Hannah Ruckman

RUCKMAN, TETER, WALKER

Posted By: Susan Ruckman Eggert (email)
Date: 1/25/2022 at 11:57:48

KNOXVILLE JOURNAL, KNOXVILLE, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1878
---DEATH BY LIGHTNING---
A little daughter of Mr. E.B. Ruckman in Union township, 12 years of age was instantly killed by lightening last Saturday evening. She and her sister 13 1/2 years old, were out in the pasture, a half mile from home, to drive up the cows, between 6 and 7 o'clock. A dark cloud was passing over, but not a drop of rain fell. there was just one clap of thunder heard. this was preceded by a discharge of electricity from the cloud, which proved fatal to one of the little girls and knocked down and stunned the other who soon recovered and found her own clothes and those of her sister on fire. She extinguished the flames once, then both took fire again and again she put out the flames. She tried to awaken her sister, thinking her asleep, and that she herself just been awakened; did not know what had occurred. Then she started homeward but turning found the dead sister's clothes burning and a third time extinguished the fire. She then hastened home and reported to the family when several persons returned with her and carried the body to the house. A dark line across the forehead and a slight burn on the neck were the only marks left on the body by the fatal fluid. One-half of each of the shoes was torn off as smoothly as if cut off by a knife--one of those singular freaks of electricity. The burial took place Sunday afternoon. Mr Ruckman is a well-known citizen and owner of one of the largest farms in the county. The family have the utmost sympathy of the community.