Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hoffman, Robert & James February 15, 1931 ************************************************ 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 January 30, 2022, 4:59 pm Lake Odessa wave-Times February 19, 1931 SUPT. AND MRS. C.A. HOFFMAN LOSE TWO SONS BY DROWNING. BECAME TRAPPED IN AUTO AS IT CRASHED THROUGH JORDAN ICE. Robert, 16, and James, 10, Departed From home Sunday Night on short Errand. Car Plunges Into 30 Feet of water. Bodies recovered Monday Noon. Funeral Held Wednesday Afternoon. PARENTS CRUSHED, SCHOOL BD. GRANTS 30 DAY ABSENCE LIEF Coach Jack Bretzman Last to See Boys Alive When They Called at His Home To Borrow Tools Fo Making Some Adjustments On Their Iceboat. Just why two boys ventured out on Jordan lake in an automobile Sunday night will never be satisfactorily explained. But, because of this, two bright, healthy lads, Robert and James Hoffman, sons of Supt. and Mrs.C.A. Hoffman, lost their lives. All day Sunday people enjoyed automobile rides on the thick ice which covered the lake, excepting where ice harvesting had recently taken place. Besides this, two airplanes had take up passengers and used the lake for a landing field that day. Great was the enjoyment and many people either participated in the excitement of riding on or over the lake, or watched others enjoy it. About 8 o'clock Sunday evening Robert and James Hoffman, 15 and 11 years of age respectively, were sent in their fathers' car to take the family washing to their laundry woman. After some time had elapsed and the boys failed to return their parents became apprehensive as in what was detaining them and Mr Hoffman started out on foot to look for them. He went many places where he thought they might have gone. Not finding then he called up E.G. Garlinger, Deputy sheriff, who with Byron Goodsell and jack Brotzman began to assist in the search. It was found the boys had gone to the lake where they stopped at the home of Jack Brotzman, athletic coach at the High School, and asked for tools to fix an iceboat. Nothing further was learned of them or the car until oil was discovered on an open place in the ice which reveled the likelihood that a car had undoubtedly broken through and gone down, and the further dreadful fact that the boys probably had gone down with it. It is thought that after completing the adjustments to the iceboat, they decided to go for a little rids on the lake in their father's car, in which they had driven to Brotzman's. Their course is not certain, but is believed they had reached the southeast corner of the lake and had headed back across the center of the lake in a diagonal direction toward the Waite Inn when they came upon the dangerously thin sheet of ice too suddenly to check the machine. Work was begun as son as possible to raise the car and pull it to shore, but thick ice cased slow progress as it had to be but away. Frank Smelker, George Kart, other members of the fire department, Walter Reed and numerous others soon volunteered their services toward the recovery of the car and its sad message. Shortly before noon the car was raised to the surface and the bodies of the two missing boys were recovered. The machine apparently stayed righted throughout and was riding on its wheels when the rope crews succeeded in hauling it to the spot where it was hoisted by a derrick. It was at first believed that a third boy, either Bernard Rogers or Ronald Meyers, both 15, had accompanied the Hoffman boys on their fated trip. But Monday morning found both these boys safe at their respective homes with no knowledge of the tragedy. It is presumed the boys attempted to take a ride on the lake, as so many others had during the day, and had in the darkness gone n a thin place where the swifter current had prevented the ice thickening, The car had gone down in about 30 feet of water, at a distance of 500 feet fro the North shore. It was dragged this distance with the assistance of about 100 men pulling on the ropes. The shore was lined with automobiles from every directions. The bodies were take to the Wortley & Baine undertaking rooms. As is usual in case of accident the news spread rapidly through the village and soon reporters from nearby cities were on the scene and by noon newsboys were selling the Journal with large headlines in the city of Lansing. The Hoffman boys were both newsboys in Lake Odessa. Robert, the older of the two, was a sophomore in high school and James was in the sixth grade. They were mainly fellows, lively and energetic, Robert was a member of the school's football team. Both were members of Central Methodist Sunday school. An older son Charles, 17 years of age, is a junior in high school this years and the only remaining child. A baby daughter died in 1926. Mrs. Hoffman, the mother, has been a very useful member of church and social activities since the family came to this village, three years ago. Recently however hr health failed to the extent that her physician had ordered perfect rest and quiet, and this great sorrow has nearly crushed her. Supt. Hoffman has very successfully conducted our school and with his wife have made a large circle of friends. In the Wednesday morning twilight the two light grey caskets were placed in the parlor of the Methodist Church amid a wealth of garlands and wreaths of beautiful flowers, until 2 p.m. is the time of the funeral, hundreds of people viewed the remains of these boys who looked so peacefully asleep. A crowded house listened to the reading of scripture by Rev.G.J. Start of the Congregational Church prayer by Rev. O.F. Bulman of the Methodist church and the sermon by Rev. Charles Oughton of Reed City, an old friend of the grief stricken family. The music was by Morley Hough at the piano,Mrs Thomas Johnson organist and quartette, M.G. Morgan, L.T. Gilson, G.E.Kart and S.W. Dann sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Abide With Me". The pallbearers for James were Dallas Braden, Arlo Pickens, James Start,Neil Sullivan, Gerald Young and Lawrence Smith, his school mates; for Robert they were Hale McCartney, Tom Gilson, Royal Fisher, John McDowell, Fred Goodemoot and Ronald Meyers, all schoolmates. The rest of the high school acted as honorary pallbearers. Burial was at Lakeside cemetery. The irreparable loss to this family has appealed to the hearts of their many friends, who are striving to assure them of their deep sympathy in their great loss The Board of Education has granted Mr.Hoffman a 30 day lief of absence. Among those from out of town to attend the funeral were, Mr and Mrs J.E Rule,Mrs John Hoffman, Mr and Mrs Jesse Rohrer, John Iler and Mrs Frank Shafer, all of Argos, Ind; Mr and Mrs Carl Shaffer, South Bend,Ind; Mr and Mrs E.I. Flosenzier and daughter and Mr and Mrs Gloyd Hill and children, Plymouth, Ind; Mr and Mrs G.L Currier and Miss Lillie Rute Indianapolis,Ind; Mr and Mrs F.L Edman and son, Detroit; Mr and Mrs Ronald Rule and daughter, Batavia, Ill; Mr and Mrs L.C Rule Lincoln, Ne. Rev.and Mrs Charles Oughton, Reed City, Mich; Mr and Mrs C.H. Bachor, Mrs A.J. Nugent, Miss Elizabeth McGill, Roy Berger, Mrs Harold Morrison, H.W. Mason and Miss Loresta Sprang, all of White Pigeon, Mich.; Mr and Mrs Leroy Steward, Ionia; Mr and Mrs C.J.Barnum of Woodland. OUR DEEP APPRECIATION We wish to express or sincere thanks to everyone for all sympathy and loving work done for us and ours this week. We appreciate too deeply to express in words your marvelous consideration and willingness to do everything to make our burden as light as possible. Clarence Albert Hoffman, Nellie Ethel Hoffman, Charles Albert Hoffman Additional Comments: Lakeside Cem.#3-368 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/h/hoffman42288nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb