OBIT: Alice Gertrude CRUTHERS, 1918, Gaysport, Blair County, PA

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GAYSPORT GIRL DIES, RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION

  Alice Gertrude Cruthers, the thirteen-year-old daughter of Mrs. 
William B. Cruthers of Jackson street, Gaysport, died on Wednesday 
night at 11:45 o'clock at the Blair Memorial hospital at Huntingdon, as 
the result of being terribly burned at the home of a relative at 
Riddlesburg, Bedford county, when attempting to revive a fire in the 
kitchen stove with the aid of kerosene.
  The girl was visiting her sister, Mrs. James McDonald at Riddlesburg 
and spent Wednesday at the home of a cousin nearby.  Some of the 
members of the family were sick and Alice offered to get the supper.  
She poured coal oil on the slumbering fire in the kitchen stove to make 
it burn up when a deafening explosion occurred breaking the stove, 
hurling the griddle plates in the air, the flames quickly enveloping 
the frightened girl who ran screaming from the room and soon collapsed, 
the clothing being burned from her body.
  She was taken to the hospital at Huntingdon, where it was found that 
she could not recover, being severely burned from head to foot.  The 
body was brought to her home in Gaysport yesterday afternoon by 
Undertaker William A. Van Allman for burial.
  The unfortunate girl was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William R. 
Cruthers, and was born at Newry on November 19, 1905 and thus attained 
her thirteenth birthday the day previous to the accident.  She was a 
bright girl who made many young friends by her pleasing manner.  She 
attended the Baptist Sunday school.
  The family have the sincere sympathy of the community in their great 
bereavement.  She is survived by her mother, two brothers and two 
sisters as follows: Mrs. James McDonald of Riddlesburg; Mrs. Irvin 
Frazier of Gaysport; Nelson at home and Norman of Montreal, Canada.  
The funeral services will be held at the late home on Sunday afternoon 
at 3 o'clock, to be conducted by Rev. Julius F. Seebach of the Lutheran 
church.  Interment will be made in the Carson Valley cemetery.

Altoona Times, Altoona, Pa., Friday Morning, November 22, 1918