De Vries, Jake abt 1903-1926

DEVRIES

Posted By: Mary Lou Verburg (email)
Date: 6/27/2014 at 10:41:47

Losing his life in attempt to rescue a teacher and 24 children from a marooned school building six miles west of Sioux Center, Ia, Jake De Vries, 23 year old son of H. R. De Vries of Alcester, S.D. is reckoned as one of the heroes of the recent flood disaster. His funeral at the Lebanon Church, four miles east of Hudson, S.D. was one of the largest ever held in that territory.

Young De Vries, who worked on the farm of John Hamerbolts, six miles west of Sioux Center, started out late Friday afternoon in a wagon across a 50-yard stretch of foaming water which separated the farm from the school-house where the teacher and children were imprisoned by the rapidly rising flood. A short distance from the goal, his wagon and team were washed from the road by the current. The body of Mr. De Vries was found several yards below the spot where he was last seen while the wagon box later was found two miles east of Hawarden. No other attempts were made to reach the school building, which was high enough to be safe from the flood waters, and the teacher and children were forced to remain in the building that night.

Mr. De Vries, who was born in Harlem, Holland, had been in this country since 1915, during which time he had studied in schools here and became Americanized. He is survived by a family of brothers and sisters beside his parents in Alcester, S.D.

Source: Sioux City Journal Sept. 23, 1926