Iowa Old Press

The Ruthven Free Press
Ruthven, Palo Alto, Iowa
Wednesday, July 12, 1939

S. RIERSON KILLED
AUTO HITS BRIDGE
Local Implement Dealer Fatally Hurt and T.A. McAdam Injured Saturday

    Severt Rierson, Ruthven Implement dealer, was fatally injured at about 1 o'clock last Saturday morning when his automobile crashed into a concrete bridge abutment on highway 18, about 3 1/2 miles east of Emmetsburg. Accompanied by T.A. McAdam, proprietor of a dry cleaning shop and Hamburger shop in Ruthven, the two had left Ruthven at about 7:30 Friday evening to go to Mason City to get some farm machinery repairs for  the Rierson Implement company. On the return trip, east of Emmetsburg, they were blinded by the bright lights of an on-coming automobile and failed to see a concrete bridge until their car crashed into it.
    The automobile struck the north abutment of the concrete bridge a few inches to the left of the front wheel, and it almost demolished the car. The right front wheel was jammed around the steering wheel, the motor was pushed back into the driver's compartment and the frame of the car was twisted out of shape. The car caught on fire, but the blaze was extinguished by the use of a fire extinguisher from a truck that was passing at the time. The wrecked car was a new Oldsmobile coupe that the deceased had purchased less than three months ago. Parties who gathered at the scene of the accident pulled the wrecked car to the west side of the concrete bridge, and in so doing turned it around as though it had been headed east. This gave rise to many conflicting stories concerning the crash. Saturday morning Art Simonson of Ruthven was called to bring the wrecked car to Ruthven, and he arrived at the scene at about 7 o'clock that morning.
    Mr. Rierson suffered a crushed chest, broken leg, back injury and internal injuries in the crash. Mr. McAdam received two jaw fractures, a gash on his chin, a wound on this tongue, and several teeth were broken off.
    Severt Rierson, son of Thomas H. and Karren J. Rierson, was born at Graettinger, Iowa, October 30, 1895 and passed away July 8, 1939, at about 10 o'clock at the Emmetsburg hospital where he had been taken following the accident.
    In 1900 he moved to Bowbells, North Dakota with his parents who settled on a farm near that town. Here he grew to manhood, and in 1817 [sic] he enlisted in the U.S. army and saw active service on the battlefields of France. He took part in four important battles of the last year of the World war and was wounded by shrapnell in the battle of Argonne Forest.
    Upon being honorably discharged from the army at the close of the World war he came to Ruthven and was associated with his brothers, Halver and Thomas, in farming in Lost Island township.
    In 1935, he established an implement store at Graettinger and about a year later he sold out his implement business at Graettinger and became associated with his brothers, Albert and Hendrick, in the implement business in Ruthven and continued in business here until his death.
    The deceased was not married and lived alone in a house that belonged to his parents in the northeast part of Ruthven.
    The deceased is survived by six brothers, Halver, Thomas, Carl, Raymond, Albert and Hendrick; and one sister, Mrs. Porter Thoreson. He is also survived by three nieces and one nephew. His father, who was one of the early settlers of Lost Island township, passed away in 1934. His mother passed away in 1930.
    Funeral services were held in Ruthven at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Porter Thoreson, on Monday afternoon at 1:30 and at the Lutheran church in Lost Island township at 2 o'clock. Rev. M. Marndsager of Graettinger and Rev. T.G. Wicks of Ruthven, officiated at the home and at the church.
    Business places in Ruthven remained closed during the funeral services and neither the home nor the church could accommodate the crowds that gathered to pay their last respects to the deceased, who met so untimely a death.
    The pallbearers were Arthur King, Nels Nelson, L.M. Hadley, Oliver Lee, Ed Cook and Joe Nyborg.
    Burial took place in the Lost Island township cemetery.
    The Lightle Funeral Home of Ruthven had charge of the funeral arrangements.
    Mr. Rierson was a member of the Lost Island Lutheran church. He was honest and dependable, and well liked by everyone who knew him. While death came to him suddenly and unexpectedly in the prime of his life, he leaves the memory of one who lived an honorable and exemplary life.

NOTICE OF PROOF OF WILL>
No. 2783
State of Iowa, Palo Alto county, ss:
To all whom it may concern:
    Notice is hereby given that an instrument in writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of August Clesle, deceased, was this day produced, opened and read by the undersigned, and that I have fixed Tuesday, the 1st day of August, 1939, as the day for hearing proof in relation thereto.
    Witness my official signature, with Seal of said Court, hereto affixed, this 30th day of June, 1939.
            E.M. Thompson
            Clerk District Court.
(Published July 5, 12 & 19)

BRIEF NEWS ITEMS OF THE PAST WEEK.
- William Barrett of Hinton, Iowa, has been awarded $85 by the American Humane association for a humane rat and gopher trap.
- John Davidson, 13-year-old Davenport, Iowa, boy was electrocuted last Friday while sitting on a steam radiator and handling a small electric drill.
- Lynn Adcock of Moville, Iowa, an employee of the Iowa Public Service company, was electrocuted last Thursday when he came in contact with a live electric wire that had been blown down by a storm.
- H.K. Hanna of Moville, Iowa, was fined $15 and costs at Sioux City last Monday for turning in a false fire alarm. A stranger asked him about a place to mail a letter, and as a joke, Hanna told the stranger to put it in a fire alarm box.

