Jansma, Frank (1885-1913) and Bert (1897-1913)

JANSMA, DEJANG

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/25/2016 at 19:19:38

From the Alton Democrat, September 27, 1913: Rock Valley news:

TRAGEDY SHOCKS ROCK VALLEY

Monday morning our citizens were shocked to learn that two young men, Frank and Bert Jansma, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jansma of this place, who were in the employ of the Milwaukee Railway Co., met with a sad and distressing accident Monday near Sanborn, that cost their lives. The facts obtained from a reliable source are as follows:

Frank and Bert, aged twenty-seven and sixteen years respectively, were working with an extra gang of men, five miles west of Sanborn. They had been home over Sunday and left early Monday morning on passenger train No. 4 for Sanborn. Immediately on their arrival they took the hand-car, which was used by the men to go to and from their work. An engine in charge of Conductor Patton, which is used as a helper, left Sanborn at 4:35 for Canton. The headlight on this particular engine carried a kerosene lamp, which according to the statement of the engineer before the coroner jury, could not throw light on the track over a distance of two car-lengths. When about two and a half miles out the engineer observed an object ahead, and immediately applied the break [i.e., brake], but could not stop in time to avert the accident. The young men were knocked from the hand-car and instantly killed, and, strange as it may seem, the hand-car remained on the track. The engine crew returned to Sanborn and reported the accident and the dead were taken to Sanborn where a coroner's jury was empaneled, an inquest was held, and the jury rendered a verdict that they came to their death by being struck by a locomotive of the Milwaukee Railway Co., attaching no blame to anyone.

The bodies were brought to Rock Valley on passenger train No. 3 and taken to their home. They were quiet and industrious boys and a great help to their parents, and Frank was a member of the Rock Valley Excelsior Band, and was held in the highest esteem by its members, who acted in the capacity of pall-bearers.

The funeral services occurred Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock at the First Reformed church, conducted by the pastor, Rev. John De Jongh, assisted by Rev. John Holwerda, of the Christian Reformed church, in the presence of a large concourse of sympathizing friends. Their bodies were laid to rest in Valley View cemetery. They leave a father and mother and three sisters to mourn their untimely death. Places of business were closed from two to four o'clock as a mark of respect. The relatives have the sympathy of the entire community in their sad affliction.

* * * * * * * * * *

They do not appear in the Sioux County Cemetery Index.

The Rock Valley Bee for this time period is missing.

(A news note about this accident in the same issue of the Alton Democrat (Sheldon news) calls them John and Carl.)

* * * * * * * * * *

"Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990" on Ancestry.com has Frank Jansma, male, single, occupation railroader, born 9 Dec 1885 in Amsterdam; and Bert Jansma, male, single, occupation railroader, born 4 Aug 1897 in Amsterdam; both with parents Andrew Jansma and Antje Dejang; both died 22 Sep 1913 in Franklin Twp., Sanborn, O'Brien County, Iowa; both buried Rock Valley.