Anna Luella Striffler

Notes:

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, May 4, 1906
Page One

A Most Distressing Accident

Luella Striffler Instantly Killed Last Thursday

A most distressing accident occurred northeast of Cass City last Thursday afternoon which resulted in the instant death of six-year-old Luella Striffler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Striffler.

The younger children who attended the Wright school northeast of town, had, as usual, been dismissed at recess time and Luella and her little cousin, Katie Striffler, had started for home. Mr. Andrews, a neighbor, was coming to town with a load of baled hay and the little girls took hold of the back of the wagon box and trudged along behind. Soon after Luella went around to the side of the wagom and placed her school book which she had been carrying, upon the rig between the bales of hay. It slipped to the ground and she leaned forward to pick it up and must have fallen, for the hind wheel of the heavily laden wagon passed over her little head completely crushing the upper portion. One of her limbs was also broken and her foot crushed. Death was instantaneous.

The man on the wagon had seen the little folks on the way home from school, but drove on unconscious of the awful accident which had happened, not hearing their voices on account of the rattle of the wagon passing over the hard ground. His first intimation that anything had gone wrong was when his attention was attracted by the cries of Katie who ran screaming to tell her mother what had happened.

The accident took place almost directly in front of the homes of Samuel and Solomon Striffler, and the parents of the little girl were among the first to know the horrifying facts. Tenderly the tiny form was carried into the home which she had left so shortly before, but the little spirit had taken its flight.

Anna Luella was the fifth child of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Striffler, who reside one mile east and one and one-fourth miles north of town. She was six years old last October and an exceptionally sweet and intelligent little girl. She was born on the farm where her parent still reside and for almost a year she has attended the Wright school.

The funeral services took place on Sunday morning in the Evangelical church, Rev. W. Bergey officiating. He preached from the text recorded in Psalms 16:6---"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a godly heritage," and spoke many words of comfort to the grief striken family. He was assisted by Rev. J.W. Fenn.

The pall bearers were four of the playmates of the little dead girl: Seva Withey, Ella Wallace, Hallie Spurgeon and Carrie Hurley.

The floral tributes were profuse and very beautiful, the casket being completely hidden from view by flowers. The remains were interred in Elkland cemetery.

Besides her parents, she leave three sisters, Alice, Alma and Edna; and three brothers, Frank, of Detroit, and Leonard and Louis.

The sympathy of the entire neighborhood and village goes out to the stricken family in their deep sorrow over the sudden loss of their loved one.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Winter 2007)