Wilhelm Röhrig caught by a drive belt and suddenly killed
On Friday evening about 5 o'clock, the sawmill of the Misters Michael Röhrig was the scene of a horrible accident, that unfortunately took a young man's life. How it occurred will never be precisely known, since at the time the deceased, the 21 year old Wilhelm Röhrig, second eldest son of the mill owner Michael Röhrig, was alone in the sawmill. His younger brother had just gone into the nearby house to fetch his supper, when he heard a peculiar racket in the sawmill. Rushing to the place, he discovered that the belt driving the smaller saw had jumped off and struck his brother and tied itself into a knot. He immediately stopped the machine and rushed to his brother to help, but he was already beyond human assistance. One arm was almost totally ripped off, the other was broken in many places and his head was so badly damaged, that death must have been almost immediate. The belt was wrapped so tightly around the body, that it had to be cut to free the corpse.
The agony of the parents about this tragic death of a beloved child, ?who had just been helping them, can hardly be imagined. Fresh and full of life their son had left the house, cold, dead and terribly injured he was carried back to the same place a few hours later. May the sorrowing survivors receive great consolation in this sorry situation!
The remains of the unfortunate young man will receive christian burial on Sunday, with many mourners.
John Marshall
Shortly before noon yesterday, the well known former factory owner John Marshall died from kidney disease. He was born in Port Clinton, Pa., 25 June 1830, and as a boy came to Ohio with his parents. For years he followed the occupation of cabinetmaker (?carpenter or joiner) and later became a steam-sawmill and factory owner. Mr. Marshall came to Defiance in the year 1874, where he ran a stave and hoop factory on upper Clinton street. He served many years on the city council here and was in al respects an upright and honest man. His wife, a born Hall, whom he married in 1863, survives, [as well as] a son Charles and a daughter Miss Carrie. The time of his funeral had not been determined when this issue went to print, but will most likely be held Friday afternoon from the former home.
[d. 7 Dec 1904]
Mrs. Maria Hill
Monday morning about four o'clock at Delaware Bend, Mrs. Maria Hill, daughter of Hermann J. Meyer, died of multiple sclerosis at at the age of 24 years and 15 days. She leaves to her widower no children. Her remains will be buried from the United Brethren Church in Tiffin Township on Tuesday morning.
Mrs. Caspar Müller
Tuesday morning about 8 o'clock at Ridgeville Corners, Mrs. Caspar Müller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christoph and Sophia Meyer of Adams Township, died from liver cancer at the age of about 53 years. She leaves behind a widower, six children, her aged parents and four brothers. As it was reported to us, the burial will take place Thursday morning from St. John's Lutheran Church in Ridgeville Township.
Widow Barbara Buser
Monday, in the home of her granddaughter Mrs. Louise Keeler in Haskins, Ohio, the widow Barbara Buser, well known in the Defiance area, died of blood poisoning after a short illness, at the age of 79 years, 10 months and 6 days. she was a born Imthurn, from Switzerland, and came many years ago to Defiance county, where she lived on summit Street in East Defiance until shortly after the death of her husband I. H. Buser on 9 January 1904. Recently she has made her home with the aforementioned granddaughter. Survivors include two daughters Mrs. Barbara Andrist in Crookston, Minn., and Mrs. Henry Mahres in Toledo, as well as a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The remains arrived here Wednesday morning on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and were buried under the direction of Pastor N. T. Bitz from the Reformed Church toRiverside cemetery.
Ollie Povenmire
On Monday evening, Ollie, the 33 year old wife of postmaster John Povenmire of Ayersville, died. The burial took place yesterday morning from the English Methodist Church in Ayersville.
[Ollie Povenmire born Hileshorn] [m. 16 Feb 1888 Defiance] [d. 9 Dec 1904 Ayersville]
Anna Nelson
On Friday afternoon, under direction of the English Lutheran preacher R. F. M. Engers, the mortal remains of Anna Nelson, wife of Frank Nelson, were buried. The deceased came in 1882 from her home in Sweden to Defiance, where she married Frank Nelson one year later. she leaves to her widower six children in age from 4 to 20 years. Her death occurred Wednesday afternoon from lung disease, from which she had suffered for almost a year.