Hertzler, Helen (1913-1933)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1933 May 17 p. 1

Birth date: 1913 May 17

text of obituary:

Goshen College Students Drown in Elkhart River.

Goshen, Ind., May 12. — Harold Burkholder, 20, Ontario, Canada, and Helen Hertzler, 19, Hesston, Kansas, students at Goshen college, were drowned here tonight when a canoe in which they were riding with another couple upset in a power race running off the Elkhart river.

Miss Fern Miller, 21, Millersburg, [O., also students at the college, swam sic] O., and Edward Gerber, 22, Sugar Creek, O., also students at the college swam to shore.

Miss Hertzler died an hour after she had been rushed to a hospital. She was taken from the stream by police who were called to the scene. Burkholder's body had not been recovered at a late hour.

Miss Hertzler was born in Hesston on May 17, 1913, being the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hertzler. After graduating from Hesston academy she attended Goshen College, where she was now taking her second year's work. Together with Harold Burkholder, also a student at Goshen, her life came to a tragic end as the canoe which they occupied capsized in a river running through Goshen. Mr. Burkholder evidently became entangled in some wires in the river and his body was not discovered until late at night.

The body of Miss Hertzler arrived in Newton Monday, accompanied by a member of the Goshen College faculty. Funeral services were held at the Hesston College chapel yesterday afternoon, with Rev. Milo Kauffman, president of the College, in charge.