Severt Rierson 1895-1939

RIERSON, THORESON

Posted By: Cathy Joynt Labath (email)
Date: 3/30/2007 at 15:27:33

The Ruthven Free Press
Ruthven, Palo Alto, Iowa
Wednesday, July 12, 1939

S. RIERSON KILLED
AUTO HITS BRIDGE
Local Implement Dealer Fatally Hurt and T.A. McAdam Injured Saturday

Severt Rierson, Ruthven Implement dealer, was fatally injured at about 1 o'clock last Saturday morning when his automobile crashed into a concrete bridge abutment on highway 18, about 3 1/2 miles east of Emmetsburg. Accompanied by T.A. McAdam, proprietor of a dry cleaning shop and Hamburger shop in Ruthven, the two had left Ruthven at about 7:30 Friday evening to go to Mason City to get some farm machinery repairs for the Rierson Implement company. On the return trip, east of Emmetsburg, they were blinded by the bright lights of an on-coming automobile and failed to see a concrete bridge until their car crashed into it.

The automobile struck the north abutment of the concrete bridge a few inches to the left of the front wheel, and it almost demolished the car. The right front wheel was jammed around the steering wheel, the motor was pushed back into the driver's compartment and the frame of the car was twisted out of shape. The car caught on fire, but the blaze was extinguished by the use of a fire extinguisher from a truck that was passing at the time. The wrecked car was a new Oldsmobile coupe that the deceased had purchased less than three months ago. Parties who gathered at the scene of the accident pulled the wrecked car to the west side of the concrete bridge, and in so doing turned it around as though it had been headed east. This gave rise to many conflicting stories concerning the crash. Saturday morning Art Simonson of Ruthven was called to bring the wrecked car to Ruthven, and he arrived at the scene at about 7 o'clock that morning.

Mr. Rierson suffered a crushed chest, broken leg, back injury and internal injuries in the crash. Mr. McAdam received two jaw fractures, a gash on his chin, a wound on this tongue, and several teeth were broken off.

Severt Rierson, son of Thomas H. and Karren J. Rierson, was born at Graettinger, Iowa, October 30, 1895 and passed away July 8, 1939, at about 10 o'clock at the Emmetsburg hospital where he had been taken following the accident.

In 1900 he moved to Bowbells, North Dakota with his parents who settled on a farm near that town. Here he grew to manhood, and in 1817 [sic] he enlisted in the U.S. army and saw active service on the battlefields of France. He took part in four important battles of the last year of the World war and was wounded by shrapnell in the battle of Argonne Forest.

Upon being honorably discharged from the army at the close of the World war he came to Ruthven and was associated with his brothers, Halver and Thomas, in farming in Lost Island township.

In 1935, he established an implement store at Graettinger and about a year later he sold out his implement business at Graettinger and became associated with his brothers, Albert and Hendrick, in the implement business in Ruthven and continued in business here until his death.

The deceased was not married and lived alone in a house that belonged to his parents in the northeast part of Ruthven.

The deceased is survived by six brothers, Halver, Thomas, Carl, Raymond, Albert and Hendrick; and one sister, Mrs. Porter Thoreson. He is also survived by three nieces and one nephew. His father, who was one of the early settlers of Lost Island township, passed away in 1934. His mother passed away in 1930.

Funeral services were held in Ruthven at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Porter Thoreson, on Monday afternoon at 1:30 and at the Lutheran church in Lost Island township at 2 o'clock. Rev. M. Marndsager of Graettinger and Rev. T.G. Wicks of Ruthven, officiated at the home and at the church.

Business places in Ruthven remained closed during the funeral services and neither the home nor the church could accommodate the crowds that gathered to pay their last respects to the deceased, who met so untimely a death.

The pallbearers were Arthur King, Nels Nelson, L.M. Hadley, Oliver Lee, Ed Cook and Joe Nyborg.

Burial took place in the Lost Island township cemetery.

The Lightle Funeral Home of Ruthven had charge of the funeral arrangements.

Mr. Rierson was a member of the Lost Island Lutheran church. He was honest and dependable, and well liked by everyone who knew him. While death came to him suddenly and unexpectedly in the prime of his life, he leaves the memory of one who lived an honorable and exemplary life.