Fortuitous

 

by Mary Reiman

Word of the month: fortuitous. There are several synonyms such as serendipitous, but my favorite descriptor is lucky. I am 1/8 Irish so often I celebrate being lucky.  Although I did not find any four leaf clovers this week, in Mom's scrapbook I found the following article from my hometown newspaper The Milford Mail, September 6, 1913. 

The current entrance to Milford is on the land formerly owned by my grandparents. A mile behind this area is the backroad we usually drove to town, known to us as the old mill road. Little did I know that this road held such significance to our family. 

A Horrible Accident - Auto Collides with Team and Buggy, 

Jay Bickelhaupt Killed, and Others, Badly Injured

 

The worst accident of the season occurred last Thursday night on the grade, at the old mill dam, south of town, when a car driven by Henry Skyllingstad ran into a team, driven by Glen Chaffin, which resulted in the death of Jay Bickelhaupt, a mechanic in the employ of Munson Bros. and the serious injury of Miss Genie Kumba, of Fostoria. Henry Skyllingstad was cut about the face by flying glass from the wind shield and Miss Clara Ritter, the other occupant of the car, was practically uninjured.

 

Misses Genie and Lydia Kumba had been spending the day at the C. Mauss home. In the evening Mr. and Mrs. Mauss with Misses Genie and Lydia Kumba, Miss Ritter and Miss Hamilton, started for Fostoria in Mr. Mauss’ car. After crossing the grade south of the old town, the engine in the car went wrong and the ladies started to walk back to town. They stopped at the first house and telephoned the Milford Garage to send a man down to fix the car, but the men sent went to the lower mill dam. When the ladies reached town they stopped at the garage and learning that the help had gone to the wrong place they asked that someone be sent to fix the car as Mr. Mauss was waiting there. Henry Skyllingstad found Jay Bickelhaupt and they started. Misses Genie Kumba and Ritter went with them intending to return with Mr. Mauss. The car was running at a pretty high rate of speed as it started across the grade. Glen Chaffin and Isa Stinehart were coming to town and they met the car on the grade about fifty feet from the north end.

 

As there were willows on each side of the road and the lights on the car were not working well, the occupants of each vehicle did not see the other until within about twenty feet. Henry turned the car to the left thinking to miss the team, but the off horse sprang into the car, evidently trying to jump over it. One hoof struck Bickelhaupt on the top of the head...Bickelhaupt did not move from the car and it is evident that he never knew what hit him as he did not regain consciousness before passing away about 11:30 that evening. The broken end of the buggy tongue was forced through the joint in Miss Kumba's left shoulder and broke off just beneath the skin. The injured persons were brought to Milford Hospital at once, where Drs. Fuller, Coldren and Dr. Geissinger, of Spirit Lake, cared for them. Miss Kumba is resting easy and all that medical skills and good nursing can do is being done. 

Some might say Glen Chaffin and Isa Stinehart were lucky to not be injured in that accident. The accident of a car meeting a horse and buggy on a backroad one September evening in 1913. I believe I am the lucky one. Glen and Isa were married the following year. Fortuitous for me because they are my grandparents. Fortuitous indeed!