95 years ago today my grandfather died in a train car accident. My father was 8 ½ years old the oldest of 5 children. The following is information I found on the internet about the accident and obituary. ========================================================== Sutherland Courier Sutherland, OBrien co. Iowa July 17, 1919 p 1 [article has photos of W. M. Kennedy, Mrs. Geo. Virgil and Baby Thelma, Blanche and Mabel Virgil] Five People Lose Lives When I. C. Train Hits Auto - Victims of Auto-Train Crash At Gaza Collision of Automobile, Driven by Geo. Virgil, With Train on Crossing at Gaza Results in Death of His Wife, Three Children and Rev. W. M. Kennedy, Saturday Night The automobile, train collision which took place at the south edge of Gaza last Saturday evening, is perhaps the most terrible and tragic accident of this kind that ever happened in the county, when five people were hurled into eternity and two others are hovering on the brink, as it were, time alone being able to tell their fate. The dead are: Rev. W. M. KENNEDY, Gaza, Ia. MRS. GEO. VIRGIL, Gaza, Ia. THELMA VIRGIL, baby daughter, aged two years MABEL VIRGIL, aged six years BLANCHE VIRGIL, aged nine years Floyd and Harold, the two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil, aged 13 and 5 years, respectively, were seriously injured, both receiving bad cuts and fractures about the face and skull and are now slowly recovering at the Ward hospital in Primghar and it is hoped that their lives will be spared. Mr. Virgil, himself, escaped injury and his ten your old daughter, Ethel who was also in the car only had to have her arm reset which was broken in an accident two weeks previous. Rev. Kennedy, pastor of the Congregational Church at Gaza, had been to the Virgil home, which is three-quarters of a mile east and a half mile south of Gaza, during the day, helping to shock grain and after supper, Mr. Virgil, accompanied by his wife and six children, started to take him back to town in their Chevrolet car. At this crossing there is quite a dip in the road also a high bank and a snow fence on the north side besides a field of corn, grown full height, which greatly obstructs the view of an approaching train. Unfortunately, just as the were going over the crossing, a work train, made up of an engine running backwards, and a caboose, came down the Illinois Central track and crashed into the ill-fated auto, and dragged it for a distance of about 600 feet before the engineer could bring the train to a stop. A negro who works on the section, after hearing the crash of the cattle guard at the crossing, was an eye witness to the rest of the terrible catastrophe and says that he saw Mrs. Virgil get out on the running board of the auto with her baby in her arms, which she was unable to hold and it fell between the auto and the train and was cut in two pieces, then, in just a minute or so, she lost her own hold and fell in front of the auto, the train also passing over her and terribly mutilating her body. As soon as possible after the train was brought to a stop and the auto removed from the track, the crew gathered up the victims and hurried them to Primghar where they were taken to the Ward hospital for medical assistance. But Mrs. Virgil and the baby were, of course, beyond help and it was not very long before two other daughters of Mr. Virgils died, and Rev. Kennedy breathed his last later in the night. How the others escaped the same fate is hard to tell, but Mr. Virgil says he saw one of the iron rods on the tender within reach and he grasped that, which doubtless save his life. To both the unfortunate families, the writer can only state that, in their irreparable loss, they have the deepest sympathy of everyone far and wide. ========================================================== The funeral of the Virgil family was held at the Congregational church in Gaza on Monday afternoon, when Rev. Frost of Sutherland was in charge, and preached the sermon from St. John, 14th chapter, first three verses. Rev. Lonsdale of Calumet was present and was invited to lead in prayer, while the music was furnished by the Sutherland Male Quartette, who rendered some appropriate selections. The interment was made all in one large grave, in the Highland cemetery northeast of Gaza. There was a large number of friends and sympathizers present, the church being filled to its capacity and the church yard was also crowded. The funeral of the late Rev. W. Kennedy, one of the victims of the automobile accident at Gaza last Saturday, was held at the Congregational church at that place on Wednesday morning at 10:00 oclock. Quite a large number gathered at the church at that time, the church being filled as at the funeral service of the other victims on Monday. A brief sympathetic prayer was offered in the parsonage home by the Rev. A. Hopkinson of Primghar, after which the mourners entered the church. The service was in charge of the Rev. Mr. Wilder of the Congregational church at Primghar. After a solo had been rendered, the Rev. Mr. Allen of Sheldon presented a biography of the departed pastor, and the Rev. Hardcastle of Iowa Falls read a portion of scripture from the last chapter of Johns Gospel. He was followed by a beautiful, inspiring and comforting prayer offered by the Rev. Mr. Turner of Cherokee. Then Rev. Wilder spoke from St. John 21: 3-4, And that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was come Jesus stood on the shore. The message was full of comfort and sympathy for the bereaved ones. He drew the lesson of how the many seeming failures of life may be turned into glorious victories if only Jesus is standing on the shore. The disciples had toiled all night and caught nothing, but it all was changed when they saw their Master. Another fine solo was rendered after which the people viewed the face of their departed minister. The interment was made in the Primghar cemetery. Many of the nearby towns were represented and the following ministers also paid their last respects to a departed and beloved brother by their presences and sympathy: The Rev. Wilder and Hopkinson of Primghar; Turner of Cherokee; Hardcastle of Iowa Falls, a general missionary of the Congregational church; Lonsdale of Calumet and Allen of Sheldon. ========================================================== William Maclean Kennedy was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, July 3, 1879, and died in the hospital at Primghar, Sunday morning at 1:35 oclock not having regained consciousness after the accident, his age being 40 years and 9 days. Rev. Kennedy was reared in the Presbyterian church and united with the same very early in life. He came to this country in 1906and entered the Moody Institute in Chicago for Christian training. He was enabled to finance his education, in part, by serving or a time as an assistant pastor for the Congregational church at Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1909 Rev. Kennedy returned to Scotland and was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Campbell of Clarkston. They became the parents of five children, the eldest of whom is under nine years of age. Rev. and Mrs. Kennedy have served the congregations at Gilman, Dinsdale, Greenved, Hanford and a country field near Clear Lake, Iowa, and the church at Ellsworth, Minn. They came to Gaza and accepted that chare about a year and a half ago. Rev. Kennedy, besides his own family, is survived by three brothers and two sisters who are in the Old Country.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:59:16 +0000
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