Janson, John, died 1930

JANSON

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/22/2011 at 22:14:16

JOHN JANSON DROWNED AT HALLOCK, MINN.
Father Gives His Life in Attempt to Save Son--Tragedy in Red River

John Janson, a former prominent farmer of the Sioux Center vicinity, was recently drowned in the Red river, according to an account sent The Democrat by his son Benjamin. Mr. Janson came to Iowa in the early days with his parents and settled near Soo Center, where he farmed until 1918, when he moved to Orange City. In 1922 he moved to Hallock, Minnesota, where he and his sons have been farming since.

Following a hard day's work in the harvest field, Mr. Janson and his five sons, Theodore, Lawrence, James, Jothom and Matthew went to the Red river to take a dip in the cool water. On reaching the river it was only a matter of minutes when all were in swimming and enjoying themselves, unknowing that in a few minutes the father would lose his own life in an affort to save his son's life.

Theodore had staked off a safety zone, as there is a treacherous undertow in the Red river channel which has claimed the best swimmers. James and Jotham were swimming when James got beyond the danger line and soon was struggling for help. The father immediately plunged into the stream, but the river at this place is deep, and somehow Mr. Janson was unable to resist the current and so passed on before reaching his son. Theodore, who was on the Dakota side of the river, on hearing the cry for help, swam back and rescued his brother after a terrifying struggle, with death staring him in the face at any minute. After taking James to the bank, Theodore went back to look for his father, but had to give up the search until the next morning, when a searching party with boats and drag hooks located the body in an hour's time, only a short distance from where the father was last seen to have gone down.

Mr. Janson is survived by his wife and eight children, viz. Benjamin, Theodore, Hermina, Margaret, Lawrence, James, Jotham and Matthew. All the children were at home at the time of his death except Margaret, who is at Grand Rapids, Mich. He also leaves one brother, Frederick and three sisters, Mrs. Vander Meulen, Mrs. Anna Ten Broek, and Miss Rachel Janson.

The funeral services were held Friday afternoon from the Presbyterian [line obscured] for the past six years and the remains were interred in Greenwood cemetery.

Source: Alton Democrat, August 15, 1930.

[Probably in the Minnesota Death Certificates index as John Jansen, died 6 Aug. 1930 in Kittson County; certificate # 1930-MN-006638.]