Traer Star Clipper, Friday, August 24th, 1928 page 1
A tornado's grim fury took toll of two lives as it lashed through a group of cottages at a western Iowa resort Monday afternoon and cast a shadow of sorrow that reached half-way across the state to a home in south Traer where Mrs. Robert Powell and her niece, Miss Grace Speer, of Havelock, Iowa, received the news of the tragic death of the former's daughter. Miss Stella Powell, and the latter's mother, Mrs. George Speer, also a daughter of Mrs. Powell.
Miss Powell, bookkeeper for the B. F. Thomas & Sons hardware store here, began a vacation last week at Havelock for a visit with her sister, Mrs. Speer. The two women went to the Twin Lakes resort, near Rockwell City, for a few days' outing. Other relatives from both Traer and Havelock had planned to join them later. When the tornado struck the resort between 3:30 and 4 o'clock Monday afternoon most of the cottages in its path were vacant, nearly all their occupants having gone earlier in the day to the other side of the lake to attend a carnival. It is believed that both women were asleep and had no warning of the impending danger. Twenty-five cottages were damaged, but the one occupied by the two sisters was completely destroyed, whirling fragments in all directions. The body of Miss Powell was found by those first upon the scene. Nearby lay Mrs. Speer, unconscious and fatally injured. She died an hour and a half later. The body of Mrs. Speer was removed to a Pocahontas undertaking parlor and that of Miss Powell to one in Rockwell City to await orders from relatives.
The body of the Traer woman was brought home Tuesday evening. The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at the home and was conducted by the Rev H. O. Allen, who was called from Clear Lake where he has been spending his vacation, to perform the task. Burial was in West Union cemetery. The funeral, of Mrs. Speer was held yesterday afternoon at Havelock, and was attended by many local relatives. Miss Powell would have been 52 years old yesterday. Her entire life was spent in this community. She was the fourth of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell—the former, a pioneer north Tama farmer, a Civil war veteran, and one of the most prominent members of the G. A . R. here, until his death, two or three years ago—and was born on the home farm east of town. She attended the local schools and later fitted herself for the position she took in 1910 in the Thomas store, where she has been a most-valued, employee. Her parents moved to town about twenty years ago, and since the death of Mr. Powell she and her mother have lived alone. She has been affiliated with the local Eastern Star order for the past seventeen years. She has been a member of the Ripley Congregational church since 1898 and taught a class in the Sunday school of that church for ten years.
Surviving, besides the aged mother, are four brothers —Edward, Garfield and Fred, all farming near Traer, and John, living in town —and two sisters, Ruth of Chicago, and Mrs. W. C. Wagner, of Traer. Mrs. Speer, whose maiden name was Emma Powell, was 58 y ears old. She was married here and moved, with her husband, to Pocahontas county more thirty years ago. They have lived there since that time on a farm two and one half miles from Havelock. She leaves five children —Willis, Ralph, Eva, Mildred and Grace—of whom three are at home.
Contributor: George (48419540) •
A tornado's grim fury took toll of two lives as it lashed through a group of cottages at a western Iowa resort Monday afternoon and cast a shadow of sorrow that reached half-way across the state to a home in south Traer where Mrs. Robert Powell and her niece, Miss Grace Speer, of Havelock, Iowa, received the news of the tragic death of the former's daughter. Miss Stella Powell, and the latter's mother, Mrs. George Speer, also a daughter of Mrs. Powell.
Miss Powell, bookkeeper for the B. F. Thomas & Sons hardware store here, began a vacation last week at Havelock for a visit with her sister, Mrs. Speer. The two women went to the Twin Lakes resort, near Rockwell City, for a few days' outing. Other relatives from both Traer and Havelock had planned to join them later. When the tornado struck the resort between 3:30 and 4 o'clock Monday afternoon most of the cottages in its path were vacant, nearly all their occupants having gone earlier in the day to the other side of the lake to attend a carnival. It is believed that both women were asleep and had no warning of the impending danger. Twenty-five cottages were damaged, but the one occupied by the two sisters was completely destroyed, whirling fragments in all directions. The body of Miss Powell was found by those first upon the scene. Nearby lay Mrs. Speer, unconscious and fatally injured. She died an hour and a half later. The body of Mrs. Speer was removed to a Pocahontas undertaking parlor and that of Miss Powell to one in Rockwell City to await orders from relatives.
