OBIT: Alma (Hummelbaugh) Hake, 1905, Gettysburg, Adams County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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MRS. ALMA HAKE’S HEROIC DEATH IN ORDER TO SAVE MOTHER AND BABE

Attempted to Fill Coal Oil Stove While It Was Burning Oil, Caught Fire and the Brave Nurse 
Carried the Flaming Furnace Down the Stairs – Her Clothing All Afire and Her Body Horribly 
Burned.

Gettysburg, Nov. 10.

Mrs. Alma Hake, while attending Mrs. Albert Z. Rodgers and two-day-old child at the home Mrs. 
Rodgers’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Mitten, on East Middle street, was the victim of a 
fatal burning accident last Saturday morning about 7:30 o’clock.  Mrs. Hake was preparing to 
fill a coal-oil stove used in the bed-room and had turned down the wick but, while the light 
was still burning, she began to pour oil into the tank, when in some manner, the oil ignited 
before she had poured half a cupful from the can.  There are two windows in the bed-room on the 
second floor front but the bed had been moved out from the wall, making it difficult to reach 
either window without danger to the patients.  So Mrs. Hake, thinking only of their safety, 
picked up the stove and rushed down stairs with it.  By the time she reached the dining-room 
her clothes were aflame and she dropped the stove and tried to extinguish the fire.  There are 
indication that she rolled on the floor in the attempt to save herself.  She was alone in the 
house, Mrs. Mitten being in the backyard, and her screams attracted Jno. McIlhenny, the 
dairyman, who happened to be delivering milk on the front porch.  He was joined by Clifford C. 
Bream, who lives across the street, and both dashing into the front door, caught up a heavy 
overcoat hanging in the hall and threw it around Mrs. Hake, who by this time had reached the 
parlor.  They extinguished the flames but not until the woman was fatally injured, all the 
clothing being burned from her body.

Clifford C. Wierman and James Weikert, carpenters at the Lightner house on the corner, carried 
Mrs. Hake to the house of David Kitzmiller two doors away, where Drs. Hartman and Dickson did 
all in their power to relieve her intense suffering.

The fire company responded to an alarm, but their services were not needed.  The flames in the 
dining-room had destroyed the table cover and part of the floor covering, when Italians, 
working on the street sewer, ran in and dashed buckets of water on the blazing furnishing and 
extinguished the fire.  Wall-paper and carpets were ruined throughout the front part of the 
house.  The bottom of the oil stove was melted off, but the stove did not explode.

Mrs. Rodgers and child were carried to the house of Wm. J. Stansbury, nearby, where they will 
remain until the Mitten home is put in shape.  Neither mother nor child has been affected 
apparently by shock.

Mrs. Hake was removed to her parents home on North Washington St., about one o’clock in the 
afternoon and died at 1:30 o’clock, remaining conscious to the end.

The funeral services were held Monday morning at 10:30 o’clock, Rev. C. E. Snoke, pastor of 
Memorial Unified Brethren church, officiating, assisted by Rev. S. L. Rice, former pastor.  

The pall-bearers were Robert A. Wonders, George E. Spangler, Levi Diehl, Frank R. Schriver, H. 
A. Elliot and J. Allen Holtzworth.  Interment was made in the family lot in Evergreen cemetery.

Mrs. Hake was born in Cumberland township, near town, August 28th, 1873, so that at the time of 
her death her age was 32 years, 2 months and 6 days.  She was married in January of 1902 to 
George H. Hake, who died in September of that year at Atlantic City.

Deceased was the last of four children.  Her parents Mr. and Mrs. Leander Hummelbaugh, and 
grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Fitzgerald survive.

Mrs. Hake was a faithful member of the United Brethren church, president of the Christian 
Endeavor Society, a teacher in the Sunday School and secretary of Mite Society.  She had led 
the last meeting of the G. E. Society on the Sunday before her death.  She had learned the work 
of a trained nurse under local doctors and her services were in great demand.

Her parents have the deep sympathy of the community in their sad bereavement, but their 
consolation is that she died while doing her duty thinking only of the safety of those left in 
her care, even forgetting self in the first moments of her suffering and urging her rescuers to 
go to the aid of the woman and her child.

The parents extend their thanks to their neighbors and friends for their aid and sympathy in 
their bereavement.

Adams County Independent – Saturday, November 11, 1905