Drown in Platte River Near Ashland
John Berger Bengston, 47, drowned in a futile attempt to rescue Luella Jean Mills, 9, of Bennet from the waters of the Platte river north east of Ashland late Friday afternoon.
The two had been wading in shallow water near the bridge on highway No. 6 when the child stepped into a hole. Both were swept into the channel of the river as Bengston made rescue efforts.
Bengston, an engineer for the Burlington, had been employed by the railroad for 30 years. The Mills girl had attended Prescott school in Lincoln prior to moving to Bennet three months ago. The two had gone to the river about 3 o'clock, accompanied by the child's grandfather, Roy Coy and Roy Leonard.
According to Leonard, he and Coy were fishing when they first noticed the two had "gone down." Leonard attempted to aid the two with a tree branch as they were swept towards the bank of the river. Bengston caught hold of the branch, Leonard said, and would probably have saved the child and himself had the branch not broken.
After the branch broke, "he seemed to give up hope." Leonard said. Bengston was a fair swimmer but had apparently become excited and exhausted by the swift-moving current.
The bodies were recovered about 25 minutes after the drowning, and artificial respiration was carried on for more than an hour. Bengston's body was found a quarter of a mile downstream and the child had been carried for nearly a half-mile before being located.
Both of the bodies were below the Ashland bridge when taken from the water by Kenneth Gaines and Steve Meffort, lifeguards at Linoma beach. Investigation was made by County Attorney Nickerson of Papillion.
Bengston is survived by his wife, Nona. He started work for the Burlington as a machinist in the Havelock shops in 1908. He became a fireman in 1912 and in 1918 was made an engineer, working on the Lincoln-Hastings division. he served in th 89th division during the World war and was a member of the Lancaster Lodge No. 54, A. F. & A. M.
Luella Mills is survived by her mother, Lucille of Bennet and her father who is in Kansas City. She had been visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Coy, for the past few days.
The bodies were brought to Lincoln and taken to Splain, Schnell & Griffith's mortuary.
John Berger Bengston, 47, drowned in a futile attempt to rescue Luella Jean Mills, 9, of Bennet from the waters of the Platte river north east of Ashland late Friday afternoon.
The two had been wading in shallow water near the bridge on highway No. 6 when the child stepped into a hole. Both were swept into the channel of the river as Bengston made rescue efforts.
Bengston, an engineer for the Burlington, had been employed by the railroad for 30 years. The Mills girl had attended Prescott school in Lincoln prior to moving to Bennet three months ago. The two had gone to the river about 3 o'clock, accompanied by the child's grandfather, Roy Coy and Roy Leonard.
According to Leonard, he and Coy were fishing when they first noticed the two had "gone down." Leonard attempted to aid the two with a tree branch as they were swept towards the bank of the river. Bengston caught hold of the branch, Leonard said, and would probably have saved the child and himself had the branch not broken.
After the branch broke, "he seemed to give up hope." Leonard said. Bengston was a fair swimmer but had apparently become excited and exhausted by the swift-moving current.
The bodies were recovered about 25 minutes after the drowning, and artificial respiration was carried on for more than an hour. Bengston's body was found a quarter of a mile downstream and the child had been carried for nearly a half-mile before being located.
Both of the bodies were below the Ashland bridge when taken from the water by Kenneth Gaines and Steve Meffort, lifeguards at Linoma beach. Investigation was made by County Attorney Nickerson of Papillion.
Bengston is survived by his wife, Nona. He started work for the Burlington as a machinist in the Havelock shops in 1908. He became a fireman in 1912 and in 1918 was made an engineer, working on the Lincoln-Hastings division. he served in th 89th division during the World war and was a member of the Lancaster Lodge No. 54, A. F. & A. M.
Luella Mills is survived by her mother, Lucille of Bennet and her father who is in Kansas City. She had been visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Coy, for the past few days.
The bodies were brought to Lincoln and taken to Splain, Schnell & Griffith's mortuary.
