OBIT: Carol Irene and Mary Ann NICHOLSON, 1945, Confluence, Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

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CAROL IRENE NICHOLSON and MARY ANN NICHOLSON

Two Little Girls Drowned in Yough River Last Sunday
Tragic Fate of Only Daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Nicholson

  CONFLUENCE, June 27, - Two young daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Nicholson of 
Addison Township - Mary Ann, 11, and Carol Irene, 9 years old - were drowned 
last Sunday afternoon in the Youghiogheny River near their home along the river 
between Somerfield and Confluence.
  It was a warm day and the children coaxed their father, some time after dinner 
to let them go wading in the river to cool off.  Mr. Nicholson gave his consent 
and the little girls in high glee trudged to the Speicher pool, a deep hole in 
the river, often resorted to by swimmers in the neighborhood.
  There is shallow water along the edge of the pool.  The children took off 
their shoes and stockings and some of their garments and are supposed to have 
started wading in the shallow water that covered the ledge of rocks bordering 
the edge of the pool.  While doing so, they apparently ventured too near the 
deep water, and accidently slipped off the ledge of rocks into the pool.  Only 
one of them may have slipped off the edge of the pool into deep water, and the 
other may have jumped or fallen in while attempting to rescue her sister.  
Neither of the children could swim, and since there was no witness to the 
tragedy, the exact manner on which they met their fate probably will never be 
known.
  The youngsters went to the river about 1:30 p.m. and it was not until milking 
time, several hours later, that their father went to bring the cows and found 
the children's clothing on the river bank and they out of sight and hearing.  It 
was evident to the alarmed father that his little girls had ventured or 
accidently slipped into the deep water and were drowned, and that their bodies 
were hidden from sight at the bottom of the murky water of Speicher's pool which 
is several fathoms deep at low water in the river.
  The agonized father phoned Mortician Harry B. Rishebarger of Addison for help 
to find the bodies of his unfortunate children.  Mr. Rishebarger called for 
volunteers and the news of the tragedy spread rapidly.  Before sundown 75 men 
were searching the river bank and the river's depths for traces of the missing 
little ones.  Grappling hooks and divers failed to disclose the resting place of 
the little corpses, until 9:05 p.m. when Fred Thompson of Addison located the 
body of the older child, Mary Ann, and 40 minutes later the body of Carol Irene 
was found about six feet from the spot where her sister's body was reposed at 
the bottom of the river.
  Deputy Coroner C. S. Beck of Rockwood made an official investigation Monday 
afternoon and pronounced the cause of death accidental drowning and decided no 
inquest was necessary.
  Mortician Rishebarger prepared the bodies for burial.  Funeral services were 
conducted at the Rishebarger Funeral Home at 2 o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, by 
Rev. James Bird, pastor of the Addison Methodist Church.  Interment was made in 
the Kingwood I.O.O.F. Cemetery.
  Both Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson are natives of Milford Township.  They have two 
older children surviving - Robert, 16, and Edward, 13.  Mrs. Nicholson is a 
daughter of Mrs. Grant Boucher, of Rockwood.

Meyersdale Republican, June 28, 1945