VerMulm, Conrad, 1927-1939

VERMULM, VANZEE, VANDERSANDEN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/24/2012 at 08:30:31

12-Year-Old Boy Drowns in Sand Pit Swimming Pool
(by Hazel Dearborn)

ROCK VALLEY. (SPECIAL): This community was shocked by the drowning of Conrad Ver Mulm, son of Mr. and Mrs. Case Ver Mulm, the County Road Superintendent, on Thursday afternoon.

The boy left home shortly after noon and went to the sandpit in the north part of Rock Valley to play. In some manner he fell from the raft and failed to appear. A diver was sent into the lake to hunt for the boy but failed to find him.

The alarm was spread by the use of the fire alarm at 3:30 p.m. and after every means had been thought of by Boy Scouts and Firemen a group of men secured a hay rake suspended on ropes and drew it through the water and upon the first pull through brought the body up shortly before 6 p.m. The rake lay at about a 40 degree angle.

Conrad Ver Mulm was born July 5, 1927 in Rock Valley and had attained the age of twelve years the day before his death as he departed from this life July 6, 1939. He attended the public school and was a member of the First Reformed Sunday school in Rev. Aberson's class.

He leaves to mourn besides his parents, four sisters, Elsie, Lena, Jeanette and Francis and two brothers, Leonard and Robert. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. Van Zee and Mrs. H. Vander Sanden, besides many other relatives.

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at 1:30 in the home and 2:00 o'clock in the First Reformed Church conducted by the Rev. H. J. Aberson. Two duet numbers, "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" and "My Jesus as Thou Wilt" were sung by Mrs. Jas. Vander Ploeg and Mrs. Frank Gunnink. Six little boys acted as pall bearers, Feynor Gunnink, Oscar Benson, Jr., Bernard Wissink, Vernon Vander Well, Peter Vande Vegte and Kenneth Bonthuis. The attendance surpassed seating capacity.

Source: Sioux Center News, July 13, 1939.

* * * * * * * * * *

An otherwise shorter obit in the Rock Valley Bee (July 14) gives additional details on the accident:

There were several other boys at the pit on a raft. The raft which usually stood near the shore was pushed into deeper water. The other boys dived off of the raft and were swimming around it when they missed Conrad. An alarm was sent in and firemen hastened to the pit as did many others.

This obit was followed by a sentimental poem in his honor.

* * * * * * * * * *

An article in the Sioux County Capital also gives other details on the accident, but the left-hand side of the column is obscured in the microfilmed newspaper. In summary: He was unable to swim; he disappeared unnoticed from the raft; his younger brother noticed his absence when ready to return home and assumed he had already left; not finding him at home he returned to the pit and discovered his clothes there.

This article also lists a surviving great grandfather, Henry Van Zee of Middleburg.