JAQUES, Agnes 1888 - 1947

JAQUES, MACNIEL, HURLEY, KINNEY, WITTY

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 7/6/2025 at 17:05:28

"The Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune"
Muscatine, IA
Friday, August 8, 1947
Front Page, Columns 1 and 2

Mrs. JAQUES Drowns When Boat Upsets in River Here; Husband Saved From Water

A ride in a new boat ended Thursday night in death by drowning for Mrs. Agnes JAQUES, 50, of 601 East Fifth street, and in a narrow escape from a similar fate for her husband, Charles JAQUES, 48, when their craft overturned in the Mississippi river a short distance below the grain elevators.

Bill Jordan, 811 West Front street, a commercial fisherman, heard Mr. JAQUES' cries for help and was the first to reach the couple in his shelling boat. He said he found Mrs. JAQUES beneath the overturned boat. Charles W .Reifert (sic), 1102 Oregon street, arrived at the scene a short time later and took Mrs. JAQUES in his boat to the foot of Iowa avenue where efforts of the Muscatine Emergency and Rescue unit to revive the woman were futile.

Says Wife Stood in Boat

Mr. JAQUES, who was found to be unharmed, said that the couple had been out for a ride in the boat which he had just recently purchased. He recalled that the boat overturned as Mrs. JAQUES stood up in the craft.

Earlier in the evening the craft, a 14-foot plywood boat equipped with a five horse power outboard motor, had been seen near Dam. No. 16 and witnesses near the Power Boat club said they saw it go down stream later with Mrs. JAQUES piloting the craft.

Reifert, who brought the woman from the scene of the accident to the foot of Iowa avenue, said he first noticed the craft while he and Alton Frye, 1026 Kansas street, were coming upstream from South Muscatine. Upon his arrival at the Power Boat club house, he received the word of the overturned boat and returned with Frye to the scene. He said on his arrival Mr. Jordan had been able to tie the overturned craft to his shell boat and pull the couple from the water. Ray Woolsey and Paul Meerdink of the Muscatine Emergency and Rescue unit employed the resuscitator in a fruitless effort to revive Mrs. JAQUES.

No Inquest Scheduled

Dr. C. P. Phillips, Muscatine county coroner, who with County Attorney A. Wayne Eckhartd, made a thorough investigation of the tragedy, announced this morning that drowning was definitely the cause of death and no inquest would be held.

The boat in which the couple was riding when the mishap occurred broke loose as rescuers were transferring Mrs. JAQUES into Reifert's 17-foot steel inboard craft, and was not located until early today. Dan Nichols, state conservation officer, returned the missing boat to the Power Boat club house at 9:30 a.m. today. He said workers at the pipe line crossing just below Muscatine found the overturned craft when they came to work this morning.

Born at Keokuk

Mrs. JAQUES was the daughter of William and Hannah MACNEIL HURLEY and was born March 9, 1897, at Keokuk, Ia. She had lived in Muscatine for the past two years. Prior to coming here she made her home at Muskegan, Mich. She married Charles JAQUES in 1941 in Kahoka, Mo.

Surviving are the husband; one step-son, Jerry JAQUES of Denver, colo.; one step daughter, Betty Lou JAQUES, East Moline, Ill; one brother, John J. KINNEY, Davenport; and a sister, Mrs. Riley WITTY, Los Angeles, Calif. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.

Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the George M. Wittich Funeral home with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Hannon, pastor of St. Mathias church, in charge. Immediately after the rites the body will be taken to the Joskins Funeral home at Fairfield, Ia., and services will be held there at 3:30 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. Father Thoman in charge. Burial wil be at Fairfield.

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"The Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune"
Muscatine, IA
Saturday, August 9, 1947
Page 2, Column 7

MRS. AGNES JAQUES.

Funeral services for Mrs. Agnes JAQUES, 601 East Fifth street, who drowned in the Mississippi river here Thursday night, were conducted at the George M. Wittich Funeral home at 9 a.m. today by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. W. L. Hanon of St. Mathias church. Mrs. Goerge Holliday was at the organ.

Following the service the body was taken to Fairfield where services will be held at 3:30 p.m., Sunday with the Rev. Father Thoman in charge. Interment will be in the Fairfield cemetery.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot SDof01-009. Husband Charles died in 1971 and was buried with her. There is a discrepancy with regard to her birthdate, in that her Social Security record and Death Certificate both give a birthdate of March 9, 1888. Her gravestone indicates a birth year of 1897.

Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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