Gargas, William 1931-1946

GARGAS, REICH, ERLANSON, FERGUSON, MOONEY, BOYD

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 4/29/2005 at 07:22:51

Colfax Jul 1946
WILLIAM GARGAS, 15, DROWNS WHILE ON VACATION IN IDAHO
Gargas, William

No Details Of The Accident Are Yet Available: Funeral Friday Morning.

A Colfax boy, William Gargas, 15, was drowned in a mountain stream, Monday, near Boise, Idaho, according to word received here Monday evening by his father, John Gargas, north of Colfax.

William, with his mother, Mrs. John Gargas and sister Miss Doris, had gone to Idaho for a vacation trip at the homes of two of Mrs. Gargas' brothers, about ten days ago.

Details of the tragedy had not been received here at time of going to press.

William completed his sophomore year in the Colfax high school this spring and would have been a junior at the opening of school this fall. He attended the Methodist church and Sunday school and was popular among his associates.

He was born and raised on the farm north of Colfax and is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Gargas, one sister, Miss Doris and grandmother, Mrs. Martin Gargas, other relatives and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be held Friday morning at 9 o'clock at the Cutter- Hartnett-Bumgardner Chapel with the Rev. Paul Potter officiating. Interment will be in the Colfax Cemetery.

Originally submitted on Tue Jul 16 21:06:19 2002

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Bill R. Gargas, 15, who was drowned July 14 near Boise, Idaho, as announced in these columns last week, was making an effort to save his sister, Doris, from drowning when the accident occurred.
Mrs. Gargas, daughter Doris and son Bill had gone to Idaho to visit with relatives and were at the time visiting in the home of her brother, Harry Reich at Cascade, Idaho, about 60 miles north of Boise.
A family gathering had been planned and relatives were present from various points in Idaho and Oregon and other states and all had gone to the mountain stream to spend the day. The younger folks, with bathing suits on, had been wading in the stream and playing in the sand and on the beach. Doris Gargas had been sitting on the sandy beach and when she got up to walk away the entire ground under her suddenly went down into the stream. She called for help and her brother, Bill, was the first to go in the stream after her. He was immediately pulled down by the swift current and out of sight. Others rushing to their aid saved Doris, but no trace of Bill could be found.

The grounds being near a main highway, state police were notified. Divers were secured, pulmotors were on hand, grappling hooks used in every known effort was made to locate the body. The accident happened at about 4:30 in the afternoon and the men worked most of the night but to no avail.

Finally an uncle of Bills’, who was in the Seabees during the war, conceived and made an instrument that made it possible for them to look to the bottom of the stream and 21 hours after the accident, the body was located back under a large rock not far from where he was first submerged. Doris and Mrs. Gargas were under the doctors care for two days after the tragedy.

Harry Reich of cascade, Idaho a brother of Mrs. Gargas, an uncle of Doris, accompanied them and the body to Colfax.

Others from a distance coming for the funeral at Colfax were Mr. and Mrs. Art Reich and Lillian Reich of Paris, Tenn., Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Ferguson and children of Carson, N. Dak., Frank Gargas, Youngstown, Ohio and Harry Gargas of Lockwood, Ohio.

Bill R. Gargas, only son of John and Ella Gargas was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on the 10th day of August in the year 1930 and passed from us on Sunday, July 14, 1946 while seeking to bring his sister, Doris to safety while swimming in a mountain stream near Boise, Idaho.

Bill made his home with his parents in Des Moines, moving with the family to the farm northwest of Colfax, at the age of five years. He later enrolled in the Plummer Grove school northwest of Colfax, and therein graduated from the eighth grade. He attended the Colfax high school and this past school term completed his sophomore year. He was president of his sophomore class and was known for his leadership in the class.

He was interested in athletics and manifested his interest in a quiet yet dependable manner. His kindly, thoughtful devotion to his family and his friends endeared him as a blessing to all who knew him. Bill was a member of the Methodist High School Fellowship group and was among those who willingly made sacrifices of time for such interests.

He leaves to hold the memory of his life and his eternal youthfulness in their hearts his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John Gargas; his sister, Mrs. Doris Gargas; his grandmother, Mrs. Josephine Gargas all of Colfax; his uncles and aunts Mrs. Lillian Reich of Paris Tennessee, Ms. and Gargas of Des Moines, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Reich of Paris Tennessee; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gargas of Newton Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Erlanson of Des Moines Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Ferguson of Carson North Dakota; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mooney of Bismarck, North Dakota; Mr. and Mrs. William Boyd of Long Beach, California; Mr. and Mrs. Award Reich of Hyattsville Maryland; Mrs. Mary Gargas of Oakland California; Mr. and Mrs. ; Mr. and Mrs. Tom McGovern of New York City, New York; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gargas of Lockwood Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gargas of Youngstown, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Reich of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gargas of Waterloo, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. William Reich of free water, Oregon, Ms. Mrs. Harry Reich of Boise, Idaho; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reich of Boise, Idaho; Mr. and Mrs. William Gargas of Des Moines, Iowa. Besides these there remain 26 cousins and multitude of other relatives and friends who will miss his presence among us.

The Comforting
I would not have you back on earth,
Your body racked with pain-
I know that longing for your mirth-
Your comradeship, is vain.
And yet, as I sit wondering,
As night is merged with day
It seems your spirit comes to bring
The words you cannot say.
Margaret H. Bruner

Funeral services were conducted July 19th from the Colfax Methodist Church with Rev. Paul Potter officiating.

Music was furnished by Mrs. Mary Woods, Miss Mable Kaldenberg with Miss Eleanor Howell, accompanist.

Pall bearers were Donald Deskin, Ralph Bond, Clifford Lewis, Floyd Tiffany, Albert Carlson and Gordon Shissler.

Flower committee – Mrs. Vera Owens, Miss Joan Coppicus and Miss Patsy Owens.

Burial was had in the Colfax cemetery.

Note of Appreciation

To the many friends who have extended their sympathy during our bereavement, we wish to express our deepest gratitude. Your kindness shown through floral tributes, gifts, cards and words of consolation have been comforting and will always be remembered.

Mrs. and Mrs. John Gargas and Doris, Mrs. Josephine
Gargas and family.

Thursday, July 25, 1956, name of paper not listed.