Harold Dyer (1888-1924)

DYER, BARRETT, JOHNSON

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 9/9/2007 at 21:11:59

Audubon County Journal (IA)
July 10, 1924, pg. 1
HAROLD DYER
DROWNED AT ST. LOUIS
Body Not Recovered Until Several
Hours After the Tragedy.

Harold Dyer, son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. H. Dyer, was born in Exira, Iowa,
July 29, 1888. He spent his boyhood
in that vicinity, going to Des Moines
University in 1906 to take a course
in Civil Engineering, which course
he finished in 1913.

He came to St. Louis, Missouri,
where he was employed by the City
and other concerns as civil engineer
for a short time, then went to Chicago,
Illinois, where he worked for the Inter-
State Commerce Commision. Return-
ed to St. Louis in February 1920,
where he took up work of general
contractor along lines of bridges,
highways, sewers and drainage pro-
jects. In 1922 the firm of Higgins-
Wall-Dyer Company was organized,
of which Harold was Vice President
and Chief Engineer, in which position
he remained until the time of his
death.

Harold Dyer and Miss Carrie M.
Barrett were married in St. Louis
June 19, 1915. To them were born
three children: Carolyn Ida, David
Harold and Marian Arlene. His par-
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Dyer of Junction
City, Oregon, and brothers and sisters,
Miss Lillian Dyer, Des Moines, Iowa,
Walter H. Dyer, Granite City, Illinois,
Mrs. Ellen Johnson, Creston, South
Dakota, and William H. Dyer, Jr., of
Klamath Falls, Oregon, were all pres-
ent at his funeral which were held in
the Christian church of Maplewood,
Missouri, June 30, 1924.

His pronounced mathematical abil-
ity which was recognized in his very
early years proved to be a wonderful
asset in his rapid progress along
engineering lines, and led him to the
successful completion of various diffi-
cult engineering projects. Ever since
his residence in St. Louis he had been
vitally interested in the river De
Peres drainage project of the City of
St. Louis, and in March, 1924, his
firm was awarded the initial contract
of this (missing text) project.

Harold took charge of this work
shortly after contract was awarded to
them, and met his death June 24th,
1924, by a bank caving under him
allowing him to fall into deep swift
water, and being encumbered by hip
boots he was drowned, altho a good
swimmer. He had given his men
their instructions and was investigat-
ing damage done by the flood the day
before. His men assumed he had gone
to another part of the job, and there
was thought to be no cause for alarm
until several hours afterward.

His concern for his family was
deep and he amply provided for them
thru insurance, besides his asset in
the company.

Additional Source: Exira, Iowa Sesqui History Book (1857-2007), page 213