Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Badgley, Lewis Jr. October 14, 1907 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patricia Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net December 4, 2022, 10:22 am Lake Odessa Times Thurs. October 17, 1907 KILLED IN S. DAKOTA LEWIS BADGLEY, JR. MEETS TRAGIC DEATH Telegram Gave None Of Particulars Young Man Was Seventeen Years of Age-Left Home Tw Years Ago-No Particulars Known Two years ago, Lewis, the fifteen-year-old son of Wm. Badgley, left home and his whereabouts had been unknown until the message giving the news of his death was received by his parents Tuesday afternoon. The message was from Canton, S.D. and gave only the fact that Ray Badgley had been accidentally killed and asking that his parents be notified. The explanation of the telegram reading "Ray Badgley" is probably explained by the boy having in his possession a jack knife given him by his uncle, Ray, of this place, the knife having Ray's name printed in the handle. Wm. Badgley, the boy's father, and Ray Badgley departed for Canton Tuesday night, but as we go to press no further news of the accident have been received. The body will be brought here. Agent Avis telegraphed a description of the boy and on Wednesday received an answer which stated that it was Lewis Badgley, all descriptions corresponding to the dead boy. It also stated that his body was at Lemon, S.D. and his personal effects were at a Canton hotel where he had boarded for a year or more. The fates seem to be against Lake Odessa young men in the west, young Badgley making the fourth to be brought back dead within a few months, three of whom (Ed Stine, Clyde Long, Lewis Badgley) met violent deaths. All of them were hearty, robust fellows when they left their homes, just reaching a point in life where living meant so much to them. Lake Odessa Times-Thursday October 24, 1907 LARGE TELEGRAPH POLE KILLED LEWIS BADGLEY NEAR LEMMON, S.D. Back of Head Was Crushed In. Was Knocked Off Car and Under Train-Both Arms Severed-Body Arrived Saturday. Wm.Badgley and Ed Badgley arrived Friday morning from Milwaukee where they were met by the remains of the former's son,Lewis, which had been sent on from Lemmon, S.D., where the young man was accidentally killed on the previous Monday, mention of which was made in those columns. It was truly a pathetic scene that took place as the father arrived with all that was mortal of a son whose whereabouts had not been known for two years until the death message was received. The heart broken mother seemed to be almost unable to stand the sorrow and shock of the death and sad home coming of her son, and at the depot she swooned away. She was revived but again swooned after reaching home north of town where the body was immediately taken upon his arrival The heartfelt sympathy of the entire community, including The Times, goes out to the bereaved parents in their deep sorrow. The funeral was held at the South Berlin Church Sunday morning and it seemed as though the whole country turned out to ay their last tribute, to the dead. Interment was made inLakeside Cemetery. The following taken from the Aberdeen (S.D.) Daily American gives an account of the accident, but we have substituted the name of Lewis in the place of Ray..by which latter name the young man was known by his companions. His age was given as 23 and this also we have changed to 17. "C.A.Parsons of Milwaukee, Wis., superintendent of line construction on the Milwaukee's Pacific coast extension of the telegraph line, arrived in this city last night with the remains f Lewis Badgley, who was run over by a construction train about2 o'clock on Monday afternoon and instantly killed. The remains were taken to the undertaking rooms of W.H. Wilson last night, where they were prepared for shipment to Lake Odessa, Mich., where the parents reside. Mr.Parsons will accompany the remains "Badgley was employed as a member of MrPersons' construction force. At the time of the accident he was engaged in unloading poles from the construction train, which was moving about four miles an hour, scattering poles along the right of way. One of the poles knocked him off between two of the cars. The train was immediately stopped and the members of the crew rushed to the spot to find their companion dead. The car wheels had passed over both arms. On the back of his head was a large fracture caused by the pole that stuck him. Death must have been instantaneous. "Young Badgley, who was 17 years of age, was well liked by his fellows. He was known to them as "Happy"because of his genial disposition. Mr.Persons says that he has been a line superintendent for 20 years, and tis is the first serious accident he has ever witnessed. "The accident happened at a point about 16 miles west of Lemmon." As near as can be learned when Lewis left Lake Odessa two years ago he went from Chicago to Milwaukee. He then went to Aberdeen where he worked on a telephone line.Soon after this he went to Seattle, Wash., but returned to Dakota, locating at Canton He then went back to Aberdeen where he began work as a line man for the Western Union. The superintendent spoke in highest terms of the young man and said that it had been the intention to give Lewis the superintendency of about 600 miles of wire as soon as the extension had been completed. He also said that Lewis was not addicted to any habits, refusing to go "out" with any of his companions. Steady and industrious as he was the prospects of his future were certainly bright. Another thing that speaks "for the character of the young man was the finding of two Bibles among his personal effects, and surely a boy who thought of such things could not go very far wrong. CARD OF THANKS We desire to express our heartfelt thanks for the kind services and sympathy of friends and neighbors in our bereavement. WM.BADGLEY AND FAMILY Additional Comments: Lakeside Cem.#5-633 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/b/badgley44499nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 6.4 Kb