Moore, Mable (Schoonmaker) -- 1888 - 1943

SCHOONMAKER, MOORE, BORSETH, SNYDER, MEEKER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 6/17/2004 at 19:50:39

BLAST TEARS HOME APART, KILLS MOORE & BORSETH
 
    
BLAST TEARS HOME APART; WOMAN DIES

DECORAH -- Mrs. Mabel Moore, Frankville, died at 3:15 Friday morning in the Decorah hospital from complications on [of] severe burns she had received Thursday when a wood stove in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Melvin Borseth of Frankville, exploded.

Mrs. Borseth and her sister, Carol Moore, who were in the room at the time of the explosion, were both seriously burned. Mrs. Borseth's condition was reported critical. Lyle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Borseth, received burns about his face and neck but was not seriously injured. All three are now in the Decorah hospital.

The explosion apparently occurred after coal was added to the fire. Its force broke all of the windows in the house. Fire scattered from the stove by the explosion burned the house to the ground.

Mr. Borseth, who was outside at the time of the explosion, ran into the house and rescued his wife, her mother and their two children.

No funeral arrangements have been made for Mrs. Mabel Moore.

Second newspaper article:
MRS. BORSETH SECOND VICTIM OF EXPLOSION

DECORAH, (AP) -- Mrs. Melvin Borseth, 25, died Thursday, the second victim of a farm fire which also took the life of her mother, Mrs. Mabel Moore, 55.

Mrs. Moore died early Thursday morning.

A wood stove exploded in the living room of their home near Frankville, throwing flames about the room. The fire destroyed the home.

Borseth, who was outside and broke a window to rescue his wife, was badly burned on the face.

Services For Accident Victims

Funeral services were held at Centennial church Sunday for Mrs. Melvin Borseth and her mother, Mrs. Mabel Moore, who died from burns suffered when a stove exploded in their home Thursday morning. Rev. Wilton Sinning had charge of the services and Betty Kneeskern and Virgean Letchford sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Going Down the Valley."

Mrs. Borseth and Mrs. Moore passed away Friday morning at Decorah hospital where Lyle Borseth and Carol Moore remain in a critical condition from burns received in the fire which destroyed their farm home on the old Nels Schoonmaker place located west of Frankville.

Mrs. Moore was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Schoonmaker. She was born near Castalia and was married to George F. Moore at Prairie du Chien, Wis., October 8, 1907. He died in 1938. Her surviving children are Ralph, Max and Carol Moore and Mrs. Lillian Snyder. She also is survived by a brother, Ezra Schoonmaker of Wisconsin, and two sisters, Mrs. Elmer Meeker, of Marshalltown, and Della Schoonmaker.

Mrs. Borseth was the third child of the Moores. She was married to Melvin Borseth on November 26, 1936. In addition to her husband, brothers and sisters, she is survived by a son, Lyle.

Ezra Schoonmaker came from Wisconsin to attend the funeral.

Among those from this vicinity who attended the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hager, Mrs. Elmer Hager, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Birdsell, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Birdsell, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Brandt and Marian Brandt.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated Jan. 1943, from my mother's obituary collection.

Submitter is not related -- posted for benefit of others.