Jimmie Dale Penn (1954)

PENN, LORENTZ

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 8/7/2007 at 14:21:04

Winterset Madisonian-Winterset, Iowa
July 14, 1954; p. 1.

JIMMIE DALE PENN SLIPS INTO POOL

Winterset Water Reservoir Claims First Life in 15-Year History

Winterset's Cedar lake water reservoir claimed its first drowning victim last Thursday in the 15 years since it was built.

The victim was Jimmie Dale Penn, 8-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Penn of Winterset. The drowning actually did not occur in the lake, but in the overflow pool at the foot of the spillway.

The tragedy occurred about 8:45 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Penn and Jimmie had gone to the lake to visit Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gordon at the caretaker's cottage. While their parents were visiting, Jimmie went out to play with Dixie, the 7-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. The two children wandered down to the spillway to play.

The overflow pool is of concrete with steep concrete walls. In the recent flood a young tree had been deposited as driftwood about half-way down this concrete apron.

Dixie said that little Jimmie climbed down to where the tree was lodged and from there slipped down the steep concrete into the pool. The water was over his head and from the water line down the concrete was covered with a slick moss, preventing the boy from getting a hold. He cried out to Dixie and she called for help. The parents of the children came from the house and several men who had been fishing nearby also answered the alarm, but it was about 15 minutes before the little boy's body was found.

The fisherman Joseph Toney of Winterset finally located the body near where it went down. It was in about six feet of water.

The Winterset fire department was called and oxygen and artificial respiration were administered. But the boy did not respond, despite the fact that the firemen and three physicians worked over him for three quarters of an hour.

Jimmie Dale Penn was born in Winterset May 15, 1946 and spent all of his young life here. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Penn; a brother, Phillip Penn; a sister, Sharon Penn, both at home; and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Penn of Mt. Pleasant and Mrs. Hattie Lorentz of Winterset.

Funeral services were held Saturday from the Richards Funeral home, conducted by the Rev. Glenn Parrott of Council Bluffs, former pastor of the Winterset Methodist church. Burial was made in the Winterset cemetery.