Individual Details
Harry R. Staberg
(11 Feb 1893 - 9 Dec 1909)
True Republican, 26 Aug 1909, p1
Boat Capsizes in the Storm
Three Lives Lost in the St. Croix
A most unfortunate accident occured on the lake between Hudson and Lakeland last Saturday night in which three persons were drowned and a fourth carried to the very brink. For a few days Miss Signa Peterson, who lived with her people near Moose Lake, came down to visit her cousins, Jennie, Minerva and Hilda Peterson of Lakeland. They in company with Louella, Harry and Alfred Staberg and William Wendell came over to Hudson. They seemed especially anxious to entertain their guest from the nirth pleasantly, taking her through the mill and to the several places of interest in and about Hudson. They enjoyed the evening until about half past ten o'clock when they started for Lakeland in two row boats. Hilda and Signa Peterson, William Wendell and Harry Staberg started over in one of the boats, the other three girls and Alfred Staberg in the other. The wind which had blown all day was still high, making the lake dangerously rough. In getting into the boat the young men advised the girls to separate, one getting into each end so as to balance, but they preferred to sit together in the stern. With the two men in the oar seats the stern was weighted down close to the water. When the craft reached about the middle of the lake the waves were so high they broke over the boat and began to fill with water. By this time the boats had been swept apart and the approaching storm caused a thick darkness to settle over the lake. The noise of the eaves was such that no calls could be heard from one boat to the other. When the one containing Alfred Staberg and the three girls landed they could hear nothing of their companios and after waiting a short time concluded they had gone home, but were soon warned that no tidings had been heard from them. Staberg then took his boat and made a search, but hearing nothing returned to shore.
It happened that Melvin Davis of Lakeland who is working in St. Paul came home on the midnight train and was walking home on the track. He was above the lake and could hear cries that were drowned in the roar of the waters below. Coming upon the anxious group, he told them of hearing cries for help. He and Staberg took the boat and started in the direction. By aid of the lightning they could see an upturned boat swaying about in the tumbling waters with a single figure clinging to it. They backed their boat and seized it. It was Harry Staberg. He lost his hold and became unconscious, uttering the words, "One more wave would have finished me."
He was taken home, while the lake was dragged for his companions. About nine o'clock he began to regain consciousness and was soon able to tell what he remembered of the fatal night. He tells of the boat partly filling with water with the breaking of white caps, of the rowers trying to turn the boat so as to cut the waves, then of the fearful plunge, of struggling with the tumbling waters, of one of the girls clasping his companion, and of the two going down to be seen no more. The other girl clasped the slippery bottom of the swaying boat a moment and disappeared. He tells of twice getting on the boat, of being dashed off and losing it. He was a good swimmer nd kept afloat till he reached it the last time when his strength held out till the rescuers reached him.
The bodies were recovered about ten o'clock o Sunday night. They were about the middle of the lake, showing that the party was half way across when the accident took place. The survivor was rescued about two hundred feet this wide of the wing dam, showing that he ust have drifted about half a mile with the wind.
The body of the unfortunate visitor was taken to the home of her parents at Moose Lake, that of Hilda Peterson was buried at Lakeland and that of Wendell in the Catholic cemetery of this city.
The occurence has made a deep impression on the people of both Lakeland and Hudson.
HSO, 26 Aug 1909, p1
Three Meet Death in Boating Tragedy
Hilda and Sigria Peterson and Billie Wendell are Drowned
Miss Hilda Peterson, daughter of Mrs. Louis Peterson, Billie Wendell, both of Lakeland, and Miss Sigria Peterson, daughter of Michael Peterson of Moose Lake, Minn., were drownd in the St. Croix while going from Hudson to Lakeland in a boat Saturday evening.
The story of the accident is reported as follows: Saturday evening the above named young people in company with Harry Staberg, who was rescued clinging to the boat, and four others in another boat, came across from Lakeland to attend the Theatre Delight. About ten thirty they started on their return passage. The other boat reached the shore in safety. Mr. Staberg reports that both young ladies were seated in the back end of the boat which placed the same low in the water and as the waves were running high, water came into the boat. Realizing their perilous position the boys endeavered to point the boat into the waves but in endeavering to do so a heavy swell filled the boat and caused the same to capsize. The girls succeeded in catching hold of Mr. Wendell in such a manner as to make swimming impossible and all three went to the bottom. Mr. Staberg hung to the overturned craft and was rescued. When the boat overturned a strong wind from the southeast was blowing which caused the boat to drift toward the Minnesota shore. Mr. Davis of Lakeland, having been in St. Paul and returned on the late train, heard the cries for help and in company with Staberg, a brother of the rescued man, launched a boat and succeeded in saving his life.
