Shefloe, Simon/Silas 1893 - 1911

SHEFLOE

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/8/2023 at 15:42:56

Source: Decorah Republican May 18, 1911 P2 C5

STUDENT DROWNED.
Simon Shefloe Meets Death in the River While Swimming.
Simon Sjefloe, a student at Luther College, was drowned in the Upper Iowa river while swimming at Tavener’s dam between seven and eight o’clock Monday evening. He had been busy all the afternoon after school hours helping in the preparation of the coming holiday, the 17th of May. Immediately after supper, together with a number of students, they went to the river and immediately plunged in. They were having a merry time when Shefloe was either taken with cramps or became frightened and with a cry sank beneath the water. When he reappeared two of his comrades went to his rescue and tried their utmost to save him, but his struggles were so violent that they became exhausted and had to leave him to save themselves. One of them Shefloe grasped very tightly and together they sank but his friend finally managed to get loose and was barely able to get to shore. A hurry-up call was sent to Drs. Jewell and Stabo and they hurried to the scene, but it was fully fifty-five minutes before the body was recovered. Respiration was partly restored but it was impossible to get the blood into circulation. The tongue was doubled up in the mouth tightly and apparently there was no water in the lungs, indicating that he died from strangulation.
Young Shefloe lived with his parents near Glenwood, Minnesota, and is a grandson of Bard Shefloe of this city. This sad calamity has cast gloom over the college as a whole, as he was a most popular young man, and coming on the eve of a national holiday towards which the college has been looking forward with great anticipation, the deeper is the feeling. Services were held in the chapel at 7 p. m. Tuesday and with the Luther College Concert Band at the head the students marched as funeral escort to the Milwaukee depot where the remains were shipped to his home. It is one of the most solemn, impressive occasions ever seen in Decorah, as the band, over sixty strong came down Water street playing a dirge, followed by a hearse, after which came the students and faculty bare headed. The streets were lined with people and a very large concourse had gathered at the depot. As the cortege came slowly down the men along the walk almost with one accord lifted their hats in respect to the departed and sorrowing friends.
Sunday a young man who could not swim was at the upper Bernatz dam and slipped into the water, but fortunately help was at hand and he was pulled out, thus averting another tragedy.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows that the grandson of Bard Shefloe who died in 1911 was Silas. He was born Feb. 1893 and died May 15, 1911. He is buried in the Land Cemetery in Hoffman, MN