Elsa S. Priester (1896-1920)

PRIESTER

Posted By: Debra Scott Hierlmeier (email)
Date: 11/25/2008 at 15:05:14

Elsa S. Priester 1896-1920
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A Sad Accident
Passenger Train Hits Auto Driven by Fern McKinley.
Elsa Priester badly injured; passes away few hours later.

One of the saddest accidents that ever happened in this community occurred Sunday afternoon about3:30 pm when the Rock Island passenger train No 9 hit an auto driven by Fern McKinley, accompanied by his wife, and her sister, Miss Elsa Priester and Will Pope. The accident occurred at the west railroad crossing near the Seiffert Lumber company’s yard. Mr. McKinley was enroute to the south side of town driving an Oakland car, the two ladies were in the back seat.

There are three tracks on the north, the first two are side tracks and the third is the main line track. As the auto came down the hill and turned to go south across the tracks, on the first two tracks were two strings of box cars which obstructed the view of Mr. McKinley and he failed to see the approaching train on the third track. Upon seeing the train, Mr. McKinley attempted to turn his car down the track but was too close, and struck the engine near the cab steps, catching the left hand fender and turning the auto over. All attempted to jump, Mrs. McKinley and Mr. Pope jumping to the left and clearing the auto, the other two occupants were on the other side and were caught by the auto as the train turned it over to the right. Mr. McKinley was able to crawl from the wreckage three times, only to be knocked down each time as the auto turned over and over. He was badly bruised and had his back severely wrenched. Miss Priester who was also on the right hand side, was unable to get clear until someone came to her assistance, after being dragged along with the wreckage, down the track. She was picked up, bruised and bleeding profusely by kind hands, placed in an auto and taken to Dr. Spaulding’s office, where on examination it was found that her left limb was badly crushed and she was otherwise injured, all that skilled minds and loving hands could do to alleviate her suffering was done. It was decided to take Miss Elsa to Omaha to a hospital and she was taken to the home of Reno Walker, nearby, where she was made as comfortable as possible while waiting for train time. She slowly grew worse and passed away at one o’clock Monday morning.

Miss Elsa Priester was one of the sweetest and most lovable characters, one of the finest, truest girls it has been the fortune of the writer to have known.

The departed, Elsa Sophia Priester was born in Shelby county, Iowa near Avoca, July 16, 1896, and departed this life at Avoca, Iowa, Monday, September 27, 1920, aged 24 years, two months, and eleven days.

Miss Elsa was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Prieter, living just north of Avoca. She graduated from the Avoca high school in 1913 and has been teaching in the rural schools for a period of five years. At the time of her death she had just finished the first month of this year’s teaching. It is needless to say that she was a very successful and popular teacher, dearly loved by all her pupils, for she was a young lady of ability and accomplishment; her smile winning the good will and friendship of all who knew her. Miss Elsa was a dutiful and devoted daughter and sister and possessed an unusually marked love of home. Her home and those who made it home were very dear to her and her kind and sunny disposition made home a happier place for all who inhabited it. No duty, as she saw it, no sacrifice for the right seemed to great for her, if to her mind it had become necessary. She ever thought more of others than of self and her cheering words and courageous actions have brought peace into many hearts.

To think that she must be called from us in such a manner seems too terrible to comprehend, yet it is only too true. All that loving hands and skilled minds could do to alleviate her suffering and to restore her to her loved ones, was resorted to, but in vain. Death had laid claim upon her and he would not relinquish his hold.

She leaves to mourn her early loss, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Priester, three sisters; mrs. Henrietta Stender, Mrs. Alma McKinley and Miss Karla at home; also a brother, Ferdinand, Grandmother Priester and Grandmother Cordes, together with other loved relatives and closer friends are among those who so keenly feel her loss. Her pupils and the community in which she lived and moved are filled with great sorrow.

The funeral was held from the family home north of Avoca Wednesday, September 20, 1920 with Rev. O.C. Bliese of the Lutheran church officiating.

The pallbearers were Dr. R. H. Olsen, Robert True, Will Niemann, Elmer Bornholdt, Emil Petersen, and Walter Rock. The remains were laid to rest in Graceland cemetery in the family lot at Avoca.

The tenderness sympathy of everyone in the community goes out to the bereaved ones in their great sorrow.

From the Scrapbooks of Bessie Gross Gustafsen
Source: Avoca Journal Herald