The body of the Traer woman was brought home Tuesday evening. The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at the home and was conducted by the Rev H. O. Allen, who was called from Clear Lake where he has been spending his vacation, to perform the task. Burial was in West Union cemetery. The funeral, of Mrs. Speer was held yesterday afternoon at Havelock, and was attended by many local relatives. Miss Powell would have been 52 years old yesterday. Her entire life was spent in this community. She was the fourth of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell—the former, a pioneer north Tama farmer, a Civil war veteran, and one of the most prominent members of the G. A . R. here, until his death, two or three years ago—and was born on the home farm east of town. She attended the local schools and later fitted herself for the position she took in 1910 in the Thomas store, where she has been a most-valued, employee. Her parents moved to town about twenty years ago, and since the death of Mr. Powell she and her mother have lived alone. She has been affiliated with the local Eastern Star order for the past seventeen years. She has been a member of the Ripley Congregational church since 1898 and taught a class in the Sunday school of that church for ten years.
Surviving, besides the aged mother, are four brothers —Edward, Garfield and Fred, all farming near Traer, and John, living in town —and two sisters, Ruth of Chicago, and Mrs. W. C. Wagner, of Traer. Mrs. Speer, whose maiden name was Emma Powell, was 58 y ears old. She was married here and moved, with her husband, to Pocahontas county more thirty years ago. They have lived there since that time on a farm two and one half miles from Havelock. She leaves five children —Willis, Ralph, Eva, Mildred and Grace—of whom three are at home.
Contributor: George (48419540) •
Traer Star Clipper, Friday, August 24th, 1928 page 1
A tornado's grim fury took toll of two lives as it lashed through a group of cottages at a western Iowa resort Monday afternoon and cast a shadow of sorrow that reached half-way across the state to a home in south Traer where Mrs. Robert Powell and her niece, Miss Grace Speer, of Havelock, Iowa, received the news of the tragic death of the former's daughter. Miss Stella Powell, and the latter's mother, Mrs. George Speer, also a daughter of Mrs. Powell.
Miss Powell, bookkeeper for the B. F. Thomas & Sons hardware store here, began a vacation last week at Havelock for a visit with her sister, Mrs. Speer. The two women went to the Twin Lakes resort, near Rockwell City, for a few days' outing. Other relatives from both Traer and Havelock had planned to join them later. When the tornado struck the resort between 3:30 and 4 o'clock Monday afternoon most of the cottages in its path were vacant, nearly all their occupants having gone earlier in the day to the other side of the lake to attend a carnival. It is believed that both women were asleep and had no warning of the impending danger. Twenty-five cottages were damaged, but the one occupied by the two sisters was completely destroyed, whirling fragments in all directions. The body of Miss Powell was found by those first upon the scene. Nearby lay Mrs. Speer, unconscious and fatally injured. She died an hour and a half later. The body of Mrs. Speer was removed to a Pocahontas undertaking parlor and that of Miss Powell to one in Rockwell City to await orders from relatives.
The body of the Traer woman was brought home Tuesday evening. The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at the home and was conducted by the Rev H. O. Allen, who was called from Clear Lake where he has been spending his vacation, to perform the task. Burial was in West Union cemetery. The funeral, of Mrs. Speer was held yesterday afternoon at Havelock, and was attended by many local relatives. Miss Powell would have been 52 years old yesterday. Her entire life was spent in this community. She was the fourth of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell—the former, a pioneer north Tama farmer, a Civil war veteran, and one of the most prominent members of the G. A . R. here, until his death, two or three years ago—and was born on the home farm east of town. She attended the local schools and later fitted herself for the position she took in 1910 in the Thomas store, where she has been a most-valued, employee. Her parents moved to town about twenty years ago, and since the death of Mr. Powell she and her mother have lived alone. She has been affiliated with the local Eastern Star order for the past seventeen years. She has been a member of the Ripley Congregational church since 1898 and taught a class in the Sunday school of that church for ten years.
