Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1931-11-26
BIRDWELL BARRETT FALLS
FROM BOAT AND DROWNS


friends, on gentle slope in the
beautiful Deerfield cemetery, beside
the grave of his little sister, near
where he spent his young boyhood
days, lies what is mortal of one of
Morgan county's best and most
highly regarded young men, Fran
els Birdwell Barrett, son of Coun-
ty Surveyor and Mrs. F. B. Barrett,
who met a tragic death Friday ev-
ening by drowning in the Mus
kingum river. He was in the EN-.
ploy of the Buckeye Sand & Gravel
Co., which with their boats was op-
Grating in the river near Oil Spring
run, practically opposite the resi-
dence of the Jenkins brothers. He
was measuring the depth of the wa
ter with pole, and in some man
ner last his balance and fell into
the river. Employees of the boat
threw him a rope when he came up,
but he apparently made no attempt
to grasp it, or to help himself, and
when he came up the second time,
and the rope again was thrown
within his reach, it was the same
way. Whether he was seized with
cramps when he struck the water,
Or whether he had struck his head
anG was stunned, is not known. His
death occurred about 4:3O p. m.
Work of rescuing the body began
Immediately, and call for assist
ance was sent here to the firemen
who responded practically instant
ly, and began a heroic search for
the body, which was found by John
w. Parsons about $50 o'clock in
the evening in about Is feet of wa
ter, perhaps 100 feet below the
place where he fell in. The body re.
covered, everything humanity pos
sible was then done to bring back
life, but OF no avail.
The body was brought here to the
Miller undertaking parlors and pre-
pared for burial, and was later re-
moved to the Barrett home in
Bloom township. The deceased who
had been employed since last spring
with the company above mentioned.
was preparing to At.end the Ohio
State University the first of the
year. He had planned to leave
early Saturday morning for Colum-
bus, to visit his brother George
Barrett, student at O. S. u, and
to make the necessary arrange
ments to resume his own studies
there; also was going to attend the
football game Saturday.
Funeral services were held Sun
day afternoon. Following brief
services at the home, about 1870
o'clock, the cortege left for the
Deerfield Presbyterian church,
where further services were held,
conducted by the pastor of the de-
ceased, Rev. j. d. Keller, assisted
by Rev T. E. Leonard and Rev.
c. w. Stoneburner The services
were largely attended, nearly 1000
persons being present. Rev. Stone
burner spoke particularly of Bird
well as his personal friend of his
influence for good upon all with
whom he came in contact. He told
of the special services at Wesley
Chapel, the night of Birdwell's
death, when ten persons, friends of
the deceased, went forward to the
altar when the invitation was Civ
en-. He said that "when the water
went over him, new life came in "
He closed by reading the poem of
Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, composed
shortly after the death of her son,
and entitled "You my son have
shown me God" Rev Leonard
read the obituary sketch; and the
sermon was preached by Rev. Kel-
Ter, who took as the words of his
text Matthew 24:44-"Therefore
be We also ready; for in such an
hour as ye think not, the Son of
Man cometh'; and from Hebrews,
18th chapter, and part of the fourth
verse, "He being dead yet speak
eth" 1t was a splendid and appro-
pirate sermon and tribute COM
bined. A quartet-Messrs. S. w.
Scott, E. R. Barkhurst, E. w
Flanders and O. f. Flanders, with
Mrs Edward Richardson accom-
panist, beautifully sang 81 Know of
a City" "Bloom Brightly Sweet
Roses and "Going Down the Val
ley" About the casket and chan
eel of the church, were banked the
many handsome floral tributes
Members of McConnelsville firemen
were pallbearers-Carl Warne,
Dana and Roy Walker, John w.
Parsons, Carl, Dallas and Ernest
Scott and Edsell Miller. Members
of tho aocaacod,S uraduatipo