Baerg, Susie (1921-1944)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1944 Jul 13 p. 1, 8

Birth date: 1921

One Drowned, Three Others Narrowly Escape in Boat Accident

COMMUNITY SHOCKED BY ACCIDENT IN WHICH SUSIE BAERG LOST HER LIFE

An unusual number of farm accidents and drownings in Mennonite communities in different parts of the land were reported during the past week.

At Mountain Lake, Minn., the community was shocked over an accident in which Susie Baerg, 22, was drowned and three other persons narrowly escaped with their lives.

The following account of the tragedy is form the Mountain Lake Observer of July 6:

Susie Baerg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Baerg of Lustre, Montana, drowned Tuesday night in Mountain Lake when the boat in which she was riding capsized in about six or seven feet of water, about 30 yards from shore west of the cemetery.

Other passengers in the boat were saved. Eddie Quiring, who could not swim, clung to the over-turned boat for over half an hour until he was rescued. Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Eitzen managed to make their way to shore with some help though she cannot swim and he is not a strong swimmer.

Jac. F. Schultz and Herman D. Peters were the first at the shoreline in response to cries for help. They ran around the shore from the bathing beach. Schultz immediately waded in as far as he could go and helped Mr. and Mrs. Eitzen to shore.

Frank P. Martens and Schultz gave artificial respiration to Mrs. Eitzen and then she was taken to Bethel hospital, where she is recuperating. When taken from the water, Mrs. Eitzen was unconscious. Her physician says that she may contract pneumonia from the exposure and the water she swallowed.

Alvin Eitzen, who manged [sic] to get his wife to safety from the overturned boat, said Wednesday morning that he still could not figure out just how he had accomplished the feat.

"I cannot swim at all," said Eitzen, "but somehow I managed to sort of leapfrog far enough toward shore so my feet touched. Then I heard my wife cry for help and I turned around and saw her floating there and a little farther out Susie was floating on the water which was over my head and managed to grab my wife's hand and sort of towed her toward shore, or at least far enough so that Jake Schultz could take her in. When I looked back Susie had disappeared."

Eitzen said that he did not believe that Susie cried for help at all.

The accident happened about 8:45 p.m. according to the closest estimate.

The Eitzens and Susie stopped at the lake and decided they would enjoy a ride. It was a small boat powered by an outboard motor.

The alarm was brought to town by Antony Penner, who was also at the lake for the evening. He drove in and informed Officer F. A. Schimnowsky, who sounded the fire alarm. The alarm was sounded just before 9:00 p.m.

The Fire Department put two drag lines in operation as soon as they had the boats launched, and they kept up their work of dragging the lake until they recovered the body about 10:15 p.m.

Miss Baerg graduated from Mountain Lake high school with the class of 1940. She went on to Freeman Junior college and for the past year had been teaching school in Montana. She was here on a visit with her sister, Mrs. Alvin Eitzen and other relatives.

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