Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Rich, George July 30, 1880 ************************************************ 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: Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com November 5, 2013, 3:35 pm Belding Home News - Thurs. Aug. 5 & 12, 1880 Drowned. – The sad intelligence came by telegraph to Mr. and Mrs. Belding Rich on Saturday last that their son, George, was drowned at Big Forks, Dakota, on Friday, the day previous. The body, at the time of sending the dispatch, was not recovered. Mr. R. replied asking the most diligent search for the body, and, if found, its return here. Learning, on Monday, that the body had not been found, Mr. F.R. Chase was sent to the place of the sad accident, and the search requested continued. It appears from a letter received on Tuesday that young Rich and a companion were in bathing at Big Forks, and trying to swim across the river, he could not withstand the heavy current, became wearied, gave up and went down. George was an excellent young man and will be sincerely mourned by a large-circle of friends. He taught the school at Smyrna Belding Home News - Thursday, August 12, 1880 The body of George Rich, who was drowned as stated last week, was found on Monday, August 2nd. About 40 miles below where he was drowned at Frog point, on Red River, and 16 miles above Big Forks, Mr. F.R. Chase arrived at Saranac with it on Monday morning, Aug. 9th. It was taken to the homestead and a very large concourse of friends attended the remains and the deeply afflicted family to the place of burial at Smyrna. Those present state that the funeral was attended by a large number of persons than any held in this township for many years past. The sermon was preached by Re. N.P. Barlow, of Smyrna, and F. R. Chase related the particulars of the sad pole until the drowning man was seen to grasp it, when he made for the shore, but on looking back he had let go and was seen no more. A cramp evidently took him. His body, after being found by Fred Deitz, was temporarily buried until the arrival of Mr. Chase. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/r/rich22810nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 2.4 Kb