Glen Holmes 1883-1899

HOLMES

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 10/2/2001 at 08:49:46

Last Friday evening, while returning from the county fair, Glen Holmes, the sixteen-year-old son of John Allen Holmes, who lives seven miles northeast of Bonaparte, was accidentally killed on the evening fair excursion train at Coppers Creek, two and a half miles west of Bentonsport.

He and his cousin and another boy were riding on the blind baggage and young Holmes struck out his head just as the train reached the bridge at a rapid rate of speed. The other boys saw him struck by the ironwork of the bridge and knocked off, but they were too frightened to give the alarm to the train crew and the train reached Bentonsport before anybody knew of the accident.

A party of citizens went back to the bridge on a handcar and found the body half an hour after the accident. There was still some life in it, but the skull was crushed at the back of the head, there was a big wound in the forehead in a large cut under the chin. The boy died a few minutes after 7 o'clock and the body was taken to the home of his grandfather, Ezekial Brown, at Bentonsport, where Justice N. G. Brown held an inquest in the absence of Coroner Somnors, of Milton. The verdict followed the facts given above.

Funeral services were held at Harrisburg Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Paul McBeth, of Hillsboro, after which a large concourse of sorrowing friends followed the remains of the unfortunate lad to their last resting place in the Vale cemetery.

[Glenn Holmes, a son of John A. and Ollie Holmes, was born at Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, May 7th, 1883, and departed this life August 25th, 1899.

Death, sudden and terrible when he snatches to his bosom any loved one, is much more so when the victim selected is a noble young man. Fair and amicable, the center of a circle of admiring friends in his life was bound up in happiness of many others. He leaves to mourn his loss a loving father, foster-mother and and affectionate sister and a circle of loving relatives and friends. His mother preceded him to the better land just nine years and two days. The funeral occurred in Harrisburg August 27, 1899.

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Source: Entler Scrapbook Collection, vol 4, Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City, IA