Lester News

A veritable tornado struck this region at 1 o'clock , doing great damage to property, killing one person and injuring several, and inflicting heavy damage to growing crops and buildings.  The wind was tremendous, and was accompanied by a miniture cloudburst.  The storm struck the Schrader farm, three miles southwest of Lester.  The house was occupied by Onne Zylstra, a son in law of Mr. Wangmeesteer of this place.  Killing a seven months old infant outright and breaking the jaw of Mrs. Zylstra who has been sick for several weeks.  While Mr. Zylstra was pinloned in the wrecked building and seriously injured.  A little girl about three years of age was blown away but not injured.  The babe when found some twenty rods away was dead. The storm followed Mud Creek, and just south of Lester wrecked a house occupied by a man named Spencer.  The structure was demolished, but by a miracle none of the occupants were killed.  Mr. Spencer went to Lester, about a mile away, in his night clothes as he had nothing to wear, but a smile at his narrow escape, to secure clothing and returning he made his family as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.  His wife* who was sick escaped serious injuiry. Ernest Spencer and the hired man were also in the house which is a total wreck escaped without serious injury.  At Henry Moon's place the upper part of his barn was blown entirely away while the lower part remained.  His house and other buildings were damaged to a considerable extent. At Larchwood considerable damage was done.  Edward Ugland's house was wrecked and the family blown some distance, landing in a wheat field with bruises of no seriousness. Near Rock Rapids the large barn of Vint Reynolds was moved from it foundation. In town trees and out-buildings were strewn on every side.  Mr. Spratt's new barn was lifted bodily over a row of trees and thrown down in a neighbor's yard, W. S. Watson's barn was rolled up into his front yard and Peters & Whittaker's corn cribs near the Burlinton track, were overturned, slightly injured.  The cornice and part of the roof was blown from S. S. Wold's store and the sign of N. Koob, Son & Co's store was blown down and the building slightly injured. The tower was blown from the German Luthern church, and the barn of Neil Perry was blown down and his horse killed. Much other damage was done about town although nothing serious.  East of Rock Rapids some slight damage was done.  Telephone poles were in some instances blown down which cut off communication for a time but were soon repaired. Courtisies are due W. A. Ott---e who lives near Lester for information brought to this office regarding the storm.

(*transcribers note: the article was published June 13, 1901 and Margery Spencer died June 12, 1901.  My guess the storm hit on the 10th of June (Monday) and Margery died 2 days after (Wednesday.)  The article stated that she was not injured, my guess would be that it however, was a factor in her death.