Kale, Charles 1891-1903

KALE

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 7/21/2009 at 20:40:42

LeMars Sentinel
June 23, 1903

DROWNED IN THE FLOYD.
Charles Kale, a Twelve Year Old Lad, Meets an Untimely Fate

A sad tragedy was enacted on the Floyd River on Friday afternoon, when
Charles Kale, the twelve year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Math Kale, met an
untimely death by drowning. The first news of the fatality was brought to
LeMars about five o'clock in the afternoon when Burt Rollinger, a little boy
of ten years old, ran uptown panting and breathless and told Mr. Kale and
others of the sad accident. Mr. Kale and a large crowd of people hurried at
once to the river.

The accident occurred at a point about a mile and a half from town, at a
bend in the river, some forty rods south of the third bridge on the Omaha
railroad. Young Kale in company with Burt Rollinger and a younger brother of
the latter, Pete, a boy of seven years old, went up the river in the
afternoon about two o'clock with the intention of "going swimming" although
none of them it developed could swim. Near the place where the drowning
occurred is a sand bar and the boys played around there and finally
concluded to doff their clothes and go in the water. Peter Hoffman, an old
gentleman, who boards at Wilmes', was up the river fishing. The boys told
him they were going into the water and he says he cautioned them to be
careful and told them the water was very cold.

The boys went into the water and played in the sand, and Charley Kale
finally went in to wash off the sand off him before going home. He went in
with a plunge and got out of his depth evidently into a deep hole. He
struggled and cried for help and Mr. Hoffman, who is 83 years of age, did
his best to save him, wading into the water up to his neck and trying
valiantly to assist the drowning boy reaching out a long stick in the hopes
the boy in the water could seize it. The last time the boy came up he was
out of reach of the stick and with another struggle sunk below the surface.

The body was not recovered until nine o'clock in the evening just as the
grief stricken father and the large crowd assembled had begun to think the
body would not be recovered, at least that night. Men and boys lent their
aid during the evening and continual attempts were made by different people
to reach the body by diving. A couple of boats were put in requisition and
the occupants with long rakes carefully searched the river bed in and around
the spot where the unfortunate boy was last seen. An anxious crowd watched
the proceedings from the banks. Rakes and seins were used and four charges
of dynamite were exploded during the evening, but without avail. About nine
o'clock young "Butch" Hillery, who had made repeated efforts to find the
body by diving, located it in a hole about thirteen feet deep, nearly in the
middle of the stream. He touched the corpse but being of light and small
build had not strength to bring the body up to the surface. Earl Henny, one
of the linemen of the Telephone company, then dived down and brought up the
body which was hauled into a boat and brought to the bank. The father's
grief was pitiful to witness, as the strong men tenderly lifted their
lifeless burden from the boat, and brought it to shore. The body was
conveyed to the undertaking rooms of Peters & Wiltgen, where it was prepared
for burial, before it was taken to the home. The bereaved parents and
brothers were overwhelmed with grief at the sudden taking away of the
darling and pet of the household.

Charley was the youngest of the family and a fine, healthy, stout built boy,
full of life and energy. He would have been twelve years old on Saturday.
Friday was the first day of vacation for the St. Joseph's school children
and the boy, a little while before the accident, was saying what a good time
he was going to have for the next three months. The family have the sympathy
of the community who deplore the tragic circumstances of their bereavement.

The funeral was held at St. Joseph's church in this city yesterday morning
at half past nine o'clock and was largely attended by sorrowing relatives
and sympathizing friends.

The children of the St. Joseph's school which Charles Kale attended followed
the remains of their dead playmate to the church and grave in a body. A
number of relatives and friends of the family from Remsen, Merrill and the
country attended the funeral.
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LeMars Globe-Post
June 23, 1903

FUNERAL OF CHARLEY KALE.
The funeral of Charley Kale was held on Monday morning, and St. Joseph’s church was filled to overflowing by the friends of the family, who thus attested their desire to share the overpowering sorrow which had fallen with crushing weight upon the stricken family. From early Saturday morning until the remains were taken to their last resting place on Monday morning, scores on scores of friends sought the stricken family to express their keenest sorrow over the death which had so suddenly plunged them in anguish and as they gazed upon the face of the bright boy who, but a short time before was filled with the happiness of youth, they could not realize that he was dead.

The room where the remains lay in the home was a bower of flowers which were sent in by friends of the family, by classmates and schoolmates until the little form was buried beneath blossoms which sent forth the sweetest perfumes, indicative of purity of the life young which had just gone out.

When the hour for the funeral arrived, the children of St. James school, the altar boys, both of which Charley was a member, and the Sisters of Charity, preceded by the crucifix, marched in a body from the church to the home, Father Feurstein and Father Schaefer marching at the end of the procession. At the home the procession passed by the house and stopped, and when the casket had been placed in the hearse, led the long procession, which was augmented at each street crossing by large numbers, back to the church.

The Pall bearers were: Leonard Hentges, John Didieder, Leo Ruck, Roy Bellaire, Frank Burg and John Thoma.

Mrs. Peter Wagner of Waterloo; and Mrs. Charles Anderson of Cherokee, sister of Mr. Kale; George Kale and family of Merrill; Mr. and Mrs. Math Wieberth of Remsen, cousins of Mr. Kale; Mrs. Madersheherd and Mrs. Arensdoffer, of Sioux City, and Mrs. Nick Gloden and daughter, Miss Theresa, of Omaha, were here to attend the funeral.