Drown in Platte River Near Ashland
John Berger Bengston, 47, drowned in a futile attempt to rescue Luella Jean Mills, 9, of Bennet from the waters of the Platte river north east of Ashland late Friday afternoon.
The two had been wading in shallow water near the bridge on highway No. 6 when the child stepped into a hole. Both were swept into the channel of the river as Bengston made rescue efforts.
Bengston, an engineer for the Burlington, had been employed by the railroad for 30 years. The Mills girl had attended Prescott school in Lincoln prior to moving to Bennet three months ago. The two had gone to the river about 3 o'clock, accompanied by the child's grandfather, Roy Coy and Roy Leonard.
According to Leonard, he and Coy were fishing when they first noticed the two had "gone down." Leonard attempted to aid the two with a tree branch as they were swept towards the bank of the river. Bengston caught hold of the branch, Leonard said, and would probably have saved the child and himself had the branch not broken.
After the branch broke, "he seemed to give up hope." Leonard said. Bengston was a fair swimmer but had apparently become excited and exhausted by the swift-moving current.
The bodies were recovered about 25 minutes after the drowning, and artificial respiration was carried on for more than an hour. Bengston's body was found a quarter of a mile downstream and the child had been carried for nearly a half-mile before being located.
Both of the bodies were below the Ashland bridge when taken from the water by Kenneth Gaines and Steve Meffort, lifeguards at Linoma beach. Investigation was made by County Attorney Nickerson of Papillion.
Bengston is survived by his wife, Nona. He started work for the Burlington as a machinist in the Havelock shops in 1908. He became a fireman in 1912 and in 1918 was made an engineer, working on the Lincoln-Hastings division. he served in th 89th division during the World war and was a member of the Lancaster Lodge No. 54, A. F. & A. M.
Luella Mills is survived by her mother, Lucille of Bennet and her father who is in Kansas City. She had been visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Coy, for the past few days.
The bodies were brought to Lincoln and taken to Splain, Schnell & Griffith's mortuary.
John Berger Bengston, 47, drowned in a futile attempt to rescue Luella Jean Mills, 9, of Bennet from the waters of the Platte river north east of Ashland late Friday afternoon.
The two had been wading in shallow water near the bridge on highway No. 6 when the child stepped into a hole. Both were swept into the channel of the river as Bengston made rescue efforts.
Bengston, an engineer for the Burlington, had been employed by the railroad for 30 years. The Mills girl had attended Prescott school in Lincoln prior to moving to Bennet three months ago. The two had gone to the river about 3 o'clock, accompanied by the child's grandfather, Roy Coy and Roy Leonard.
According to Leonard, he and Coy were fishing when they first noticed the two had "gone down." Leonard attempted to aid the two with a tree branch as they were swept towards the bank of the river. Bengston caught hold of the branch, Leonard said, and would probably have saved the child and himself had the branch not broken.
After the branch broke, "he seemed to give up hope." Leonard said. Bengston was a fair swimmer but had apparently become excited and exhausted by the swift-moving current.
The bodies were recovered about 25 minutes after the drowning, and artificial respiration was carried on for more than an hour. Bengston's body was found a quarter of a mile downstream and the child had been carried for nearly a half-mile before being located.
Both of the bodies were below the Ashland bridge when taken from the water by Kenneth Gaines and Steve Meffort, lifeguards at Linoma beach. Investigation was made by County Attorney Nickerson of Papillion.
Bengston is survived by his wife, Nona. He started work for the Burlington as a machinist in the Havelock shops in 1908. He became a fireman in 1912 and in 1918 was made an engineer, working on the Lincoln-Hastings division. he served in th 89th division during the World war and was a member of the Lancaster Lodge No. 54, A. F. & A. M.
Luella Mills is survived by her mother, Lucille of Bennet and her father who is in Kansas City. She had been visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Coy, for the past few days.
The bodies were brought to Lincoln and taken to Splain, Schnell & Griffith's mortuary.
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