ESKE, August 1857-1905

ESKE, MILLER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/4/2011 at 22:01:42

ITEM 1: (Story)
Source: Decorah Republican
Sept. 14, 1905 P5 C2

ESKE, AUGUST AND MARIE (Mitchell County History)

August Eske was born in Lebanon, Wisconsin on March 18, 1857. He was married to Marie Miller on January 7, 1880. Marie's parents gave them a lumber wagon and a team of horses and soon after they were married they came to Iowa with them. The couple settled on Section 5 of Mitchell Township where they farmed.

August drove a team drawn school bus for the local school children and on September 8, 1905 a tragic accident clamed his life when the outfit was struck by a train while delivering school children. The accident happened just down the road from his home.

Marie lived for several years on the farm and died August 19, 1942. Both were members of St. Johns Lutheran Church in rural Rock Township and are both buried int he cemetery there.

August and Marie had seven children: August Jr., Martha, Wilhelm, Richard, Emil, Herman and Dorothea.

[By Emily Kuntz, MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989 ]
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ITEM 2: (Story of accident)

TRAIN HIT A FARMER
AUGUST ESKE LIES AT POINT OF
DEATH FROM INJURIES
RECEIVED TODAY.

HURT AT MITCHELL, IOWA

Train in Charge of Waterlooans Hit
Wagon and Hurled Eske Many Feet

August Eske was perhaps fatally injured shortly before 8 o'clock Friday morning by being struck by an Illinois Central passenger train one mile north of Mitchell, Iowa. The train was in charge of a Waterloo crew and when they left the scene it was thought Eske could not recover.

Mr. Eske is a farmer residing near Mitchell, and this morning used a team and covered wagon to take his twelve year old son to school, a couple of miles from his home. A mile north of Mitchell Eske's rig was struck by train 404 in charge of Engineer Chevalier, Condoctor Searles and Brakeman Hefner of Waterloo. The engine struck the wagon just as the team cleared the track, and Mr. Eske was hurled twenty feet into the air. The boy saved himself by jumping.

The train was stopped and crew and passengers went to where the accident occurred. Eske was laying on his back in a pool of blood with his shoulders crushed and body badly bruised. He was placed on board the train and with his son was taken to Mitchell, where surgeons began work on the injuries. It is feared internal injuries were sustained which will produce death.

Eske has a wife and children. He was judged to be 50 or 55 years old.

The train that figured in the collision is a local passenger running on the Albert Lea branch between Albert Lea and Waterloo. The crew states that they gave warning as they approached the crossing and think Eske could have saved himself if he had jumped when his son left the wagon.

The rig was demolished, but the horses escaped injury.

[Waterloo Daily Reporter, Friday, September 8, 1905]
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ITEM 3:
(Story of death)

DIED OF HIS INJURY

COLLISION BETWEEN TRAIN AND
TEAM AT MITCHELL PROVED
FATAL TO A. ESKE

August Eske, the farmer who was struck near Mitchell by an Illinois Central passenger train Friday morning, died at 4:30 o'clock Friday afternoon. The collision between train and
team occurred one mile north, of Mitchell and the injured man was taken to that city. The examination revealed the fact that the man was severely hurt internally and two other doctors from Osage were summoned to assist in dressing the wounds.

When picked up by the Waterloo train crew Eske did not appear so badly hurt. The outward evidence showed the shoulders crashed and numerous bruises, but when the surgeons made an examination they found many of the ribs broken, with some of the protruding ends piercing the lungs and other organs. Mr. Eske suffered much. Each time he drew a breath the projecting bones would cut deeply into his lungs. The physicians worked over him for several hours, but their efforts resulted only in prolonging life. The accident occurred about 7:30 in the mornng and death ensued nine hours later.

Was Well-to-Do Farmer.

Conductor H. G. Searles. who had charge of the train that figured in the accident made inquiry at Mitchell this morning on his trip from Albert Lea to Waterloo, and ascertained that Eske was a prominent farmer residing in that vicinity and that he was well thought of in that community. He is reported to have property aggregating $15,000 and leaves a small family that will be well provide for by the estate.

[Waterloo Daily Reporter, September 9, 1905]

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Photo from MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989.

Link to Photo of Family
 

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