Wedding of Irma Zielstra at Local Methodist Church
    Miss Irma Mae Zielstra, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Zielstra of Ruthven, and H.A. Starkey, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Starkey of Beloit, Kansas, were united in marriage at the Methodist church in Ruthven last Sunday afternoon. Rev. Belden Wiekel read the double ring ceremony.
    Miss Marie Zielstra, sister of the bride, was bridesmaid and Al Steen was best man.
    The bride wore white organdie with finger-tip veil fastened at each side by pink rose buds.
    Mrs. Swan sang "At Dawning," accompanied at the piano by her sister, Miss Lois Madsen. Miss Madsen also played the wedding march.
    The bride is a graduate of the Lake Center high school and the Iowa Beauty school and for the last two years has been employed at a beauty shop in Sioux City.
    Mr. Starkey graduated from a high school at Beloit, Kansas, and is now connected with the National Cash Register company in Sioux City.
    A reception was held at the home of the bride's parents, Mr .and Mrs. J.G. Zielstra, and then the newlyweds left on a wedding trip. They will live in Sioux City.
    About fifty relatives and friends attended the wedding at the church.

- A Sioux City, Ia., typewriter repair man, Lamar Slagle, 23, died of complications resulting from an operation to remove an open safety pin he swallowed upon lighting a cigarette.

GARAGE OWNERS END PARTNERSHIP
Seth Hovey Buys Interest of M.L. Myers in Local Garage This Wednesday.
    A deal was closed today, whereby Seth Hovey becomes the sole owner of the Hovey & Myers garage in Ruthven, buying out the interests of M. L. Myers in the business. The retiring member of the firm has not announced any plans for the future.

INTERESTING NEWS IN NEAR BY TOWNS
- Russell Elwood of Red Oak, Iowa, was arrested at Storm Lake one day last week and fined $50 and costs for using 27 fish poles.
- Mrs. Lewis Gunn of Emmetsburg died at Emmetsburg on Tuesday of last week at the age of 48 years.
- Owen Henkle, negro bootblack, who has been working at Spirit Lake, was sentenced to ten years in prison last week for breaking and entering a store.
- George Anderson of Estherville, Ia., has been bound over to the September term of district court at Lakefield, Minnesota, on a forgery charge.
- Frank Dorweiler, a pioneer of this county, passed away at his home northwest of West Bend Friday morning. Several weeks ago he suffered a stroke of paralysis that resulted in his death.
- Farrel Potter, 13-year-old Laurens boy, stole an automobile at that place last Friday night and wrecked it in making a get-away. He was captured and sentenced to the boys' reform school at Eldora.
- Frank S. Lovrien of Humboldt, a former member of the Iowa legislature, died last Sunday following an operation.
- Mrs. Jake Falb, well known West Bend resident, died suddenly at her home at that place Wednesday afternoon. Her death occurred shortly after she had completed a telephone call.

 - W. Strong, formerly of Spirit Lake, started work last week as carrier on a star mail route between Estherville and Lacota, serving the towns of Gruver, Maple Hill, Armstrong, Swea City, Gerled and Lacota.

Ruthven and Vicinity

- Mrs. Anna Eaton of Denver, Colo., has been visiting here with relatives last week and this week.
- Mrs. Ruth Barber of Spencer visited here with her mother, Mrs. Maude Jeffries, last Sunday.
- Mr. and Mrs. Will Peterson and their two children spent the Fourth at  the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Magnus Nelson.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bert Anderson from Graettinger came here last Sunday to help their daughter, Mrs. Carl Hanna, celebrate her birthday.
- Berl Goff, who is with the U.S. air force division in Illinois, visited here with his parents, Mr .and Mrs. Paul Goff, two days last week.
- Mr .and Mrs. J.H. Currans visited her father, Thomas Grave, at St. James, Minn.,  last Sunday.
- Mrs. D.W. Prather returned yesterday from Royal where she had been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Roberts, and family.
- Mr. and Mrs. L.W. McMullen and son of Fargo, North Dakota, visited here last week at the home of her brother, R.A. Gleason and family.
- Walter Henderson, who owned a bakery in Ruthven for a number of years, has purchased a bakery at Lake Park and took possession last Saturday. He has been working in a bakery at Britt.
- Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Linden entertained the following guests, Sunday, in honor of the baptism of their son, John Eugene, at a picnic dinner at the state park: Mr .and Mrs. John Klevas and sons, Arthur and Leonard, Ole Klevas and Annie Klevas and Ole Nelson, all from Humboldt, Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Mooney and Sam and Ellen Mooney of Mason City, Mrs. Ida Salberg of Hanley Falls, Minn, Mrs. Jane Anderson and daughter, Ruth, of Emmetsburg, and Rev. and Mrs. T.G. Wicks and son, Junior, and Mr. and Mrs. Gust Linden, of Ruthven.
- Claude Nolan started work in a state institution at Oakdale on Tuesday of this week.
- Miss Mary Youngdale of Pomeroy is visiting this week with her aunt, Miss Mary Iverson.
- Miss Maxine Iverson and Miss Lorraine Amtsbauer of St. Paul, Minn. are visiting this week at the home of their aunt, Miss Mary Iverson.
- The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Linden was baptized at the morning services at the Zion Lutheran church last Sunday, with Rev. T. G. Wicks officiating. He received the name, John Eugene.   

Submitted by: C.J.L., March 2007