Christine (Nelson) Watney (1873-1921)

WATNEY, NELSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 3/7/2020 at 18:59:08

From The Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, September 8, 1921.

TRAGIC DEATH OF ROLAND WOMAN

Mrs. Charles Watney Committed Suicide Monday Morning

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The coroner jury verdict is that Mrs. Charles Watney committed suicide, caused by an unbalanced mind.
J. J. Hoversten
J. T. Johnson
C. A. Fagerland
This verdict was given out Tuesday evening at the inquest held by County Coroner Keller of Huxley.

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One of the saddest deaths that it has been our duty to chronicle occurred Monday morning in the suicidal death of Mrs. Charles Watney. At eight o'clock Monday morning Mrs. Watney went to an outhouse, locked the door and set fire to her clothing and was so severely burned that she died before medical aid reached her.

Mrs. Watney has not been in very good health for several months. About six weeks ago she was taken to Hill's sanitarium at Des Moines for treatment. Here her mental faculties seemd to return to her and she had expressed her desire to go back home. On Sunday her husband went to Des Moines and brought her back with him. On her return home she was in the best of mood and seemed happy to be with her family again.

Monday morning Mr. Watney left her with their son, Earl, to take up his duties as driver for one of the school wagons. Mr. Watney ha not been gone over an hour or two when Mrs. Watney locked herself in the toilet and set fire to her clothing. Her little boy noticed the smoke issuing from the building and at once notified the neighbors that his mamma was in the building that was burning. The fire alarm was given and when the neighbors reached the scene and broke open the door Mrs. Watney's charred body met their sight.

Mrs. Watney was 48 years of age and leaves to mourn her death a husband, two children, Earl and Bessie, her father T. Nelson, two sisters and one brother.

Mrs. Watney was a woman of an affectionate disposition, loved and respected by all who knew her and her tragic death has cast a gloom over the entire community.

Funeral services took place in the Roland Cemetery.

Transcriber note: This appears to be Mrs. Christine Watney. The Story County Grave Marker Inscriptions published in 1993 shows the marker to read: Christine WATNEY 1873-1920; Charles 1867-1943. Her death year is wrong but this is likely the correct person.