Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Howard, Frank A. 1919 ************************************************ 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: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net July 8, 2011, 11:29 am Lyons Herald, 4 Dec 1919 The west side of the river in Lyons was visited by a disastrous fire early Sunday morning, the third fire within a few months, and the first time in a great many years that the flames have claimed a human victim. Frank A. Howard, 72 years of age, and the father of Mrs. Orvis Messer, was burned to death. The property was the home formerly owned by Mrs. F.T. Gleason, and was owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Orvis Messer, a son and a daughter, and Mrs. Messer’s father. During the evening Saturday one of their chimneys burned out, and that fire was allowed to go out and a fire built in the other stove. Late in the evening Mrs. Messer looked into the attic to make sure no fire had resulted from the burned out chimney, and they retired for the night in perfect security. About 2:30 Sunday morning Mrs. Messer heard her father call that the house was on fire and to get the children out. She ran to the nearest three neighbors and aroused them while Mr. Messer got the children to safety. Mr. Howard, who, Mrs. Messer says, gave the first alarm, must have been overcome with the smoke and gas before he could get out of bed, as his body was not recovered until the building had burned to the ground and the bed springs on which his body laid had fallen from the second story. In the excitement Mr. Howard was not missed in the crowd gathered outside the burning building, as both Mr. and Mrs. Messer were sure he had started for town to call for help. The body was recovered about two hours after the fire had started, and was burned almost beyond recognition, the arms and legs being but charred bones. Practically the entire contents of the building were lost, and the family escaping in their night clothes. The daughter, aged about twelve years, was overcome with smoke and was taken to the home of Dr. Weston in Muir, where she is being cared for. Neighbors loaned the stricken family clothing, and they were taken to the home of A.M. Johnson. The remains of Mr. Howard were removed to the undertaking rooms of A.E. Bradt, and brief funeral services were conducted Tuesday morning from the A.M. Johnson home by Rev. H.A. Halverson. The body was then taken to the neighborhood of his old home on East Plains were services were held yesterday and burial made in the East Plains cemetery. That night was one of the wildest seen in years, and people living only one block from the home did not know about the fire until next morning. An attempt was made to ring the fire bell, but a covering of ice deadened the tone so only a few people heard it. Probably not more than thirty people were on the scene, but nothing could be done. The burned building was one of the most substantial and sightly on the west side of the river, and was estimated to be worth $2000, with only $1200 insurance; the loss on the contents was $1200 with insurance of $600. This is the third time within two years that the heavy hand of misfortune has been laid upon this family, and the sympathy of the entire community is extended to the grief stricken family in this time of their greatest trial. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/h/howard14387nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb