Nelson, Harriett Mae 1887-1960

NELSON, CAMPBELL, ANDERSON

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 6/20/2017 at 17:35:28

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
July 14, 1960

IDENTIFY WOMAN'S BODY FOUND IN
ARBOR LAKE AS HARRIETT M. NELSON

Mystery continues to surround the circumstances of death of a 73-year-old Grinnell woman. Harriett Mae Nelson, 615 Broad St., whose body was discovered late Wednesday afternoon partially submerged in Arbor Lake.

Investigation of the death is now being conducted by Police Chief Earl Brown and a special agent of the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Body of the dead woman was first discovered at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as Mrs. John Large and her two small daughters were walking along the east shore line of the lake. They saw what appeared to be the back and shoulders of a person in the water about 150 feet south of the bridge and 30 from the east bank.

They then went to the nearby Bert Phipps residence and the two women returned for another look. Still being unable to decide, they then called the Grinnell Police department.

Police and firemen were immediately dispatched to the scene and Fireman Ed Taylor retrieved the body. It was in about three to five feet of water and, according to the report of Coroner Rex Bramer, had been in the water since sometime between 10 a.m. and noon that same day.

Since the woman had not been seen in or near the lake area that day, local police quickly sealed off the area near the drowning site and called the Iowa BCI in Des Moines. An agent from that department arrived in Grinnell around 7 p.m.

INDENTIFICATION DIFFICULT

The body carried no identifying papers when retrieved from the lake and the investigating officers had considerable difficulty making positive identification. Not until around 8 p.m. was identification positively made as Harriett Mae Nelson of Grinnell.

Taking part in the Wednesday night retrieval and/or investigation operations were members of the Grinnell Police and Fire departments, the Sheriff's office, State Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the county Coroner.

Miss Nelson, a lifelong resident of Grinnell, was born Feb. 13th, 1887, in Grinnell. She was the daughter of Samuel and Annie Campbell Nelson, and received her education in the Grinnell schools.

She had worked as a retail saleslady in Grinnell for many years and had worked in her father's dry goods and grocery store when he was in business here. She attended the First Baptist church and belonged to the Baptist Church Guild.

Her only survivors are a niece, Mrs. Mary Ann Anderson of Englewood, Colo.; and a sister-in-law, Mrs. Ada Nelson of Grinnell. Miss Nelson was preceded in death by her parents in 1931; her brother, William, in November of 1953; and a sister, Grace in July, 1954.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. C.E. Kingsley, pastor of the First Baptist church, officiating. Burial will be in Hazelwood cemetery.