Obituary: Jackson County, Wisconsin: Abbie JENKINS ************************************************************************ Submitted by Joan Benner, May 2005 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ From the Jackson County Banner [Black River Falls, Jackson Co. WI], May 11, 1867, Page 3 Column 2 Sad Affair--A Woman Nearly Burned to Death Last Wednesday the people of this place were astonished and shocked by the announcement that a young woman had been burned to death that morning about two and a half miles northwest of this village, at the residence of F. SIMPSON, Esq., by her clothes taking fire from the stove, around which she was engaged at work. The story seemed too horrid to be believed, but it was soon ascertained to be true. The unfortunate woman's name is Abbie JENKINS, who was employed by Mr. SIMPSON to do the house work in his family. On Wednesday morning she was left alone, engaged in mopping the floor, while Mrs. S went to one of the neighbors, about one hundred rods distant, with no one near but a little boy about four or five years old. By some accident Miss JENKINS' clothes caught fire from the stove, and she, becoming frightened and excited, rushed screaming from the room to the wood house. Her cries attracted the attention of the little boy, who, upon ascertaining the trouble, ran to the nearest neighbors for assistance. On the arrival of Mrs. S. and others, the clothing of the unfortunate woman was found to be entirely burned form her body, and she was nearly insensible. Dr. COLE, who attended her, says that nearly the entire body was burned to a crisp, presenting a horrid sight, and that she cannot possibly survive. She was still alive on Thursday morning, but no hopes of her recovery are entertained. This is the first affair of the kind that has happenned in this vicinity, and we hope it will be the last. Ladies should be very careful when engaged in work at close proximity to stoves, as we have no desire to chronicle another occurrence of this kind in twenty years. The unfortunate woman was 25 years of age, and we do not learn that she has any relatives in this part of the country. We hope that this will prove to a warning to all to be careful in the future. P.S.--Since the above was put in type we learn that the unfortunate young lady died on Thursday forenoon. Her father lives in the town of Hixton, in this county, and he was present at the time of her death.