Climbing My Family Tree

The following obituary was a clipping belonging to my husband’s grandmother.  There was no newspaper info or date on the clipping, but I know that the family lived in Tonganoxie, Kansas and that Mr. Davidson died July 31, 1913.

Three Accidents Prove Fatal

A succession of three accidents proved fatal to John Clifford Davidson last Thursday morning about half past eight o’clock, at the home of his father-in-law John Osborne five miles southwest of town.  Mr. Davidson was in his 23rd year and lived north of Pleasant Prairie school house.  The Sunday morning preceding his death he noticed the fire on the farm occupied by Shelby Walker and jumped on a horse, and rapidly rode several miles to the place of the flames.  He evidently injured himself in some way on the trip for he returned complaining of his back.  Tuesday morning he started with a hay rack to help Mr. DeHoff thresh over in the Pony Creek neighborhood.  In going down the Millar hill a neckyoke broke and the horses could not hold back the wagon on the steep incline.  There is a stone fence at the foot of the hill and one of the horses went over the fence and the hayrack was upset.  The rack caught Mr. Davidson and he was injured in his back again but he was able to put the rack back on unaided and keep on his journey.  After he had unloaded a load of wheat at the DeHoff place the wagon struck a small ditch and he was thrown on his back and injured a third time.  He, however held out till noon and after dinner started back home in a buggy.  When he got as far as his father-in-law’s he was in such pain that he could go no farther and he stopped.  Medical attention brought no relief from his injuries and he was in such pain that large quantities of morphine had to be administered to relieve him.  His sufferings ended Thursday morning.

Funeral services were held in Hubbel Hill Cemetery Saturday by Rev. Ballard, and the young man was there laid to rest.

John Clifford Davidson was born in this township December 18, 1890, and has spent all his life here.  On October 6th, 1910, he was united in marriage with Miss Hattie Bertha Osborn, who with one daughter survives him.  Beside the wife and baby he leaves a father, sister, and four brothers as well as many other relatives and friends to mourn his loss.

Card of Thanks

We wish in this manner to thank the many friends and neighbors for their kind assistance and sympathy during the sickness and death of our beloved husband, father, son, and brother.  We also desire to thank the Fraternal Aid, the singers and the pall bearers for their extra efforts, and for the beautiful floral offerings.

Mrs. Hattie Davidson and family. Thos. Davidson and family.

I find his death so heartbreaking.  He was so young (23), had only been married for 3 years, had  a young wife and a baby, and what this article doesn’t mention is that his wife was also pregnant.  He died on July 31st and his wife gave birth to a son on September 19th.

I wonder what his the injury to his back may have been.  It must have been pretty bad to have killed him.