----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 08/24/1918

Gibson, James (APR 1917 - 19 Augl 1918)

James Gibson, the sixteen-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Gibson, was accidentally drowned on Monday morning, when the little tot in some manner fell into a hole at the end of Third St. (Owen, Clark County, Wis.), which had been dug by the sewer commissioner in seeking to find and repair a leak around the hydrant.

The little child was at play with the three-year-old brother and the children of the neighbors and in a short space of time when the other children were not looking after him, he got into the hold, while the children returned home thinking he was following. Mrs. Gibson, although she had seen him at play but a short time before, started to look for him and immediately found the lifeless body in the water in the hold. The hole in which he was drowned contained about a foot of water and was perhaps five feet in diameter. Mr. Carter, the village's street commissioner, had been working at the hole all morning in an effort to find the leak, but seeing he could not do it alone, he came up town to get assistance and it was during his absence that the accident happened.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Congregational Church and burial was made in the Riverside Cemetery.

Those from out of the city who attended the funeral were: Mrs. George Scheckelman, Leo Scheckelman, Tillie Scheckelman, Elsie Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Otto Smith, all of Loyal.

The bereaved parents have the sincere sympathy of the community.