Boats by the dozen were nanned Sunday morning and the search for the bodies commenced but they could not be found. In the evening, Fisherman John, as he is called, of Stillwater, arrived on the scene and by 11:30 located the bodies and brought them to shore. The boat overturned about halfway between Hudson and Lakeland and the bodies were recovered in about twenty feet of water.
A heavy wind which had prevailed all day had whipped the lake into a turmoil of white capped waves and made it exceedingly dangerous for launches as well as row boats.
Mr. Staberg states that if the girls could have been prevaled upon to sit one in each end of the boat the danger would have been lessened and without a doubt they would have been enabled to reach shore in safety.
Mr. Staberg has been prostrted since the accident and it was difficulty that the location of about where they overturned was ascertained.
The funeral of Miss Hilda Peterson was held Tuesday from the Swedish Lutheran church at Lakeland, Rev. Odal and Boist officiating. The remains of Miss Sigria Peterson were shipped to her home Tuesday evening.
The funeral of Wm. Wendell, the young man who drowned Saturday evening, was held from the Catholic church Wednesday morning.
HSO, 26 Aug 1909, p1
Fisherman John, who recovered the bodies, estimated that their recovery made a total of 170 bodies that he had taken out of the water during his life as a fisherman. He worked on a system of his own, of which he was very jealous and kept a closely guarded secret. He would undertake recoveries until after dark and would not allow another boat to come near him. The commenced his work about 8:30 Sunday evening and at 11:30 he brought the bodies to shore. He reported that they were found very close together.
HSO, 16 Dec 1909, p5, c3, Home News
Harry Staberg, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Staberg, Lakeland, died last week Thursday afternoon, following an operation for appendicitis, at the age of 16. Funeral and burial were on Saturday. Deceased was the sole survivor of a party that was thrown into lake St. Croix last summer.
Boat Capsizes in the Storm
Three Lives Lost in the St. Croix
A most unfortunate accident occured on the lake between Hudson and Lakeland last Saturday night in which three persons were drowned and a fourth carried to the very brink. For a few days Miss Signa Peterson, who lived with her people near Moose Lake, came down to visit her cousins, Jennie, Minerva and Hilda Peterson of Lakeland. They in company with Louella, Harry and Alfred Staberg and William Wendell came over to Hudson. They seemed especially anxious to entertain their guest from the nirth pleasantly, taking her through the mill and to the several places of interest in and about Hudson. They enjoyed the evening until about half past ten o'clock when they started for Lakeland in two row boats. Hilda and Signa Peterson, William Wendell and Harry Staberg started over in one of the boats, the other three girls and Alfred Staberg in the other. The wind which had blown all day was still high, making the lake dangerously rough. In getting into the boat the young men advised the girls to separate, one getting into each end so as to balance, but they preferred to sit together in the stern. With the two men in the oar seats the stern was weighted down close to the water. When the craft reached about the middle of the lake the waves were so high they broke over the boat and began to fill with water. By this time the boats had been swept apart and the approaching storm caused a thick darkness to settle over the lake. The noise of the eaves was such that no calls could be heard from one boat to the other. When the one containing Alfred Staberg and the three girls landed they could hear nothing of their companios and after waiting a short time concluded they had gone home, but were soon warned that no tidings had been heard from them. Staberg then took his boat and made a search, but hearing nothing returned to shore.
It happened that Melvin Davis of Lakeland who is working in St. Paul came home on the midnight train and was walking home on the track. He was above the lake and could hear cries that were drowned in the roar of the waters below. Coming upon the anxious group, he told them of hearing cries for help. He and Staberg took the boat and started in the direction. By aid of the lightning they could see an upturned boat swaying about in the tumbling waters with a single figure clinging to it. They backed their boat and seized it. It was Harry Staberg. He lost his hold and became unconscious, uttering the words, "One more wave would have finished me."
He was taken home, while the lake was dragged for his companions. About nine o'clock he began to regain consciousness and was soon able to tell what he remembered of the fatal night. He tells of the boat partly filling with water with the breaking of white caps, of the rowers trying to turn the boat so as to cut the waves, then of the fearful plunge, of struggling with the tumbling waters, of one of the girls clasping his companion, and of the two going down to be seen no more. The other girl clasped the slippery bottom of the swaying boat a moment and disappeared. He tells of twice getting on the boat, of being dashed off and losing it. He was a good swimmer nd kept afloat till he reached it the last time when his strength held out till the rescuers reached him.
The bodies were recovered about ten o'clock o Sunday night. They were about the middle of the lake, showing that the party was half way across when the accident took place. The survivor was rescued about two hundred feet this wide of the wing dam, showing that he ust have drifted about half a mile with the wind.
