FAYETTE
COUNTY, INDIANA
OBITS
Connersville News-Examiner
Vol. 52 No. 183
Saturday Evening, March 2, 1940
RITES MONDAY FOR ESTELLA KELLER, 56
Prominent Social Service Worker Dies
After Brief Illness in Hospital
Miss
Estella Keller, 56, executive secretary of the Fayette County
chapter of the American Red Cross, died at 3 pm Friday in Fayette
Memorial hospital where she had been since suffering a heart attack
last Saturday.. She had worked the day before at the Red Cross
Commissary of which she had had charge sine it was established in 1931.
Miss Keller was a past president of
the Business and Professional Women's Club and had been one of the
club's most active members. At the time of her death she was a
member of the board of Fayette Memorial hospital and of the Red
Cross. She was a member of the Central Christian Church and the
Loyal Daughters' Bible class. Before taking up social service
work she was employed as factory nurse by the Indiana Lamp Company and
before that time had been office nurse and secretary for the late Dr.
J. R. Mountain and Dr. J. S. Leffel.
Born Connersville November 5, 1883, a
daughter of John and Anna Marie Wegerle Keller, Miss Keller had lived
here all her life.
She was widely known through her work
as investigator and relief worker for the Red Cross, and in addition to
having charge of the commissary she also conducted the chapters'
welfare work among ex-soldiers and their families. She had served
the Red Cross since the organization opened the commissary in 1931, and
before it became a Red Cross project.
Survivors are a sister, Mrs. Fred
Sommers, three half brothers, William Keller of Richmond and John and
Charles Keller of Connersville, the latter of whom is a patient in the
local hospital; three nephews, Francis, Marion and Norman Keller of
Connersville; and two cousins, Miss Elizabeth Ellwood and William A.
Ellwood , with whom she resided at 402 West Ninth Street.
Funeral services will be held a 2:30
pm Monday at the Central Christian Church with the Rev. George D. Wyatt
officiating. Burial will be in the City Cemetery. Friends
may call at the home at any time, beginning this evening.
Notes: 2007
Mrs. Fred Sommers, Irene Keller
Deceased brother, Edwin Arlington
Keller
Deceased half brother, Louie Kelle
(Contributed by Kathy Keller)
1879-09-06
John S. Reid
Hon. John S. Reid, for many
years a prominent citizens of Indiana, died
at his residence, on Fletcher Avenue, yesterday noon, having been
afflicted with uranic poison and partial paralysis of the brain. He was
born in Perth, Scotland, April 1, 1816, and remained there until
21 years of age, having in the meantime taken a law course at Oxford
University. He emigrated to America in 1839, and attended Miami
University, at Oxford Ohio, where, after his graduation he taught for
some time. He went to Liberty, Union County, in 1840, remaining there
until 1851, and with Judge Perry practiced law. Removing to
Connorsville, he was elected judge of the common pleas court a position
be held for eight years. He was a member of the State Constitutional
Convention, and was afterwards State Senator from Fayette and Union
Counties. He was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the old Fifth
District in 1868 against George W. Julian. Judge Reid's friends claimed
his election by 129 majority, but one precinct in Richmond was thrown
out, which gave the election to Julian by four or five majority. Judge
Reid contested the election, but unsuccessfully. In 1875 he came to
this city where he has since practiced law, first with W.A. Lowe and
since with Israel Klingensmith. He was a man of decided ability,
sterling character and amiable disposition. He had a taste for literary
pursuits, and was a poet of some distinction, having a predilection for
epics. He published a volume of works, and many of his fugitive poems
have first seen the light in the columns of the Sentinel. He leaves a
widow and several children.
The Indiana State Journal
1899-11-08
Connersville Young Woman Killed
Connersville, Ind. Nov 6
Miss
Katherine Welsh, aged twenty years, was found dead in her room
about 9 o'clock this morning, with her head nearly blown off and a
shotgun lying by her side. The family express the belief that her death
was accidental, but others think it was suiccide, as she has been in
poor health for a long time.
The Indiana State Journal
1898-12-14
Connersville Ind. Dec. 12
There was a terrible explosion here
at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon by which two men were killed, two
fatally injured and one seriously.
The Dead
J.D.
M'Naughton, city plumber
Patrick
Ready, blacksmith
The Injured
Thomas O'Neil, plumber, fatally
Henry Luking, shoe merchant, fatally
Dr. George M'Nutt, leg broken and
injured internally
Artifical gas caused the explosion,
which occured in Henry Luking's shoe store. Some time before the
accident the odor of gas was dected in the room, and soon afterwards
Mr. Luking was overcome and fainted in the doorway. Dr. George McNutt
was hastily summoned and City Plumber McNaughton sent for. Dr. McNutt
has just entered the store and Mrs. McNaughton and his asistant, Thomas
O;Neil, were at the entrance when the explosion occured. Patrick Ready,
a well known blacksmith was also in the store. The whole east end of
the block was reduced to a shapeless mass and McNaughton was blown
across the street. McNutt, Ready and Mr. Luking were entombed in the
wrecked building, and, to add to the horror, flames broke out in the
debris. The fire department soon had the fire under control, and by
5:30 p.m. all the victims were rescued.
The injured and killed were among the
best known citizens, and the deepest sympathy is expressed for the
families of the unfortunate. Thomas O'Neil and Henry Luking are both
terribly mutilated and burned, neither being expected to live through
the night.
Dr. McNutt, when taken out, was found
to have his leg broken, besides being terribly cut and injured
internally.
The shock was felt for miles. Besides
the Parry block, which was entirely ruined, the window glass in all the
neighboring business houses were completely shattered. August Pepper's
saloon was demolished, and all the chinaware in Phil Joseph's
dry-goods store and in Schlicter's china store was broken by the
shock.
P.F. Fergert's cigar shop, Walker's
Barber Shop and Monger & Hess's millinery, wstablishment were
considerably damaged.
The loss by fire and explosion has
not been computed tonight, but it will reach several thousand dollars.
Connecticut Courant
1837-01-28
Connorsville, (Indiana) January 7
Melancholy Death
On Thursday, the 22nd of December
last, a young lady by the name of
Arnold was found frozen to death, in Seine's Creek, about 12
miles below this place. She had undertaken to cross the creek on the
ice, which, not being sufficiently strong to bear her weight, broke,
and let her down as far as her arm-pits, her arms resting on the ice
around her. In the situation she was found on the Saturday following,
having remained in the ice for nearly eight and fourty hours.
The Indiana State Journal
1899-02-01
Connorsville, Ind. Jan. 30
Mrs.
Lydia Williams, aged ninety-nine. died at her home, northwest of
this city, last night. She was the mother of seven children and while
she was living there were five generations of the family living. Her
death makes the fifth elderly person who has died in the
neighborhood where she lived the past month, the ages of whom average
eighty-six.