Lieb, Vincent 1895-1919

LIEB, SPEILMAN

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/24/2023 at 10:56:56

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
Friday, September 12, 1919

MEETS TRAGIC FATE.
VINCENT LIEB IS DROWNED IN THE WILLOW CREEK.
FOUND PINNED UNDER HIS CAR.
Young Man Was Out in the Pasture in an Automobile Searching for a Stray, When Car Topples into the Stream.

Vincent Lieb, a young farmer living five miles east of town, met with a fatal accident yesterday morning being smothered in three feet of water and mud in the Willow Creek, when his car went down the bank, turned over and caught him underneath.

Vincent went out early in the morning after breakfast to find a stray calf. He took his automobile to drive around the pasture. Later in the forenoon his mother wondering why he was gone so long went out to look for him and in the distance saw the overturned car. She quickly notified another son, Fred, who was plowing at a neighboring farm and help was summoned. When the relatives saw the overturned car they did not realize that Vincent was underneath and thought he had left the spot and gone.

From indications it appeared that young Lieb had driven along the bank of the creek looking for the calf and had driven over the bank into the stream. His body was lying face downwards in the mud and the car on top of him was lying on its side.

The water in the creek at the spot was about knee high. Nothing was found the matter with the car so the theory that something went wrong wrong with the steering apparatus was negatived.

The supposition that the young Lieb was looking over the cornfield and did not notice he was so near the bank of the creek when the fatal crash came. It is thought that the car toppled over twice.

Coroner Barnett, of Merrill, was notified but no inquest was held as the tragedy was evidently the result of the accident. No bones in the body were broken and the coroner decided that death was due to drowning.

The mother and brothers and sisters are prostrated by the shock. Vincent Lieb has just recently returned from service in the army in France and he and his brother, Fred, were planning on getting another farm in the spring and operating on a big scale.

Vincent Lieb was about 24 years of age and lived most of his life here. His father, Louis Lieb, died two years ago. He lived and worked on the farm with his mother and the family and was a young man of sterling qualities and a congenial favorite.

His death is mourned by his mother, Mrs. L. Lieb, and his brothers and sisters, who are, Louis and Adel Lieb, of Anthon, Mrs. John Smid and Miss Florence Lieb, of Breda, Ia., Fred, Dorothy and Lawrence living on the home farm.

The deceased young man was a member of Trinity Council, Knights of Columbus.

The funeral arrangements had not been completed last evening.