Oliver F. Arrasmith (1870 - 1894)

ARRASMITH

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 6/2/2008 at 23:29:42

Sad Ending of a Young Life.
Mr O. F. Arrasmith of this county, came to a premature death at his home in LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa, Nov. 14 by a gun shot wound inflicted by his own hand. It is not known whether the gun was accidentally discharged or whether it was fired with suicidal intent. The circumstances and the location of the wound led his friends to conclude that is was purely accidental. He had gone upstairs to pack his trunk preparatory to removing to Meridan, Cherokee County, where he had quite recently embarked in business. It is quite probable that he was in the act of packing the gun when it was discharged. He was a poor health and very much discouraged at the time and it may be that this unbalanced his mind and caused him to put an end to his troubles in this manner. This is the only thing that caused his friends to suspicion that it might possibly have been done intentionally.
Frank was a hard working, industrious young man, worm hearted and highly esteemed by his friends. He was born in Story County, Iowa, Jan. 25, 1870. Lived on the farm with his parents until he was seventeen years of age, when he moved to LeMars and made his home with his brother, W. H. Arrasmith, where he resided to the day of his death. His body was brought home for burial. Services were conducted in the Pleasant Grove M. E. Church, nine miles northeast of Ames, Friday, Nov. 16, at 2 p. m. The Arrasmith family is one of the prominent families of Story County having a wide acquaintance and a large circle of admiring friends. The news of this death was a great shock to the community in which Frank formerly resided, but of course, the blow falls most heavily upon his aged mother, who has the unbounded sympathy of all. The funeral was largely attended, the house being packed to its utmost capacity, thus attesting the high esteem in which the deceased was held and expressing the hertfelt sympathy of the community with the bereaved family.

--from a local paper