Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-10-26
KEROSENE EXPLOSION
CAUSES SAD DEATH.
MRS. JOHN VERsoN sKuRDAHL
DIES FROM BURNS AND HOME
is DESTROYED

A very sad accident happened on
the farm of John Iverson Skurdahl, a
few miles west of town, early on Fri
day morning of last week. AS a re-
suit of this accident a happy home in
our midst has been plunged into the
deepest grief by the death of the low
ing wife and mother. Even the
house itself in which the family lived
was consumed by hungry flames Of
fire.
The accident happened in this man
ner: Mrs. Skurdahl had arisen ear
" that morning and started to build
q fire in the kitchen stove, using kero-
sene which she poured on the wood
from 5-gallon can that had recently
been filed. Evidently there must
have been some live Goals or fire in
the stove at the time when she did
this, as an explosion followed imme-
diately scattering the Oil all over the
unfortunate woman who in an instant
was enveloped in flame of fire. She
ran out of the house crying at the top
of her voice and the other members
of the family and Mr.. Nels Messelt,
who has been helping them with the
farm work this fall, hurried from
their beds as quickly as possible, but
when they arrived on the scene every
stitch of clothing had been burned off
from the poor woman's body. She
remained conscious in spite of her
suffering from the severe burns, and
after covering herself with quilt
brought from the burning house, she
walked unassisted to neighbor's
house about quarter of a mile away,
while the others busted themselves
in getting out the smaller children
from the rapidly burning building.
The piano and a few pieces of furni-
ture from the front room were all
that could be saved from the we'll
furnished house.
Mrs. Skurdahl was brought to the
Warren hospital as quickly as posi-
BILE and given the very best treatment
and care that her case demanded, yet
her burns we're so severe and extend
ed all over her body except under
meath her feet, that there was little
hope for her recovery. At $3.50 o'clock
in the afternoon Of the ill-fated day
she breathed her last.
Deceased, whose maiden name was
Johanna Moe. was born April %, 1868
in Norway. She was married to her
husband. who survives her, about 25
years ago. They came to this coun
ty about 13 years ago having previ
ously lived at Portland, n. D. Hus.
band and eleven children mourn the
loss of kind and affectionate wife
and mother, the names of the chill
.dren being: Julia Inga, Maybelle
Edwin, Carl, Melvin, John, Norman
Josephine, Myrtle and Obert. One
son, Oscar, preceded her to the bet
ter land about two years ago.
The funeral was held from the
United Norwegian Lutheran church
on Monday afternoon at two O'Clock
and was largely attended by citizens
and friends who sympathized with
the greatly bereaved family. A
touching and impressive funeral ser
mon was preached by Rev. N. G. w
Knudtsen. Deceased had in life
been an active member of said church
and had taken great interest in the
Ladies' Aid society and in all goot
and noble work. But her loss viii
be most severely felt in the home
where she was the ministering ange
and where she was honored and lovet
as mother should be. Beautiful
floral tributes also attested the love
borne for her by neighbors ant
friends. The pail bearers we're:
Nels Messelt, Dudley Cheney, Joh1
Cheney, J. s. Hilleboe, c. R. Engel
stad and Peter Kurz.
A sister of deceased, Mrs. Langa
ger, and her husband, of Hope, N. D.
were present at the funeral.
With tear filled eyes long funera
procession escorted the remains tt
Greenwood cemetery there to rest
until the morn of the resurrection.
But, oh! beyond this shadowland,
Where all is bright and fair
/ know full well these dear old hands
Will palms Of victory bear;
Where crystal streams thru endless
years
Flow over golden sands,
A-a mi, ara tho C1d erow vnl1np again