Surviving, besides the aged mother, are four brothers —Edward, Garfield and Fred, all farming near Traer, and John, living in town —and two sisters, Ruth of Chicago, and Mrs. W. C. Wagner, of Traer. Mrs. Speer, whose maiden name was Emma Powell, was 58 y ears old. She was married here and moved, with her husband, to Pocahontas county more thirty years ago. They have lived there since that time on a farm two and one half miles from Havelock. She leaves five children —Willis, Ralph, Eva, Mildred and Grace—of whom three are at home.
Contributor: George (48419540) •
A tornado's grim fury took toll of two lives as it lashed through a group of cottages at a western Iowa resort Monday afternoon and cast a shadow of sorrow that reached half-way across the state to a home in south Traer where Mrs. Robert Powell and her niece, Miss Grace Speer, of Havelock, Iowa, received the news of the tragic death of the former's daughter. Miss Stella Powell, and the latter's mother, Mrs. George Speer, also a daughter of Mrs. Powell.
Miss Powell, bookkeeper for the B. F. Thomas & Sons hardware store here, began a vacation last week at Havelock for a visit with her sister, Mrs. Speer. The two women went to the Twin Lakes resort, near Rockwell City, for a few days' outing. Other relatives from both Traer and Havelock had planned to join them later. When the tornado struck the resort between 3:30 and 4 o'clock Monday afternoon most of the cottages in its path were vacant, nearly all their occupants having gone earlier in the day to the other side of the lake to attend a carnival. It is believed that both women were asleep and had no warning of the impending danger. Twenty-five cottages were damaged, but the one occupied by the two sisters was completely destroyed, whirling fragments in all directions. The body of Miss Powell was found by those first upon the scene. Nearby lay Mrs. Speer, unconscious and fatally injured. She died an hour and a half later. The body of Mrs. Speer was removed to a Pocahontas undertaking parlor and that of Miss Powell to one in Rockwell City to await orders from relatives.
The body of the Traer woman was brought home Tuesday evening. The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at the home and was conducted by the Rev H. O. Allen, who was called from Clear Lake where he has been spending his vacation, to perform the task. Burial was in West Union cemetery. The funeral, of Mrs. Speer was held yesterday afternoon at Havelock, and was attended by many local relatives. Miss Powell would have been 52 years old yesterday. Her entire life was spent in this community. She was the fourth of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell—the former, a pioneer north Tama farmer, a Civil war veteran, and one of the most prominent members of the G. A . R. here, until his death, two or three years ago—and was born on the home farm east of town. She attended the local schools and later fitted herself for the position she took in 1910 in the Thomas store, where she has been a most-valued, employee. Her parents moved to town about twenty years ago, and since the death of Mr. Powell she and her mother have lived alone. She has been affiliated with the local Eastern Star order for the past seventeen years. She has been a member of the Ripley Congregational church since 1898 and taught a class in the Sunday school of that church for ten years.
Surviving, besides the aged mother, are four brothers —Edward, Garfield and Fred, all farming near Traer, and John, living in town —and two sisters, Ruth of Chicago, and Mrs. W. C. Wagner, of Traer. Mrs. Speer, whose maiden name was Emma Powell, was 58 y ears old. She was married here and moved, with her husband, to Pocahontas county more thirty years ago. They have lived there since that time on a farm two and one half miles from Havelock. She leaves five children —Willis, Ralph, Eva, Mildred and Grace—of whom three are at home.
Contributor: George (48419540) •
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