Dennis Keith 1956-1958

KEITH, GOODALE

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 20:55:34

11 September 1958 - The Tipton Conservative

A search by nearly 1,000 persons came to a tragic conclusion Monday morning when the body of Dennis Keith, 2, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Keith of West Liberty, was found in the Cedar river, south of Atalissa.

The child had wandered away from his parent's cabin shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday. A search was organized about 3:30 p.m. Sunday after his parents found that he had not accompanied an older brother to a neighboring cabin as they had believed.

Bloodhounds brought from Mt. Pleasant to assist searchers returned repeatedly to the river bank, indicating that the Keith boy had fallen into the river.

Dragging operations by the Muscatine emergency rescue unit were called off at darkness and were resumed at daybreak Monday.

The body was recovered by Walter Ryder, a lieutenant with the Muscatine rescue unit, and Wayne Wachs and Harold Larson, both of West Liberty, while dragging the river from a boat.

The boy's body was entangled in some brush in the river about 10 feet off shore, about 1,000 feet from the Keith cabin.

An estimated 1,000 volunteers took part in the effort Sunday night and Monday morning, combing woods and fields throughout a mile-square area adjacent to the Keith's riverbank cabin.

Mrs. Keith said that Dennis had been sitting on her lap about 2:10 p.m. Sunday when he went with a brother, David, 3, out of doors.

The older boy went to a cabin about 100 yards away. It was soon after 3 p.m. when the parents learned that Dennis was not with him. After a brief preliminary search failed to locate the boy, the sheriff was called and the intensive hunt began.

The Keiths' cabin is one of several located on the river bank near the Ray Oepping farm, south of Atalissa. The family often spent weekends at the cabin.

Dennis was born Aug. 23, 1956. The family includes a younger brother, Tommie, 7 months, as well as David and the parents.

Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. William Keith of West Liberty, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Goodale of Atalissa.

Funeral services were Tuesday at West Liberty, with the Rev. Louis P. Penningroth of Iowa City officiating. Burial was in Oakridge cemetery at West Liberty.