Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-07-17

vutt6 viCllIlS u AulU.ndllrOdu AC.l
cldent are Laid 10 Rest Amid
Impressive Services.
The Coroner's jury which invests
gated the Grove City accident rem
dered the following verdict in regard
to the death Of the victims:
eve the jurors find that one and
each ~of them came TO their death
by being struck by the engine Of the
Great Northern train was running at
riding. in an auto: on The railroad
crossing Immediately east of the
Great Northern, depot, Village Of
Grove City, ON July z, 1912, between
the hours of z and 8 p. NJ, and we
further find that according to the
testimony it was impossible for the
driver or any of the occupants of
said automobile to see the approach,
ing No. 4 Great Northern train on
account of string Of cars and a
coal shed entirely obstructing the
| view, and We further find according
to testimony that the said No. 4
Cheat Northern train was running at
a high speed of "a to As miles per
hour" >'>S~ "'~-.'
The victims of this awful accident
were all members Of the Swedish
baptist church: The Grove City
Times gives the following particulars
regarding the funeral which occur
red July 10: =.
''The funeral which was held last
Wednesday, afternoon was one of the
most impressive ever witnessed in
our city. The bodies of the three
victims lay in state all day at the vii
lage town hall, whittier they had been
removed and from where they were
taken to the church: The services
began at two o'clock. The services
at the hall consisted of a fervent
player by Rev. Bergfalk, pastor of
the Swedish Baptist church Of this
icity. The three caskets We're then
removed and placed in three car
riages. AS they were carried from
the hall, 's|Nearer My God to Thee
was sung by the pupils of the public
school, schoolmates of Rosetta. Her
casket, a beautiful white one, was
placed in carriage draped in white.
| Mrs. S. M. Hawkins n's came next,
and then Mr.. Nelson's: The latter
two were black in contrast to the
white one Of the young girl. A great
abundance of floral offerings covered
| all three baskets, an outward evil
dence of the heartfelt sympathy that
had been aroused in all. 49,.
! Led by the Litchfeld band, which
played the swt ct strains of the beau
tiful march, "At Rest" the process
, sion started from the hall. Follow
ing the band came six girls, all dress
ed in white, honorary pail bearers
to Miss Rosetta, then the three car
riages containing the baskets, each
carriage being attended by six pail
bearers and two grooms, then car
riages carrying the mourners and
relatives, and after these ali endless
throng Of people. They marched east
from the hall, across the il-fated
crossing on which the accident oc-
!, Cured, through the main street and
then to the Swedish Baptist church.
When the band reached the church
they formed a column on each side
Of the driveway and as the Baskets
were borne between these into the
church, they played, "Nearer My God
To Thee"
"The services in the church were
conducted by Rev. Hjerstrom of Co.
kato, in an opening prayer, a talk
in the English language by Rev. AL
fred Peterson, Of Fargo, N. D., talk
in the Swedish language by Rev.
Bergfalk Of this city, and Rev. C. E.
| Oberg of Willmar in a closing pray
er. The services were supplemented
by beautiful singing by the Sunday
school and public school children, a
solo by Mrs. A. A. Miller, and a
Iquartette consisting Of Miss Selma
Swanson, Mrs. Haskell, Mr.. Adolph
Swanson and Mr.. Haskell. After a
review Of the remains they were car
ried to the cemetery and laid to rest
on the hill overlooking the city.
| ut was a sad funeral indeed.
Friends from far and near were in
attendance and never before have so
many people been present at. a fu-
neral in our town. The sorrowful
circumstances Of these deaths were
OF such nature as touched the
heartstrings Of all, and aroused SYM
pathy and grief in all alike. AS the
sorrow stricken crowd wendell it's
way to the chu1ch upon the hill, the
tear dimmed eyes Of the multitude
were cast upon the ground. The
death of these three people, aged,
middle-aged and young, as they were,
found the sympathetic chord which
responded in unspeakable grief. We
are tempted to ask why some things
should be thus, but can only yield to
the inevitable and resign our fate in
the hands Of One who arranges all
th;nnc for na,r noo1 WI aor on1u