Decatur County Journal
June 29, l905

WALTER JOHN, WIFE AND CHILD KILLED
LAST SATURDAY NIGHT IN STORM
NEAR PLANKINTON, S.D.
- - - - - -

Monday morning Jacob Martin received a telegram conveying the sad
intelligence that his daughter, MRS. JENNIE JOHNS, husband, WALTER, and
little son, eight months of age had been killed in a cyclone at their
home several miles south of Plankinton, South Dakota. No other
particulars were obtainable except an associated press dispatch which
stated that the storm occurred last Saturday evening during which five
lives were lost and much property destroyed. MR. and MRS. MARTIN and
their daughters, MRS. CARRIE BRUNER and MRS. CORA SELL, left on Monday
afternoon passenger to attend the funeral. After departure, a letter to
MR. and MRS. MARTIN arrived, which contained the following additional
particulars:

Plankinton, S.D., June 25, l905.

MR. and MRS. MARTIN:--I am sorry to have to write sad news to you. A
doctor took the telegram to send to you from Plankinton, but I write for
fear it may not be delivered as it should be. A cyclone struck WALTER's
residence about ll o'clock lastnight, wrecking house, barn and
everything. JENNIE is supposed to have been killed instantly. The baby
died in WALTER's arms. WALTER was pinned down by the timbers so that he
could not escape. He died Sunday morning about ll o'clock. They were
in their night clothes just ready to enter the cellar when the cyclone
carried the house away. If they had entered the cellar, they would have
been killed as it is full of rocks from the foundation.
The bodies have been embalmed and the undertaker said he would keep them
until Wednesday afternoon. Please telegraph promptly so we will know
whether you are coming. Of course we look for some of you. The funeral
will be held Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Ever your friend.
PATIE BRUNER.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MR. and MRS. JOHNS moved to South Dakota three years ago last spring and
had prospered in that country. He had a claim but was living on a
rented place at the time of his death, MR. JOHNS and MISS JENNIE MARTIN
were married August 30, l900. He was about 26 years of age and his wife
was born August l4, l88l. She was the youngest of a family of five
girls, her sisters being MRS. WILL BRUNER, MRS. CORA SELL, MRS. LOUIS
ELWELL, all of Leon and vicinity, and MRS. CHAS. BEASLEY, of Davis
City. WALTER JOHNS was the son of MR. and MRS. ED JOHNS who formerly
owned a farm several miles south of Decatur. He lived about six miles
from WALTER's and the latter's nearest neighbor was MR. BRUNER, who
lived about a mile away.

The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the bereaved
relatives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Decatur County Journal
July 6, l905

PARTICULARS OF THE DEATH OF WALTER
O. JOHNS, WIFE AND CHILD NEAR
PLANKINTON, SOUTH DAK.
- - - - -

A severe wind storm struck this city about ten o'clock Saturday night
and while it did some little damage about town, none were prepared to
meet news of death and destruction which came in from the country early
Sunday morning.

The loss of property was great, but the real sad news received was the
death of WALTER JOHNS, WIFE and ONE-YEAR-OLD BABY. The JOHNS family
resided on the old C.B. Clark farm about four miles southeast of this
city. Nothing was known of the terrible condition at their home until
next morning when neighbors missed the house and at once made haste to
render assistance. Mr. Ishum and John Martin were the first to arrive
and were horrified to find the body of MRS. JOHNS lying in the yard,
cold in death. A further search revealed MR. JOHNS in a stooping
position out upon the prairie under the floor of the house and in his
now almost lifeless arms, he grasped the dead baby. He was relieved
from his perilous position, removed to a neighbor's and a physician
summoned but the strain of the long night, exposed in the rain had been
too much for human endurance and death came to relieve his sufferings at
about eleven o'clock the same morning. The clock thrown from the
wrecked home was found with the hands pointing to l0:50, the time the
wind is supposed to have struck--what that poor man suffered from that
time until help came at seven o'clock the next morning can be better
imagined than expressed, knowing as he did that his wife must certainly
have been crushed to death and clasping the dear little one to his
breast, felt its life ebb away. MR. JOHNS was rational when found and
told of his experience during the long night, said when released that he
was about ready to give up, told about the baby dying and was not
surprised to know his wife was dead. Said he had opened the cellar door
with the baby in his arms and had started to descend when the storm
struck. MRS. JOHNS' body was found about fifty feet south of the house
while the floor under which MR. JOHNS' body was held was carried north.
The sad news was carried to MR. JOHNS' parents on the Reece Jones place
in Dudley and to his sisters. MRS. WILLIAM and MRS. PERRY BRUNER, north
and west of town, and a message sent to MRS. JOHNS' relatives in Iowa.
The JOHNS family have resided in this vicinity for about three years and
were highly spoken of by their neighbors, all of whom have tendered
willing hands to assist in any manner. Dr. G.W. White reports all three
deaths caused from exposure. Funeral services will be held tomorrow
afternoon at the Dudley M.E. Church.

