Margaret Gilman (1922)

GILMAN

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 10/4/2013 at 11:03:38

Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Wednesday, September 27, 1922

Margaret Savilla Gilman was born May 27, 1913 in Penn Township, Madison County, Iowa, and passed quietly away Wednesday evening September 20 at the age of 9 years 3 months and 21 days. She was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gilman of this neighborhood.

Margaret was an unusual child in many ways, having a bright cheery disposition she quietly won the love of all that came in touch with her, “that sweet smile” as so many have said since her going. She was one of the brightest in her class at school, and always entered into her work as well as play with that unusual spirit. She always enjoyed her Sunday School.

She leaves to mourn her going her father and mother, and three brothers, Everett, Roy and Carl, ten uncles and five aunts, and a host of friends.

Little Margaret was our darling, but to Heaven is called away, and may we from this, all take warning and prepare to meet her in realms of endless day.
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Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, September 21, 1922

FALLS TO DEATH UNDER MULES FEET

Sad Death of Nine-Year-Old Margaret Gilman Wednesday Evening; Lack of Witnesses Causes Uncertainty as to Manner of Her Death.

Margaret Gilman, aged nine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gilman residing two miles west of Earlham, was almost instantly killed at about 6:30 Wednesday evening when a team of mules hitched to a wagon ran over her, fracturing her skull. Death came in a few minutes after she was found unconscious, gasping for breath in the barn lot. Dr. Stalford was summoned quickly but could only confirm that which the parents had already sorrowfully sensed. The life of the little girl, their only daughter, which had become more priceless than all earthly possessions, had been taken away as quickly as it had been given.

The manner of Margaret’s death will never be exactly known. Her father had been at Stuart hauling wood with two teams, the team of mules being driven by the five year old boy, and coming home hitched behind the wagon driven by Mr. Gilman. Approaching the Gilman home, the wagons were met by the little Gilman girl and her friend Helen Nellis, who had come out after school to spend the night. In a spirit of play the girls climbed into the wagon box and concealed themselves so as to surprise Mrs. Gilman, who was then in the yard. Mr. Gilman drove on down to the barn a short distance to unhitch, leaving the team of mules standing. He supposed the girls were still in the wagon. Instead they got out in the gathering dusk, and from the story told by Helen Nellis, Margaret must have approached the heads of the team and either reached up to catch the check reins or jumped upon the tongue. The team plunged forward, and Margaret lost her balance and fell, being struck upon the head either by the whiffle tree, king pin, axle or the hoofs of the mules. The blow was a severe one and crushed the skull near the base of the brain and seems also to have fractured the bones of the neck. Mrs. Gilman saw the team start to run and rushing to their heads, was also thrown down and badly bruised. Mr. Gilman came up to find her prostrate on the ground, but her first thought was of Margaret, whom she seems to have known had gone under the wagon. Her body was found in the barn lot where it had fallen. The heart was still beating strongly, but respiration was unnatural and rapidly became weaker until death came. Her arm was also broken.

The team of mules is ordinarily tractable, but have a habit of becoming easily alarmed. They have been mixed up in previous runaways, one of which injured the oldest Gilman boy several years ago we are informed. They ran only a short distance to the gate and stopped.

Margaret’s death is an almost inconsolable loss to her parents and brothers, and the manner of her death makes her loss still harder to bear. She was an industrious little girl and had already made herself invaluable to her mother about the home. She ws a pupil in the third grade of the local school and her classmates, too, feel the bereavement very keenly.

Funeral services will be held at Penn Center Friday afternoon at two o’clock, conducted by the Dexter Methodist pastor, and interment will be at Stuart.

Winterset Madisonian
September 28, 1922
Pg 7
Earlham

The community was much shocked Wednesday evening, when the report of the death of nine year old Margaret Gilman was sent broadcast. In trying to unsnap the lines of a team of mules that were hitched to a wagon they became frightened and ran over the little girl, killing her almost instantly.

The funeral was held at Penn Center Friday. The parents have the sympathy of the entire community in their sorrow at the loss of their only daughter. They have three small sons who will also miss their sister. Margaret attended school in the fourth grade and will be much missed by her teacher and classmates.
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Transcriber’s note: Burial was made in the South Oak Grove cemetery, Stuart, Iowa.

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