Mchenry County ND Archives Obituaries.....Johnson, Osmund April 1893
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LaVonne Murray vonnilou@smt-net.com January 31, 2009, 8:03 pm

McHenry County Independent ; Towner, McHenry Co., N.D. ; April 12, 1893 ; Vol. III, No. 10, pg. 1
PECULIAR AND FATAL ACCIDENT.
A Young Man Buried Under a Load of Straw and Smothered to Death.

The startling information was circulated in town about noon Tuesday that a man 
who had been hauling straw for John W. Garner was lying under a wagon-load of 
straw on the hill southeast of town about a mile, and that it was believed the 
man was dead. A number of men drove rapidly to the place indicated by the 
informant, where the report was confirmed. The facts are as follows: 

Osmund Johnson, who for a week had been in the employ of Mr. Garner, was 
engaged in hauling straw from the latter's farm about a mile southeast of 
town. It seems that a sort of driveway had been cut through the stack, the 
straw on the surface, which was frozen, being thrown on either side. The young 
man had partially loaded a large basket rack, the greater part of the weight 
of the load naturally going on the side from which he had been working. From 
the position in which he was lying when found it is supposed that he had 
started the team, when the wagon, owing to the unequal distribution of the 
load, over turned, the top girt of the rack striking him just behind the right 
ear, forcing him to the ground, the straw covering his body. The hour was 
about nine o'clock. A couple of hours later John Fjirli was passing the house 
where live Mr. and Mrs. Vanderpool, with whom Johnson was boarding. She asked 
him to go over to the stack to see what was detaining Johnson. He did so and 
finding the load upset surmised the diffficulty. He began digging the straw 
away, and soon found Johnson, in the position stated. He was dead. He was 
unable to extricate the body, however, and hurried to town with the alarm. 
Three men from town who were first at the stack succeeded in righting the 
wagon. The body was brought to town and prepared for burial.

Osmund Johnson was born in Norway, and was about twenty-one years of age. He 
came to this country about seven years ago, and has since engaged in farm 
work. He came to McHenry county last December, and has worked for different 
parties hereabout. K. K. Hage, of this place, informs us that he made 
Johnson's acquaintance when the latter first came to this country, and that he 
was a young man of good habits and a faithful and devoted friend. His parents 
reside in Norway, and he has distant relatives in Norman and Polk counties, 
Minn. He was engaged to marry a Miss Gina Johnson, of Iowa.
Rev. A. Brunsvold conducted the burial service Wednesday afternoon.

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