Ionia-Montcalm County MI Archives Obituaries.....Dunham, Earl September 13, 1942 ************************************************ 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: Suanne Tasker stasker@cmsinter.net July 29, 2013, 2:36 pm Belding Banner News, Thurs., Sept. 17, 1942 TWO LOSE LIVES WHEN BOAT TIPS ON RACE LAKE Two others are saved when cries for help are answered The waters of Race lake, a small body of water northeast of the city in Fairplains township, Montcalm county, claimed the lives of two residents of that community Sunday afternoon, when the boat which three adult men and a boy were fishing in, tipped over and threw its occupants into the water. The dead are James (Jimmy) Riley, aged 67 years, a long time resident of the Chadwick district, east of the city and a boy named Earl Dunham, aged 12 years, also of the same vicinity. Saved from a like fate and only after their lusty cries for help had been heard for some time by two men, William West and his son, William Jr., were Duran Lett, aged 84 years, and Ivan Reed, aged 34. They are also of the Race Lake district. The four men had gone to the lake which is considered to be a fairly good place to fish, by many and had taken the boat belonging to the West family to do their fishing in. The anchor because snagged on a submerged pole and it was when Riley attempted to free the anchor that the boat is supposed to have upset, throwing the three men and the boy into the water. Riley and the Dunham boy said to have gone down without much of a struggle, but the aged Duran Lett and Ivan Reed, managed to get a hold on the boat which did not sink and hung on to it and set up a lusty yell for help. The Wests, father and son, were operating a saw rig a short distance north of the lake and they heard the yelling, but thought nothing of it for some time and supposed that it was some children in the neighborhood who were playing. Finally the Wests became alarmed at the continued noise and ran down to the lake. They at once saw the desperate situation of the two men clinging to the overturned boat and ran to get their boat to get out to them. Their boat was gone from its mooring place, however, and they had to run to another place on the lake shore to get another boat, which they had to break loose from its anchorage. The two Wests soon reached the two struggling men in the water and rescued them and rushed them to the local hospital, where they were treated. Dr. A.E. Hollard, who had been called to the hospital, notified Deputy Donald Olmstead and the latter, knowing that Race lake was out of his territory, over in Montcalm county, called the sheriff's office at Stanton and also the state police at Rockford and then started for the lake himself. When Deputy Olmstead reached the scene, he went out in the boat with the two Wests and he soon discovered the body of James Riley laying on the bottom of the lake in about six or eight feet of water. He put his drag hook into the man's clothing and brought the body to the surface and then to shore and went back to look for the body of young Dunham It took him but a few minutes to locate the boy's body and he also brought that to shore having recovered both bodies before either Montcalm county or state police officers reach the scene. Coroner Bruce G. Fales was notified, but inasmuch as the tragedy had taken place outside of this jurisdiction - in Montcalm county - he notified Montcalm county officers and Coroner I.S. Lillie of Stanton went to the scene of the drowning. He decided that no inquest was necessary. Bodies of Riley and the Dunham boy were taken to the Ellis Funeral Home in this city and prepared for burial by Undertaker Victor Ellis. Funeral services for Riley were held at 10 o'clock with Rev. H.S. Ellis Officiating and burial was in Grene cemetery, east of the city. Riley had been a resident of the Chadwick neighborhood for many years, but little was known of him. He was born in Tuscola county and so far as is known never married. His nearest known relative is a cousin, Mrs. Nellie Hatch of near Cedar Springs. A brother, Charles Riley, whereabouts unknown, is also supposed to survive. Young Dunham is survived by his mother, Mrs. Rose Mae Reed, wife of Ivan Reed, who was saved by the Wests. His father, William Dunham, also survives. Funeral services for the Dunham boy were held at the Ellis Funeral Home, Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock with Rev. H.S.Ellis officiating and burial was in Woodard lake cemetery. Additional Comments: File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/d/dunham21992nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb