The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-12-18
RECOVER BODIES
OF PELLA GIRLS
YOUNG WOMEN WERE DROWNED
IN LAKE GENEVA.
TWO INDIANS RECOVER REMAINS
Body Of Miss De Reus Arrives In
PelIa This Morning, That Of Miss
GezeI Expected This Evening
Miss Kings To What Cheer.

Pella, Dec. 15.-Word has been re-
ceived here that the bodies of the
three Pella girls drowned at Lake
Geneva last summer were all recover
ed Sunday and today by two half
blood Indians, John Jeremy and son.
after eight days work. After all
others had given up the task of find
ing the bodies, these two experts be-
gan dragging Lake Geneva from
Camp Collie, where it was supposed
the girls were drowned. The body
of Miss Cornelia De Reus was discov-
cred Saturday evening and arrived at
her home in Pella this morning. Fu-
neral services were held here this
morning at 1870 o'clock. The body
of Miss Gertrude GeZel was taken
| from the water last evening and the
last one to be found, Miss Della King,
was recovered early this morning,
The body of Miss Gezel is expected
to arrive here tomorrow morning but
it is not known whether Miss Kings
| body will be sent here or to her
father in What Cheer.
Very few bodies of those drowned
in Lake Geneva are ever recovered,
owing to the great depth of the lake.
| In some places, the lake Is over 300
| feet deep and it is fed almost wholly
by springs, the water being ice cold
| and thus preventing decomposition.
The three Pella girls went down at
point on the lake where the water was
! deepest and little hope was enter
tanned that their bodies would ever be
recovered. Diligent search was main.
tanned, however, for several weeks
after their drowning.
A few days ago a man from Chi
cago appeared at Lake Geneva and
told of having seen the boat carrying
! the girls go down. He pointed out
the place and the two Indians set 60
work. They were soon rewarded by
bringing to the surface a slipper be-
longing to one of the girls. After
eight days search, they have recov-
cred all three bodies and will receive
the reward of $1,000 offered for their
recovery.
The three young ladies were drown
ed at Lake Geneva on the evening of
Thursday, August %, while boat rid
ing in company with a fourth Pella
girl, Miss Lucy King, who saved her
were all students at Central College
and we're at Lake Geneva attending
the Y. w. c. A. conference when the
accident occurred. They had started
| for boat ride in the early evening
and the boat capsized with them.
The drowning was the first at the
Lake Geneva Y. w. c. A. camp since
the camp was established thirty years
ago.
Cornelia De Reus was a daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. c. De Reus, we'll known.
and old time Pella residents. The
young lady was about twenty years of
age. She was librarian at the Carne-
gle library at Pella and girl below
ed by every one. Gertrude Gezel
was a daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Hen
ry Gezel, old residents and business
people of Pella, and was twenty-four
years of age. Della M. King was
twenty-five years of age and a popular
student at Central. Her father re-
SIDES at What Cheer but her mother is
dead. The girls were all members
of prominent families, and were lead
ers in school and in religious work
as we'll as being social favorites.
Their sudden death plunged the en-
tire town of Pella and Central Col
lege into mourning.
Miss Kings Body to What Cheer.
What Cheer, Dec. 15.-The body of
Miss Della King, one of the three Cen
trail College girls drowned at Lake
Geneva last summer, whose bodies
have been recovered, is expected to
arrive in What Cheer tomorrow or
wednesday and the funeral will prob
ably be held here some time Wednes-
day. Miss King was a daughter of
Hi King, of this city, and was one of
the most popular and best known
young ladies' of What Cheer