The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1914-08-13
BLECTROCUTED
BY LIGHTNING
Another Name Added 20 tlSo Lona
List Of Those Killed Dy
Electricity r.
l. c. SNYDER OF this CITY
70 Suddenly Called to His Long
Home at 8 O'Clock Last
Friday Afternoon

Truly in the midst of life we are
in death. Last Friday. Fred G..
Snyder. a retired farmer who had
resided in this city for the past
three years, was about the
streets as usual, and in the after
noon he was a corpse.
At about three o'clock in the
afternoon a sprinkle of rain fell,
and while it was raining Mr.. Sny-
der went into the cellar of his
home on First St., on some little
errand and turned OH the electric
ity for a light. While his hand
was still gripping the ceiling
switch wire, a flash of lightning
hit the wire somewhere outside,
and after burning out the trans
former on the nearest pole, it
passed ON into tn. cellar. As MI.
Snyder was standing on the damp
cellar floor with his hand clutch
ing the ceiling switch his body
completed the circuit and received
the full force of the flash. His
death was probably instantaneous.
A few minutes later he was dis
covered by his wife. who had
gone to the cellar to ascertain
what was OBTAINING him, and
found him on the cellar floor with
his hand still on the switch.
speechless and no doubt dead.
The alarm was given and ply
sician summoned who worked OV-
er the body for an hour or more
in an effort to reSuScitate the
body, but all to no avail: Life had
fled and Mr.. Snyder's work ON
earth had been completed.
Frederick Conrad Snyder was
born in Seward, Winnebago cOun-
ty, Illinois, March 23, 1850, and
therefore was in the 65th year of
and on February Il, 1918, was
married to Miss Elizabeth =. Har-.
graves. who with seven children
survives him. In 1888. he moved
with his family to a farm near
Mason City. Iowa. where they re-
sided until 1908, when they moved
to a farm near Fairmount, this
state. After passing his siXieth
milestone he retired from the
farm and came to Wahpeton,
where he, with his wife and three
younger children, made their
home.
The seven children are Bert.
Porter and Fred Snyder, who
reside on the farm near
Paramount. Mrs. Cole. who re-
sides with her husband near Het-
finger, this state, and Lee. Bessie
and Arthur Snyder, who are still
at home.
Mr.. Snyder was a devout mem
ber of the M. E. church of this city
of which organization he was an
official and a regular attendant at
all the services. He had just re-
Gently bought the o. H. Schultz
residence on Seventh St., to which
he was preparing to move the
first of next month. and had ad-
vertised the present family home
for sale or rent. He was good
christian citizen with host of
friends. who were shocked to
learn of his sudden death. The
bereft family have the sympathy
of all.
The funeral took place from the
NJ. E. church Sunday afternoon at
2 O'Clock, and was largely attend
ed. The sermon was preached
by his pastor. Rev. Elmer Duden,
and ipterment was made in Fair
view cemetery. The floral offer
ings were profuse and some OF
them very beautiful.
The out-of-town relatives ores
ent at the funeral were Charley
and Walter Hargraves of Rock
ford, ILL.,. Mrs. Lulu Coe. of Het-
finger. N. Dak., Bert Snyder and
wife, Porter Snyder and wife and
Fred Snyder of Fairmount.