Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Atwell, Theodore 1936
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net May 7, 2012, 6:11 pm

The Portland Observer, Thursday, March 12, 1936

Maxine Atwell, 15-year-old Portland High school sophomore, was burned to death 
after ten o’clock Monday night and her father, Ted Atwell, died several hours 
later in St. Lawrence hospital, Lansing, from burns sustained when their small 
home four miles southeast of here on US-16 was destroyed by fire.  Trapped by 
the fire which started when her father threw kerosene from a can into a stove, 
Maxine is believed to have run to the north room of the two-room house where 
she rapped on a small window for help from her father who was outside 
attempting to beat out his burning clothing, after escaping from the building 
following the explosion of oil which came from the attempt to revive the fire 
in the stove.  

Verne Whitacre, a nearby neighbor, saw the flames shooting out of the Atwell 
home, and was the first at the scene to render aid.  When he arrived he found 
Mr. Atwell outside the building attempting to beat out the flames from his 
burning clothing which enveloped his body.  The building then was a raging 
furnace.  Whitacre then got the injured man into an auto and brought him the 
officer of Dr. Fox in Portland where he was given first aid and sent to the 
hospital in the Neller ambulance.  

It was while on the way to town and while in the offices of Dr. Fox that 
Atwell told how he went to the small window, broke it out and attempted o 
reach his daughter who was on the bed.  He failed and her cries shortly became 
muffled.  He told how he and his daughter returned home about ten o’clock from 
Portland, stopping at a Frost Corner store on their way, and found the fire in 
their stove nearly out. They attempted to revive the fire.  Maxine shook the 
grate while he father put kindling into the stove.  The father poured kerosene 
from a five-gallon can into the stove and a terrific explosion followed 
blowing Mr. Atwell over a table near the door and his daughter further into 
the room.  A mass of flames Mr. Atwell said he reached the air and wrapped 
himself in a canvass which was lying outside the door.  He then shouted to his 
daughter to run to the north room and climb through a window.  Meantime the 
poorly constructed house became a raging furnace and the girl, whose clothing 
apparently was also on fire, died on her bed before her father could give her 
aid.

When Mr. Whitacre arrived he found Mr. Atwell running around the house with 
his clothing on fire crying wildly, “Maxine’s in there, I can’t get her out.”  
Seeing the girl was beyond help Mr. Whitacre rushed the father to the officer 
of Dr. Fox in Portland.  The fire department was called but when they reached 
the scene nothing remained of the building but a mass of hot embers.  Deputy 
Jay Clark was notified and with officers from the sheriff’s office at Ionia 
rushed to the scene.  The body of the girl could be seen lying in the ruins of 
the bed and after water had been played there by firemen the body was 
removed.  The mother did not know of the tragedy until later as she was 
staying that night with Mrs. Elton Lyon, who husband died last week.

Coroner Harry Myers, of Ionia, impaneled a jury composed of E. B. Sanford, 
Charles Munger, Claud Van Amburg, Dan Davis, Russell Goff, all of Portland, 
and Francis Ambrook of Grand Ledge.  Following an investigation made by 
officers Tuesday it was thought by members of the sheriff’s force that no 
inquest would be held.  

Mr. Atwell was 35 yeas of age and had spent practically his entire lifetime in 
this community.  Besides the widow he is survived by his mother, Mrs. Hannah 
Atwell, three brothers, Horace, Harry and William, and one sister, Mrs. Mattie 
Burhans, of Coral, Michigan.  

Funeral services for father and daughter were held from the Neller Funeral 
Home this afternoon in charge of Rev. Raymond V. Smith.  Burial was made in 
Danby cemetery.



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