Penner, Marie Margaretha (1904-1941)

Revision as of 14:48, 24 September 2013

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1941 Jun 24 p. 15

Birth date: 1904

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1941 Jun 11 p. 1

Sunday Night's Storm Takes Toll of Life and Property at Whitewater and Sedgwick

A tornado which swept through a 35-mile path at about 11 o'clock last Sunday night, — after a day of unsettled, stormy weather — took the lives of eight persons in the Sedgwick-Whitewater vicinity and left a long string of farms in ruins and complete desolation. The heaviest property damage and loss of life was at Whitewater, about 18 miles southeast of Newton.

Striking at the Guy Scrivner home there while the family was asleep, the tornado wiped out nearly the whole family: Mrs. Guy Scrivner, 41; Betty Scrivner, 16; Mrs. Ralph Kruger, 66, mother of Mrs. Scrivner; Janet Paulson, 4, visiting in the Scrivner home. Mr. Scrivner, the husband and father, was blown several hundred yards and was also seriously injured.

Among the dead are also Marie Penner, 34, and Myron Thierstein, six months old son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Thierstein Jr.

Miss Penner, who stayed with her brother Otto, was fatally injured when the storm struck the Penner home. She was rushed to the ElDorado hospital, where she died soon afterward.

All of the Thierstein buildings were splintered and completely leveled to the ground. The storm wrenched the six months old baby from its mother's arms.

Describing the great tragedy, Mrs. Thierstein said, "Something struck my hand a hard blow and Myron was snatched from my arms as through [sic] someone more powerful than myself had taken him He was rolled along the ground among flying timbers about 100 yards." The injured baby was brought to the Bethel Hospital, where it died several hours later. Mr. and Mrs. Thierstein were also taken to the hospital, but their other three children, although blown about over the yard, escaped without serious injury.

One man was killed at Sedgwick.

Susan, 16, and Harold Thiessen, 9, children of John Thiessen, were also brought to the Bethel Hospital because of injuries received when the violent storm struck their farm home. The daughter was hut in her back and is reported partially paralyzed.

Other farms where buildings were totally or partially destroyed are those of Louis Claassen, J. J. Regier, John Epp, Jr., and J. L. Regier.

Rescue work during the night was extremely difficult because of the heavy rain, lack of telephone or electric service, and great darkness.