buried at McKeevers’ Cemetery Monday. No funeral service was held, owing to the bodies being in such a mangled conditions as to not permit of them being kept.

The funeral of Grandmother Shell was held at Greencastle yesterday, at 10 o’clock a. m. conducted by Rev. Lampman of the Methodist church, and the burial took place at Greencastle cemetery.

Up to six o’clock last evening, none of those who received injuries had died, but Mrs. Charles Phelan and son Willie, Doug. Aikens wife, and child Solomon Dickey, wife and daughter, all were in dangerous condition, with slight chances for their recovery. The rest of those injured are improving and, it is thought, will recover.