The body of the unfortunate visitor was taken to the home of her parents at Moose Lake, that of Hilda Peterson was buried at Lakeland and that of Wendell in the Catholic cemetery of this city.
The occurence has made a deep impression on the people of both Lakeland and Hudson.
HSO, 26 Aug 1909, p1
Three Meet Death in Boating Tragedy
Hilda and Sigria Peterson and Billie Wendell are Drowned
Miss Hilda Peterson, daughter of Mrs. Louis Peterson, Billie Wendell, both of Lakeland, and Miss Sigria Peterson, daughter of Michael Peterson of Moose Lake, Minn., were drownd in the St. Croix while going from Hudson to Lakeland in a boat Saturday evening.
The story of the accident is reported as follows: Saturday evening the above named young people in company with Harry Staberg, who was rescued clinging to the boat, and four others in another boat, came across from Lakeland to attend the Theatre Delight. About ten thirty they started on their return passage. The other boat reached the shore in safety. Mr. Staberg reports that both young ladies were seated in the back end of the boat which placed the same low in the water and as the waves were running high, water came into the boat. Realizing their perilous position the boys endeavered to point the boat into the waves but in endeavering to do so a heavy swell filled the boat and caused the same to capsize. The girls succeeded in catching hold of Mr. Wendell in such a manner as to make swimming impossible and all three went to the bottom. Mr. Staberg hung to the overturned craft and was rescued. When the boat overturned a strong wind from the southeast was blowing which caused the boat to drift toward the Minnesota shore. Mr. Davis of Lakeland, having been in St. Paul and returned on the late train, heard the cries for help and in company with Staberg, a brother of the rescued man, launched a boat and succeeded in saving his life.
Boats by the dozen were nanned Sunday morning and the search for the bodies commenced but they could not be found. In the evening, Fisherman John, as he is called, of Stillwater, arrived on the scene and by 11:30 located the bodies and brought them to shore. The boat overturned about halfway between Hudson and Lakeland and the bodies were recovered in about twenty feet of water.
A heavy wind which had prevailed all day had whipped the lake into a turmoil of white capped waves and made it exceedingly dangerous for launches as well as row boats.
Mr. Staberg states that if the girls could have been prevaled upon to sit one in each end of the boat the danger would have been lessened and without a doubt they would have been enabled to reach shore in safety.
Mr. Staberg has been prostrted since the accident and it was difficulty that the location of about where they overturned was ascertained.
The funeral of Miss Hilda Peterson was held Tuesday from the Swedish Lutheran church at Lakeland, Rev. Odal and Boist officiating. The remains of Miss Sigria Peterson were shipped to her home Tuesday evening.
The funeral of Wm. Wendell, the young man who drowned Saturday evening, was held from the Catholic church Wednesday morning.
HSO, 26 Aug 1909, p1
Fisherman John, who recovered the bodies, estimated that their recovery made a total of 170 bodies that he had taken out of the water during his life as a fisherman. He worked on a system of his own, of which he was very jealous and kept a closely guarded secret. He would undertake recoveries until after dark and would not allow another boat to come near him. The commenced his work about 8:30 Sunday evening and at 11:30 he brought the bodies to shore. He reported that they were found very close together.
HSO, 16 Dec 1909, p5, c3, Home News
Harry Staberg, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Staberg, Lakeland, died last week Thursday afternoon, following an operation for appendicitis, at the age of 16. Funeral and burial were on Saturday. Deceased was the sole survivor of a party that was thrown into lake St. Croix last summer.
Events
| Birth | 11 Feb 1893 | Minnesota |  | ||
| Death | 9 Dec 1909 | Washington County, Minnesota | | ||
| Burial | Lakeland, Washington, Minnesota, Lakeview Cem | |
Families
| Father | John Stageberg (1860 - ) |
| Mother | Christine Engstrom (1864 - 1948) |
| Sibling | George Victor Staberg (1887 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Alfred Bernhart Staberg (1889 - ) |
| Sibling | Louella "Ella" Staberg (1891 - 1973) |
| Sibling | Daniel Edward Staberg (1895 - 1956) |
| Sibling | Anna M. Staberg (1898 - 1977) |
| Sibling | John Harold "Harold" Staberg (1900 - 1984) |
| Sibling | Robert W. Staberg (1902 - 1985) |
| Sibling | Evelyn Ruth Staberg (1906 - 1989) |
Endnotes
1. State of Minnesota, Death Records, CertID# 1909-MN-013744 .
2. State of Minnesota, Death Records, CertID# 1909-MN-013744 .
3. Minnesota Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 1, p20.