Josephine (Lear) SCHURMANN

LEAR, SCHURMANN, BERKLAND, WILLIAMSON, HOUSE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:43

Josephine Lear Schurmann
18 January 1881 --- 18 August 1914

Last Saturday fire totally destroyed the home of William Schurmann in the east part of town and caused the most untimely death of Mr. Schurmann's wife and three-months-old baby. Never before in the life of the city has such a terrible accident happened to shock the inhabitants. While preparing the mid-day meal on a coal oil stove, Mrs. Schurmann, in some manner, entirely a mystery, turned the fire out and the explosion followed which ended in the destruction of herself and the baby and burned the house to the ground. The alarm spread quickly and hundreds of willing hands were ready to lend assistance. The injured were taken to the city hospital where every effort was made to save the lives of the two unfortunate victims, but both succumbed to their injuries.

Accompanied by the bereaved husband and other relatives, the remains were shipped on the midnight train Wednesday night to Eagle Grove, Iowa, where interment is to be made next Sunday after other services to be held at her girlhood home.

Josphine Lear was born in Haugesund, Norway, Jan. 18, 1881, and died August 18, 1914. At the age of one year, with her parents she came to America and settled at Eagle Grove, Iowa, where she spent her girlhood days, coming to Montana ten years ago, most of which time she spent in the immediate vicinity. On the 16th of November 1911, she was married to William Schurmann in Big Sandy, Mont.

Her life has been a very happy one, being of cheerful disposition and content with her lot, making every effort possible to provide for the future with her husband. When the baby came to them last May, life's joys to here were complete, being wrapped up in the little one and always looking after its needs. When she was told the little babe was dead she said, "It is good, for he will not suffer more." And such is the only true mother love. While still thinking she would recover and knowing that her life must be spent without the baby, she was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the babe and alleviate its suffering.

During her residence in this community she has made a host of friends who have remained so through all the years and when the time came for her to leave this earthly life, amid all the suffering and pain, she was continually cheered on by these friends of every day.

The Mountaineer --- Big Sandy, Montana
20 August 1914

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MOTHER AND BABE DIED OF BURNS
Mrs. William Schurmann and Babe Buried Here Last Saturday
BURNED BY KEROSENE STOVE
Residence Also Burned—Remains Shipped Here for Burial

The remains of Mrs. William Schurmann and three months old baby arrived here from Big Sandy, Montana, last Friday, and were buried on Saturday in Rose Hill cemetery, beside those of her parents. Mrs. Schurmann came to her death by the explosion of a kerosene stove. A sister resides near Vincent, and she was also a cousin of Hans Berkland.

A newspaper published at Big Sandy, contains the following account of the sad accident:
At a trifle after 11 o'clock on Saturday, while preparing the mid-day meal which she had been cooking on a coal oil stove, Mrs. Schurmann, in some manner, entirely a mystery, turned the fire out which was followed by the explosion which ended in the destruction of herself and baby, and the burning of the house to the ground.

The stove was one of the wick burning variety of oil cookers, and had been used but a short time this summer during the extreme hot weather. After turning the fire out on one of the burners Mrs. Schurmann stated, a veritable sheet of fire surged forth from the explosion of collected gas that had accumulated from the stove and ignited her clothing, besides setting the building on fire. After the explosion, Mrs. Schurmann remembered nothing, having fallen through the door onto the porch. The alarm spread very quickly and in a very short time hundreds of willing hands were ready to lend assistance and finding that the little babe was in the front room, several different ones made an attempt to rescue it, only to be driven back by the smoke and flames, one of the members of the volunteer party finally making a successful trip to the baby and brought it out of the burning building. The first thought was for the injured and they were hurriedly given medical attention and finally taken to the city hospital. where every effort was made to save the lives of the two unfortunate victims, but both succumbed to their injuries, the baby passing away Monday morning at 2 o'clock and the mother answering the call of death Tuesday afternoon.

The little babe while badly burned about the face and body was not thought to be as serious as the mother, but the few minutes it was compelled to inhale the gas and fumes of the fire was too much for its little lungs and this is thought to have caused its untimely death.

Mrs. Schurmann was very badly burned over the entire body having come in contact with the flames when the explosion occurred, and every portion of her body was frightfully burned.

Lying aide by side in the casket, sleeping the sleep from which none ever awaken, the bodies of Mrs. Schurmann and her baby boy were taken to the opera house Wednesday evening where funeral services were conducted by the Rev. A. Lunde, pastor of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Great Falls, of which she was a member. A large attendance of the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Schurmann were present at the services to pay their last respects to the departed.

Those of the relatives present at the bedside of Mrs. Schurmann before her death and who attended the funeral were William A. Schurmann, the husband and father, Oliver Lear, Mrs. Frank Schurmann, Miss Carry Schurmann, William Williamson and family. A brother, Henry Lear, being somewhere in the west, could not be located. Mrs. House and Miss Selma Lear were ready to start for Big Sandy, the former from her home in Iowa and the latter from St. Paul, but were wired to the effect that relatives would be started east with the remains of Mrs. Schurmann and the babe late Wednesday night.

Accompanied by the bereaved husband and others of the relatives, the remains were shipped on the midnight train Wednesday night to Eagle Grove.

Josephine Lear was born in Haugesund, Norway, January 18, 1881, and died August 18, 1914. At the age of one year, with her parents, she came to America and settled at Eagle Grove, Iowa, where she spent her girlhood days, coming to Montana ten years ago, most of which time she spent in the immediate vicinity. On the 16th of November, 1911, she was married to William Schurmann in Big Sandy.

Times Gazette -- Eagle Grove, Iowa
August 26, 1914