Wilton, John Otto 1912-1930

WILTON, MONIGER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 8/25/2018 at 17:43:28

The Sioux City Journal
June 13, 1930

YOUTH DIES IN LAKE HERE
Jack Wilton Drowned After Being Stricken with Cramps

While swimming in Half Moon Lake with several companions Thursday evening, Jack Wilton, 17 years old, was stricken suddenly with cramps and was drowned. He lived at 504 South Iowa street.

Capt. George Fallon and Patrolman Arthur Mummert and Henry Schuldt dragged the lake with grappling hooks for more than two hours before they recovered the body. Several persons near the scene of the drowning dove for the body but failed to find it.

Wilton and several companions went to the lake Thursday afternoon. He attempted to swim across the lake when he was seized with cramps and began to sink, a witness of the drowning said.

As he was sinking for the second time, Wilton screamed and Violet Flick, 16 years old, 507 South Wall street, who had been standing on the shore, dove into the waters. When she reached the place where Wilton had been, the body had disappeared. He was drowned in 15 feet of water and 30 feet from shore.

Charles Wilton, a younger brother of the drowned youth, went to his brother’s assistance when he heard him scream. Discovering that his brother had disappeared from the surface, Charles ran to his brother’s car which had been parked nearby, and started for help. As he was driving along a narrow strip of road on the west side of the lake, he apparently lost control of the car and it plunged into the lake. He escaped drowning by jumping from the machine.

The body was taken to the Nelson-Berger funeral home where it is being held pending completion of funeral arrangements.
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The Sioux City Journal, Saturday, June 14, 1930

JOHN OTTO WILTON
Funeral services for John Otto Wilton, 17 years old, 504 South Iowa street, who drowned late Thursday afternoon in Half Moon Lake after being stricken with cramps, will be held at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon in the home. Rev. Lowell O. Brodie, of the Sioux City Gospel Tabernacle will officiate. Burial will be in Graceland Park cemetery under the direction of the Nelson-Berger funeral home.

Wilton was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wilton of the South Iowa street address. A younger brother, Charles Wilton, also survives him. Wilton was born in Sioux City, August 1, 1912, and had lived here all his life. He had been employed in the Armour packing plant the last two weeks.

Learning that Wilton had been drowned, Earl Guthais, 1211 Washington street, launched his rowboat and rowed it, accompanied in the boat by Policeman Schuldt, who maneuvered one end of the dragline throughout the hunt for the body.

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The Sioux City Journal, Sunday, June 15, 1930

Funeral Rites For Drowning Victim Set for Monday
Funeral rites for John Otto Wilton, 17 years old, son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wilton, 504 South Iowa street, who drowned late Thursday afternoon in Half Moon Lake, will be conducted by Rev. Lowell O. Brodie of the Gospel Tabernacle at 2 o’clock Monday.

Pallbearers will be: Dan Hoover, Clarence Flick, Robert Collins, John Myers, Paul Herman and Paul Higby.

The Wilton youth was born in Sioux City and had lived here all his life. He would have been 18 years old August 1. Thursday afternoon he went swimming in the lake in the packing house district here and was seized with cramps. Efforts of companions to save him proved futile. Police were called and aided by persons at the scene recovered the body with a dragline after a search of more than two hours.

Other survivors are: Three brothers, Raymond, Albert and Charles, and two sisters, Helen and Jessie Wilton, all of Sioux City.
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Woodbury County Courthouse - Death Certificate

John Otto Wilton
504 So. Iowa, Sioux City, IA
Male
White
Single
Born: 01 Aug 1912
Died 12 Jun 1930
Aged: 17yrs, 10mos, 11das
Laborer, Packing House
Cause of Death: Drowning, cramps-was swimming in small lake in Sioux City, Woodbury County.
Father: John W. Wilton, born Onawa, IA
Mother: Gertrude Moniger, born Redfield, SD
Informant: John Wilton, Sioux City, IA
Burial: Graceland Cemetery, Sioux City, IA