“Angel of Death” ~ Burials 1898-1918

10.29.2023 [archived ~ originally published 8.23.2018]

This photograph was taken at the funeral of my third-great-grandfather who was murdered in 1897 in Howard Lake, Minnesota.  The funeral was very large and held at the homeplace. They are getting ready for three-mile procession to the cemetery.

Most of us living in the northern rural communities known where a body or two is buried, marked by a large stone, or perhaps an old oak tree. Or with time, no marker at all.  These are members of the very early families who either couldn’t afford a burial in Grand Rapids or didn’t want their loved ones so far away. 

When the village of Deer River organized in 1898, there were no morticians, cemeteries, or churches.  When someone died, the family did the laying out of the body, built a casket and arranged for nearby clergy, or family, to provide a service.  Of the first three deaths recorded in the Itasca News, one does not mention a cemetery, the other two were buried in Grand Rapids.

~ “J.W. ‘Crazy Horse’ Thompson died at the Russell & Ehle hospital last Sunday, the funeral occurring the following Wednesday which was attended by a large number of sincere and sorrowing friends.  Despite his calling, Mr. Thompson was a man of sterling integrity and unblemished veracity.  His word once given could be depended upon.  The following were the pallbearers: Mike Maguire, James Kildea, Stanley Gordon, Frank Hart, William Foley, and Richard Bohlen.” 4-30-1898

~ “The Angel of Death Brings Sorrow to a Happy Home. This community was again called upon this week to mourn the loss of one of our fairest flowers.  Miss Selma Bohn aged 15, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bohn, died Tuesday after a heroic struggle with that dread disease, consumption… The remains were taken to Grand Rapids yesterday, accompanied by her parents and many friends from Deer River.  Services were held in the Methodist church at 10 o’clock, Rev. Hartley preaching a touching sermon.  From the church, the silent procession moved to Itasca cemetery, where the last rites were performed…Deceased leaves, besides her parents, a sister, and a brother.” 5-7-1898

~ “Death’s Dread Summons Met with Resignation and Faith; QUIGG – Mattie E., wife of James A. Quigg, at 11 o’clock a.m., Thursday, April 28, 1898, aged 23 years, of pneumonia…The funeral took place today, the remains being taken on the morning train to Grand Rapids, where services were held in the Catholic church at 10 o’clock.  Father Gamache delivering an impressive discourse.  After the services, followed by hosts of friends from Deer River and Grand Rapids, the cortege proceeded to the cemetery. Deceased leaves, beside her husband, two young children in Ashland, Wis.; Mrs. C.S. Hildreth, her mother; Mrs. P.R. Brooks, her sister; M.J. Taylor and Willie Taylor, her brothers, all of Deer River.” 5-7-1898

Although the need for an undertaker and a cemetery was brought up with every death, it was nearly another decade before either was in place. First came the news of what would be called the Pine Ridge Cemetery, and shortly after that, the announcement that a newly established mercantile, would add undertaking to their business.

Cemetery & Undertaker

A Cemetery ~ Itasca News 7-6-1907

“At last, the people of Deer River and vicinity are to have a cemetery.  After may endeavors on the part of many of the leading citizens and of the News to

interest others in the project, the town board has a last taken the matter up and have already secured a site.  The board, in view of the amount of gravel which will be needed in road work this year and in years to come looked about for a suitable location from which to procure it and as a result finally purchased a forty at the turn of the county road.  One part of this makes an admirable site for a cemetery and will be set aside for that purpose and will be divided into lots and one corner will be set aside for a potter’s field.  This is a good location, being on the main road in this part of the county and only four miles from town, and the new state road which is to be built to Big Fork will pass along this side of the plat.”

Put in Undertaking ~ Itasca News 9-14-1907

“An establishment long wanted in Deer River, undertaking is about to be installed by H.O. Herried [sic] & Co. This week A.H. Smith, representing the North St. Paul Casket Co., was here and sold a complete line of undertaking goods to this firm.  They will soon be able to sell coffins, caskets, and funeral supplies to this part of the country.  This fall the firm expects to have a licensed undertaker in charge of the department.” 

Herreid & Co. did have caskets available by early October 1907, but it was still the responsibility of the family to prepare the body until Henry Herreid, one of the sons of Hellick, obtained his undertakers’ license in 1908.  It also took some time to get the cemetery ready, so burials didn’t begin until spring of 1908.  According to the Cemetery Book at the Itasca County Historical Society, the first recorded burials were: “Baby Holdridge, April 6, 1908, child of John/Mary Holdridge; Lars J Sjolund, 1869-1908; Donald Day Brown, Sept 5, 1904-July 3, 1908; and Harold Olson, 1907-1908.”

Apparently, the standard sized caskets supplied by the casket company did not always meet the needs of the undertakers since in 1909 a “special coffin had to be ordered” for the remains of Ida Butler.  She “conducted a resort in the west end of town, died suddenly Monday night from fatty degeneration of the heart.  The woman retired in apparent good state of health.  She weighed about 300 pounds.” [Itasca News 4-24-1909].  It is my understanding that the word ‘resort’ referred to a house of ill-repute at this time in history,

Hearse & Coroner

Deer River Gets its First Hearse ~ Itasca News 2-16-1915

“Herreid Brothers, undertakers, last week purchased a hearse for use here, and it is expected to arrive next week.  Will Herreid, who was away last week, purchased the vehicle, says it is a fine rig.

and one that anyone ought to be ‘be proud to ride in.’  The firm has very substantial equipment in every respect for taking care of their work in the undertaking line, and they say they would have long ago had a hearse but were waiting for better roads to use it on, and now that the roads are fair, they waited no longer to procure the wagon of death.”

Lois Tomblin recalls seeing that hearse in about 1917. “I remember the early horse-drawn hearse, gray color, and as a small child, I thought very ornate.  I was five years old when I attended my first funeral. A neighbor Van Brandon had died.” [Lois (Tomblin) Noble – My 55 years in Minnesota, 1997]

By WWI the Herreid brothers, Henry, George, and William had established several businesses in Deer River.  Though all were capable of embalming, it was William who handled the undertaking business.  He was elected Itasca County Coroner in 1918, a position he held for many years. Because of the size of the county, he appointed as deputies William Libby of Grand Rapids and A.P. Peterson of Coleraine.

George Herreid recalled transporting bodies in the early years, “In those days there simply were not any roads.  The only thoroughfares were the rivers and other water routes – or foot trails for foot travel.  In winter, teams and sleighs traveled over frozen and snow-covered roads with comparative comfort.  But unfortunately, folks did not always pick wintertime in which to die.  In summer the trails that were open for winter traffic were muddy, rutted, tree roots reached out across the trails, and it was virtually impossible for a wagon to negotiate the trails.  Many a body was taken out on stone boats over such trails, Mr. Herreid says.” [Editor A.L. LaFreniere’s Nosin’ Around column, Deer River News 5-12-1949]