Gingerich, Gladys (1917-1931)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1931 Aug 19 p. 1

Birth date: 1917

text of obituary:

LITTLE GIRL STRUCK AND KILLED BY LIGHTNING

Wayland, Iowa, Aug 6. — Rev. and Mrs. Simon Gingerich and Mrs. Keiser returned Saturday afternoon from Detroit lakes, Minnesota, where they attended the funeral of their nice who was recently killed by lightning.

Gladys, the fourteen year old daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Gingerich, was sleeping on the floor of the first story of their home with two of her sisters. The weather was extremely hot and the children sought relief from the heat by sleeping where cool are was more accessible. The bolt of lightning knocked out several window lights in the upper story of the house, and not only broke all of the lights in the kitchen window, but also removed the greater part of the window frame. It broke the telephone into many pieces and it is a mircle [sic], considering the severeness of the bolt, how the other children escaped the fate of their sister. It is thought that Gladys may have had hold of an iron cot upon which one of the sisters was sleeping. The unfortunate girl was still breathing when her parents, who were upstairs rushed to her aid, but she didn't respond to the help for life that they could give her. One of the younger children was stunned for several hours but has fully recovered.

Lightning struck the residence at 12:30 A. M. and eight people besides the one killed, were in the house at the time it was struck.