Iowa Old Press
Hawarden Independent, September 17, 1931
Will Briggs, 66 years old, and for more than 60 years a resident of the
Alcester and Hawarden communities, met a tragic and instant death about 9
o'clock Wednesday evening at Hudson when it is believed that he lost his
balance and fell from a car of a Milwaukee freight train on which he was
riding. He evidently struck the ties, lighting on his head. The force of the
impact was so great that his head, face and chest were badly mangled. In
company with his brother, M. B. Briggs, he was returning home from Canton.
Just shortly before the fatal accident he remarked to his brother that the
train must be near Hawarden. His brother replied that it had just pulled
through Hudson. The train did not stop at Hudson and was traveling at the
rate of about forty miles an hour at the time. Will evidently did not hear
the response which his brother made and grabbed his baggage and threw it
from the train. In doing so it is believed that he lost his balance and fell
from the car.
William Briggs was born in Jackson County, Iowa, in 1865. He came west with
his parents when he was a lad five years old and they located on a farm near
Alcester where he grew to young manhood. For many years he worked in the
vicinity of Alcester. He traveled about a great deal through the west and
south and as he traveled about he worked at various jobs. He came to
Hawarden twenty-three years ago and after coming to Hawarden he made his
home with his brother, A. Briggs and family, a great deal of the time. After
coming here he still continued to work on farms and he was always a trusted
employee. He is survived by seven brothers and one sister, A., M.B., Joe and
John of Hawarden; James of Colome, SD; R. C. of Martin, SD; and Charlie and
Mrs. Ella Heiman of Alcester. [Transcriber Note: The deceased name was
Edward Briggs (not William), who died on 16 Sep 1931, buried in the Briggs
family plot at Alcester, S.D.]
Hawarden Independent
September 24, 1931
Funeral Services Held Saturday
Funeral services for Edward Briggs, who was accidentally killed last
Wednesday night in a fall from a freight train at Hudson, were held at the
Ross Funeral Home at 1 o’clock Saturday afternoon with Rev. R. J. Cornell,
pastor of the Associated Church, in charge. Burial was made in the family
plot at Alcester.
CARD OF THANKS.
We wish to express our sincere thanks to the friends and neighbors for the
many acts of kindness shown us and for the words of sympathy expressed at
the death of our brother, Edward Briggs.
The Briggs Family.