- The following is a transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary for Aurilla Farnham (Sage) Wellemeyer which she reported had appeared on Wednesday, 1 April 1903, in the Garner Signal. The Signal was published in Garner, Iowa.
A most shocking accident occurred last Friday, at about 8:30 a.m., which resulted in the death of Mrs. George L. Wellemeyer, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Sage of this city, the unfortunate woman surviving only until a few moments after noon on the same day. It seems that Mrs. Wellemeyer went from the home of her parents (where she and her children have been residing some weeks while the husband and father went traveling for the Minneapolis Tribune) to her own home near Concord, in order to get out a shotgun to deliver to one of her brothers-in-law, which her husband had sold to him. She went to the home alone, and supposing the gun was not loaded, she hurriedly grasped it by the muzzle, and pulling it toward her out of a box in which it had been placed, the hammer caught and discharged the entire load into her thigh, lacerating it terribly. Her frantic screams were heard by Mrs. Reed's hired girl nearby, and also by Mrs. Benson, who resides across the street, and as quickly as possible all the ladies named flew to the sufferer's assistance only to find her lying on the floor and weltering in a pool of blood, and rapidly sinking into unconsciousness. The accident occurred quite a distance from the business part of town. As quickly as it could be done, Clara Reed mounted a horse and sped away for surgical assistance, while Mr. Benson hitched up his horse and buggy, and dashed down town as it was apparent almost at first glance that Mrs. Wellemeyer's hours were numbered. But three-quarters of an hour elapsed before the surgeons could reach the scene, and it was then too late. All this time the dying woman was stretched out on the floor where she first fell, but Mrs. Reed hastily vacated a room in her house and the sufferer was placed on a cot and moved over there, but where, in defiance of all that could be done by skilled surgeons, a frantic mother, brother, three sisters, a brother-in-law and many other near and loving relatives and friends, she lingered in agony until about 12:20 p.m., when her soul took its flight to the Great Beyond, and she was at rest in the arms of her God. Her husband was at Wesley when the tragedy occurred, while Mr. Sage, her father, was at Cresco, and of course neither could reach her side before she died. Neither could she see or know her three little boy babies, as they were too far downtown to be carried to her until the glaze of death was on her eyes. Both her father and husband were wired of the distressing event, and both reached home as soon as possible, while many relatives by marriage came from their homes from a distance in response to the horrible summons, and were present at the funeral. Aurilla Farnham Sage Wellemeyer was born 8 August 1877 at Mechanicsville, Iowa and was therefore 25 years, 7 months and 19 days old. She was taken by her parents to South Dakota in 1882, and at Miller, St. Lawrence and Huron, in that state, grew to womanhood, the pride of loving parents and beloved by all who knew her for those sterling qualities of head and heart that were pronounced characteristics from her very birth. She came back to Iowa with her parents who located at Sibley in 1897, at which place she was married to George L. Wellemeyer the eve of Thanksgiving in 1899, removing from there to Klemme, in this county soon after, and later still to Crystal Lake, at which places Mr. Wellemeyer was engaged in newspaper business. Mrs. Wellemeyer was the fond and devoted mother of three bright, prattling boy babies, the oldest only just past three, the youngest a babe in arms. If ever a woman was a faithful energetic and devoted wife and mother, it was Aurilla. She was so known and accepted by all who knew her. Those who knew her best loved her most, and she leaves behind a multitude of grief stricken, anguished relatives and friends, who can find consolation only in the thought that she has gone to a better world, where sorrows never enter, and where her saintly spirit is forever at rest. Revs. Troutman and Bell testified in mute but elequent terms, officiating at her funeral in the M.E. Church on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
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1877 - 1903 (25 years)
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