Obituary: Rock County, Wisconsin: Burt Jay REED ************************************************************************ Submitted by Ruth Ann Montgomery, June 2005 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT We have never in our life been called upon to chronicle a more sad and painful accident than that of the drowning of little Jay, 2nd son of Mr. Geo. Reed, in the mill pond at about 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. A parcel of boys had gone in swimming and Jay among the rest. His elder brother had also been in but had come out, dressed, and bade his young brother to do the same and they both started to go home, but Jay thinking he had not had enough of the sport, turned round, went back and entered the water a second time, where still other boys were swimming. Jay not being an expert water bird stepped backward from the edge of the dam where the water deepened off rapidly, and being frightened made frantic efforts to recover himself which the boys noticing passed him a pole but he could not grasp it, and soon sank out of sight. Neither of the boys were large enough to rescue him so they hurridly put on their clothes and ran to where some men were at work on the mill race, together, they hurried to the spot at the waste gate, near the East end of the dam but not being expert swimmers, could do nothing toward raising the body. The sad news was brought to town, and a score of people ran to the rescue, Harry Benney and Will Taggart being foremost, hastily undressed, dove in and succeeded in raising the body. It was taken ashore and every means known to science was used to restore the boy, but after working faithfully for two hours, all hopes were abandoned. Besides the sympathizing crowd present, there were Doctors Innis, Stair, Spencer, Evans, Smith, Jr., and no means that could be done or thought of, were omitted. The body was taken home, but its mother, having been sick a number of days, became nearly frantic with grief. The funeral was held on the lawn at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, sermon by Dr. Wheeler. The corpse had been embalmed and looked lifelike save a little discoloration about the face. Everthing about the coffin looked pretty and neat, and was tastily decorated with rare and beautiful flowers. Thus was little Burt Ray Reed laid away at the early age of 12 years, in the doating days of boyhood, amid grief and tears of parents, a brother and a sister and sighs from scores of school fellows. July 9, 1889, Evansville Review, p. 2, col. 2, Evansville, Wisconsin [Note: Maple Hill Cemetery Index, Sawtelle addition, Block 1, lot 54, grave 3, Burt J. Reed, July 18 1877 - July 5, 1889, At Rest] The funeral Sunday of the drowned Reed boy was largely attended by sympathetic friends and Rev. L. N. Wheeler delivered a most excellent discourse for the occasion. The remains were followed to their last resting place in the Evansville cemetery by about 35 carriages besides a vast number on foot. A large number from the Doctor's late home in Magnolia Township were present, as well as Mrs. R. L. Colton and son, of Fairmount, Minn., mother and brother of Mrs. Dr. Reed. Thus closed one of the saddest tales that our type has ever told. July 13, 1889, The Tribune, p. 4, col. 2, Evansville, Wisconsin Undertaker Potter informs us that he has attended four funerals within four days as follows: Mr. Towsend's child Sunday morning at Magnolia, Dr. Reed's son, Jay of this city the same day in the afternoon, Mr. Biglow of Rutland Monday and Mrs. Moses Delaney of Brooklyn, Tuesday and now he expects to attend that of Mr. Holmes near Albany tomorrow. July 13, 1889, The Tribune, p. 4, col. 4, Evansville, Wisconsin