The storm that struck the JOHNS home was evidently a twister, scattering
the buildings and contents to the four winds--nothing of furniture or
building being left of much value, wheels were twisted and torn from the
wagon, a sickle bar to the mower broken in three pieces and feathers
picked from the chickens.
--PLANKINTON HERALD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The funeral was held in the Dudley M.E. Church, in the neighborhood on
Wednesday, June 28th, at 3 o'clock p.m. A large crowd was in attendance
and l30 teams followed the remains to the cemetery. MR. and MRS.
MARTIN, accompanied by MRS. CORA SELL, returned to their homes on
Saturday. MRS. BRUNER remained to visit for a week or two. MR. MARTIN
reports heavy rains have fallen in that section of the country and that
crops have suffered serious damage in consequence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Decatur County Journal
July l3, l905

OBITUARY - WALTER O. JOHN.
- - - - - -

WALTER O. JOHN was born in northern Iowa, June 25, l905, aged
twenty-five years and three days. JENNIE M. MARTIN was born in Decatur
County, Iowa, August l4, l882, and died June 25, l905, aged twenty-three
years and ten months. WERT P. JOHN was born in Aurora County, S.D.,
Sept. 9, l904, and died June 25, l905, aged nine months and thirteen
days.

WALTER O. JOHN, when a small boy, went with his parents to Decatur
County, Iowa, where he grew to manhood. He was married to JENNIE MARTIN
August 30, l900. To this union, two children were born, a boy and a
girl, little ESTHER died February 6, l902. She was buried in the
Palestine Cemetery, in Decatur County. WALTER and JENNNIE came to South
Dakota three years ago with WALTER's father and mother. Here they lived
until the night of June 24, at about l0 o'clock, when a cyclone struck
their home, killing father and mother, and their little boy. At the
time of the awful accident, they lived 4 l/2 miles south of Plannkinton.

After having gone to bed, JENNNIE became uneasy and got up and went to
the window to look at the storm. Seeing it coming, she said: "Walter,
we had better go to the cellar." WALTER arose, and taking the baby in
his arms, they went down stairs and just as he was opening the door
leading to the cellar, the storm struck the house and tore it to
pieces. With the baby in his arms, WALTER fell about 75 feet north of
the house. Here he was pinned to the ground by a portion of the house
floor in a crouched position, which position he kept until about 8
o'clock the next morning, when Mr. Decker, a neighbor arrived. Startled
at the sight of the wrecked home he called and WALTER answered. Mr.
Decker propped up the floor and finally moved it with the aid of
neighbors who soon arrived. WALTER called for a drink of water. Then
he told them this story: "The last thing I remember while in the house
was when I started to open the cellar door. How long I remained
unconscious I don't know. I remember when the baby died in my arms, it
was some time in the after part of the night." Then he said "where is
Jennie?" They told him she was dead and he replied, "I want to die with
her." Some of the bystanders were crying and he said "Don't cry for I
can't."

JENNIE was found lying a short distance south of the house with one arm
twisted under her. Her body was cold. All three were taken to the
house of the brother-in-law, PERRY BRUNER. WALTER died at ll o'clock
the same day.

Rev. Mason, Pastor of the M.E. Church, conducted the services at the
house, June 28th at 2:30 p.m. A procession of about 75 teams left for
Dudley M.E. Church where prayer was offered by the M.E. Pastor at
Plankinton, after which, at the request of the relatives, the writer
preached the funeral sermon from John, tenth chapter and tenth verse.
We laid them away in the cemetery half a mile from the church, side by
side, with the baby on the mother's arm, to await the resurrection morn.
Weep not for us. We are at rest.

The relatives cannot express their heartfelt thanks for the kindness of
friends, both in Iowa and Dakota.

Time is winging us away
To our eternal home;
Life is but a winter's day,
A journey to the tomb.

Youth and vigor soon will flee,
Blooming beauty lose its charms;
All that's mortal soon will be
Enclosed in death's cold arms.

Time is winging us away
To our eternal home;
Life is but a winter's day,
A journey to the tomb.

But the Christian shall enjoy
Health and beauty soon above;
Where no worldly griefs annoy
Secure in Jesus' love.

ELIJAH TILLOTSON,
Mitchell, S.D.
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August 20, 200l