Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Fraymeyer, Clarken January 1887
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Robert Woolfitt http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008401 August 10, 2025, 12:22 pm

Norfolk Virginian January 16, 1887
Yesterday morning at 10.30 o'clock the Virginia Beach railroad brought to this 
city the sixteen bodies of the German sailors from "Sand Hills Beach" which were 
washed ashore from the wreck of the German ship Elisabeth. They were taken to 
the undertaking establishment of S. H. Hines & Co., No. 86 Bank street, and were 
duly prepared for burial. Some of the sailors had as many as five heavy guernsey 
wool jackets upon them, in addition to southwester, pea jackets and heavy boots, 
which had to be cut from them. It is evident from the manner in which the bodies 
were encumbered that the men were more prepared for cold than to resist the 
powerful influence of the fearful surf.
Mr. Hines, the undertaker, has carefully preserved every article that would go 
to identify the unfortunates. One of the bodies had two rings upon the left fore 
finger of the right hand of plain gold; inside of one was engraved "L. Tarnier, 
aged 24, 1866." The other, a much heavier ring, had inscribed in the inside 
"Clarken Fraymeyer, 1876." Another had upon the middle finger of the right hand 
a gold ring with a topaz set. Another of the bodies had in its left ear an 
earring, in the center of which was an anchor.
Mr. Hines, the undertaker, by direction of Col. Lamb, made every arrangement for 
the obsequies at 2.30 p.m. At that hour the mournful cortege left the 
establishment on Bank street, as follows: 
 1. Hack containing S. H. Hines, the undertaker, Otto Sandman of Lodge No. 38, 
Benevolent Order of Elks, Joseph Klepper of the Grand Army of the Republic, and 
our German citizens, and Major J. F. Milligan, of the Mexican Veteran 
Association.
2. Funeral car with the body of E. C. Kollmann, supposed to be the mate, the 
coffin covered with the German flag.
3. Funeral car containing eight coffins.
4. Funeral car containing seven coffins covered with the American flag.
The solemn cortege moved toward the city of the dead. At Elmwood Cemetery, the 
German Consul, Col. Wm. Lamb, president of the Seamen’s Friend Association, and 
the Rev. J. B. Merritt, chaplain, were there to receive the bodies, also a large 
assembly of the people, mostly ladies, and the captains and crews of the foreign 
vessels in our port, mostly British.
The bodies were committed to separate graves and, at a late hour, the last sad 
rites of burial were performed, the chaplain of the Seaman’s Friend Association 
officiating. The German Consul, Col. Wm. Lamb, arose from a sick bed and 
attended the obsequies as a tribute of respect to the dead.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/obits/f/fraymeye16673nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/

File size: 3.2 Kb