Emma Herrick
Woman Loses Life in Storm
Mrs. Emma Herrick, 67 years old, a homesteader near the Dick Pfister ranch, in the northern part of the county, lost her life last Saturday in one of the worst rain and hail storms which has visited the county for many years.
From reports reaching Lusk, it is evident that her small homestead was blown away by the terrific wind which accompanied the hail storm, and she started out to walk to a place of shelter, but perished in the storm.
The storm struck that section at about 4:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Herrick was evidently injured when the house was torn from its foundation by the wind, as one of her hands was broken, and a large gash cut on one of her arms. Her bare arms were badly bruised and swollen from being pelted with the large hail stones.
A horseback rider reported seeing the woman struggling in the storm, but when his horse became unmanageable he declared her was unable to render assistance. A searching party found her body at about 2:30 in the morning, lying face downward in a pool of water.
Apparently becoming exhausted from an unequal battle with the storm, she pulled her shawl over her head to protect her from the hail stones, and perished before help reached her.
Mrs. Herrick's homestead was about seven miles from the Dick Pfister ranch, which is about 20 miles southwest of Mule Creek, between the Mule Creek and Cottonwood divides.
Sheriff Hassed was notified of the case and Coroner George Earl Peet with his ambulance driven by H.L. Bancroft left early Sunday morning for the scene. They had much difficulty in traveling over the soft prairie gumbo roads, and it was necessary to get help from a team to pull the big hearse out of mud holes.
The body was brought to Lusk late Sunday evening and prepared for burial, after which it was shipped to Iowa Tuesday night.
The remains were shipped to Murdo, So. Dak., by Mr. Peet, on Tuesday evening.
She has a daughter, Mrs. S.C. Simmons, living at Hastings, Neb., and a sister, Mrs. Sam Snyder, living at Spirit Lake, Iowa.