DID YOU KNOW……..
A look back at early area history as found in the archives of the Enderlin Historical
Society and Museum ……… by Susan Schlecht
This week I will share a tragic story which I found in the March 9, 1911 Ransom
County Independent published in Enderlin.
*******************
A Sad Death
------------------------Last Monday morning after a lingering illness Mrs. W. Harvey of this city died at her
home in Riverside addition. The lady gave birth to a child about five weeks ago, since which
time she has been confined to her bed and during the past two weeks has been constantly under
the care of a trained nurse.
The death of Mrs. Harvey leaves four little children without a mother’s loving care. Two
of these, little boys a year and a half and three years old respectively, have been sent to the
Children’s home at Fargo. Mr. and Mrs. Cornell of this city have adopted the little girl, five years
old, and a sister of Mr. Harvey, Mrs. Nims of Lucca, will take the infant home with her, thus
providing good homes for all of them.
Funeral services were held in the Methodist church yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock, Rev.
Price conducting the services, and burial in the city cemetery.
The bereaved husband has universal sympathy in the death of his wife.
************************
Sue’s Comments: This story becomes even more tragic. Upon doing a little further
research in census and death records about the Harvey family, I found that the young mother’s
name was Mary E. (Tilton) Harvey, wife of Willard Harvey and she was 24 years old at the time
of her death. She was born in Iowa. I also found that the little one-year-old boy, Willard Harvey,
who was sent to the Children’s Home in Fargo, died on April 2, 1911, about a month after his
mother died. The new-born baby who was sent to live with Mrs. Nims, a sister of Mr. Harvey,
was named Frank Harvey and he died in Cass County at age 2 months on April 13, 1911. The
three-year-old boy’s name was Charles and he was born in Cottonwood County, MN as was his
five-year-old sister whose name was Fern D. She was born 11 November 1906 but I didn’t find
any further information about the family who adopted her. No further information is known about
the father as to whether he remained in Enderlin or not. I would be interested to hear from
anyone who has more information on this family.
Watch for more history next week!