Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-13
HIS List JOURNEY
A Lancaster Farmer Is
Killed at BrOCktOn,
Iowa.

"oA- iSi rum tne PLATFORM OF a car at
a flag station 90 miles from Broekton.
Iowa, last Wednesday night at 1O:4O
O'Clock and died six hours after the
accident. From a letter written by
his daughter in Lancaster to distant
friend we take the following extracts
which give clearly the details of the
accidents
LANCASTER, Wis, Oct. 10.
DEAR FRIEND: 1t is with feelings
of deepest sadness that | take the
present opportunity of telling you of
the sad and untimely death of my
dear father.
He bought an excursion ticket for
Oklahoma, but was going first to
Kiowa and Medicine Lodge, Kansas,
for visit with his niece, Mrs. SOM
mers, and her children.
He left Lancaster Tuesday morning
as that was the first day the excursion
was open. We had postal from him
dated the 9th and received here the
next morning "wednesday AT near
noon on Thursday we received tele-
gram announcing his death and that
the remains were at Brockton. Iowa.
Mr., c. w. Ray and Harry Gingrich
took the next train for Brockton. ar
irving there at 1880 o'clock Friday
morning. How he was killed will
probably never be exactly known, but
the facts SO far as known are:
1t seems he thought there was
station there and the train would stop;
but it was only flag station and the
train did not stop, only Stacked up
little. The name of the flag station is
Arispe.
The L"eaksman saw him 90 out on
the car platform, and as he did not re-
turn, he walked through the cars to
see if he was there. Not seeing him
the train was stopped and backed up
about mile when they found him
lying beside the track They picked
him up and went 30 miles to Block
ton where the services OF good phv-
stefan were obtained. He had put on
one sleeve of his overcoat His skull
was crushed in the back and his
shoulder was broken in two places
He fell from the train al near 1910
o'clock Wednesday night AMI died af-
ter six hours without speaking a word
or ever regaining Consciousness.
He was buried SUNDAY morning
from the Congregational church in
Lancaster. Rev. L. j. Brown preach
ing a most excellent sermon from the
theme . Hope" and the funeral was
very largely attended.
ANNA GINGRICH RAY.
The postal card written by Mr..
Gingrich to his daughter Mrs. Ray
and referred to in the above letter is
in the fathers handwriting and is ex-
ceedingly we'll written for man of
hisyears. Following is a copy of it:
MARsHALLfowN. Iowa. Oct. 5, '9S.
DEAR A.. | came here that
morning at haif-past eight, and no
connection here. The train took at
Madison was delayed this side La
Crosse by freight delayed four
hours. Conductor brought me through
Chicago. Crossed river at Fulton
and Clinton | will leave here 6 p.
m and arrive Kansas City at $50
tomorrow. | find Halbert and NJ.
Woods in enjoyment. Leave Kansas
in two days. Truly. c. GINGRIcH.
Christian Gingrich was the only
surviving member of family of II
children His fathers mother was a
Hostetter, a daughter of one of the
brothers who concocted and made
famous a bitters bearing that name.
Christian was born at Swatara Dau-
phin county, Penn. March 10, 1922.
consequently was 76 years, months
and % days old at the time of his
death. He remained in the home Of
his nativity until he reached man
hoods estate when he came west to
the state of Illinois where he success
fully engaged in buying and selling
cattle for a few years. Leaving Hi
nois he came TO Boscobel, Wisconsin,
where, with partner, he conducted a
general store which was the first
merchandising done in that city. At
Boscobel, Of April 2, 1853, he was
united in marriage to Miss Harriet
Munns, of Fennimore, who. with
three daugL ers and two sons, now
survives him. In the spring of 1860
he purchased and moved on to farm
in Little Grant where he remained six
years. In the winter of 1867 he came
to Lancaster and after remaining in
town eleven months he purchased and
moved on to the Probst farm one and
one-half miles southeast Of the city Of
Lancaster where he resided at the
time OF his death.
Mr.. Gingrich's walks of life led
along he humber way. He was no
friend to pomp and power and pride;
but there was strong within him the
love of life close to the heart of Ma
ture. He loved the sunny skies, the
song birds in the blossoming trees. the