Tragedies of the Lake
Any misspelling is correct till I go through and edit them.
These page will be used to record any accidents that occured on Lake Maxinkuckee - whether it be fatal or not. Any lake accident still leaves vivid memories of the reality of what could of been...; some accidents left the person disfigured or handicapped
for life or dead. One can read of the near traegdies and rejoice in the outcome and hopefully learn a lesson by reading the story of how very beautiful our Lake Maxinkuckee is and yet the potential danger
that lurks there if carelessness ouccried during lake activities.
1882 - [Very long article reporting deaths of two local people at Lake Maxinkuckee] . . . The party consisted of Will PLANK, Will MERCER, James RANNELLS, Lyman BEARSS, Florence DELBERT, Lola TRUE, Birdie HICKMAN and Edith COPELAND, all of this city
except Miss Delbert, whose residence is at Peru. . . . Rannells and Bearss only lacked a few months of being of age. Plank is about 18 years of age and Mercer about 20 years old. The ladies are all in their teens. [While taking a boat ride, the boat sank] . . .
and two of them - Bearss and Rannells - sank to rise no more alive. . . . As soon as possible thereafter, they were conveyed to this place by V. ZIMMERMAN and preparations made for their burial, which took place on Thursday. Lyman BEARSS was taken by
his friends to Peru for interment and James RANNELLS was buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery. The funeral of Rannells took place from the residence of Mr. John RANNELLS and the M.E. church where Rev. R. D. UTTER preached a very appropriate and
touching sermon. . . . Of the deceased and surviving members of the party, but little need by said. Lyman Bearss was a son of Hon. George E. BEARSS, who resides three miles west of this place on a farm. He was a young man of more than average intellectual
ability, of fine appearance and bore a good name for morality and good behavior. He was the oldest of the family and was his father’s pride and his mother’s darling.
James Rannells was a son of David M. RANNELLS who is well known in this city and throughout the county. “Jimmy” as he was commonly called, was a very quiet and retired young man. He enjoyed company, but never exhibited the overflow of good cheer
common among his associates. For several years he has been engaged in EMRICK’s Cigar Store as a roller of the weed into cigars. He was of steady habits and seldom could be enticed into some of the enjoyments indulged in by his companions, yet he was a
favorite among all th boys and girls of his class. Of the boys rescued, but little need be said. Will Plank and Will Mercer are sons of Dr. A. K. PLANK and Levi MERCER, respectively. They are both lively and interesting young men, given to no special bad practices
except those common to boys of their age, who have not been properly restrained. . . . . . Rochester Sentinel - Saturday, September 2, 1882
1898 - October 7 Culver Herald: Cadets Burner, 19, and Morehead, 18, were drowned while boating on Lake Maxinkuckee Wednesday afternoon. Without obtaining permission fron the Academy they secured a boat and went sailing along the east shore beyond
the Indiana boat house when a sudden aquall [squall] capsized the boat tossin gthe boys into the water. Burner was caught under the sail, Morehead held onto the aft end of the boat. Burner freed himself, bout could not swin. Morehead lost his hold attempting
to help Burner and both sank to the bottom. The accident occurred about 3 p.m. The bodies were recovered. And for the first
time in its history the flag at the Academy was flown at falf mast.
Culver Citizen - 1902 - - "Mrs. Dr. SELFRIDGE of Jasonville, Ind., a guest at the Arlington, went out upon the lake [Lake Maxinkuckee] accompanied by her three year old son. The little lad stood up in the boat and fell headlong into the water.
The frightened mother sprang overboard to the rescue of her little son and grabbing the rope trailing from the boat was rescued by other guests at the Arlington. The mother's nerves had been at such tension from fright that after being brought ashore
she was prostrated for several hours."
Mother's Brave Act,
Saved Her Child from Drowning at
Maxinkuckee Lake
Mrs. Selferidge, wife of Dr. Selfridge of Jasonville, is a guest at the Arlington Hotel, Culver. Entering a boat with her three year old child, Sunday, she rowed out in Maxinkuckee lake. The little of in some way fell in. Callign for assistance the child's mother s
rung overboard, clasped her son in her arms, and clung to an anchor rope which was trailing form [from] the boat, until some of the other guests, who had witnessed the accident fromthe pier, were able to aid her in reaching the shore. - pg. 1 17 Jul 1902
Logansport Dailey Reporter
Culver Citizen - 1903 August 13 –-- Seven drunks while out boat riding last Sunday upset their boat about a half mile out from the boat house. They were rescued. A peculiar feature of the affair is they were as drunk after the experience as before…
3 Sept 1903 - Culver Citizen
Mrs. Mary Castleman
Drowned in Lake Maxinkuckee
The community was startled last Thursday morning by the shocking news that Mrs. Mary Castleman, wife of J. H. Castleman had drowned the night before...Becoming greatly alarmed a thorough search was instituted resulting in the discovery of her apparently
lifeless body under the pier near Kreuzberger's Park about 10 p.m.....
Monday, March 28, 1904 Rochester Sentinel
By taking a shot gun by the muzzle and attempting to pull it over a seat in a boat at Lake Maxinkuckee Saturday afternoon, Clyde COMBS accidentally discharged the gun and the load tore a large hole in his abdomen, from the effects of which he died four hours later.
Combs and a boy were out on the lake and when struck by the discharge he was knocked out of the boat backwards. The boy was successful in getting him in and rowing to shore, a buggy came along shortly afterwards and Combs walked to it and climbed in
unassisted and was taken to a doctor’s office in Culver. The wound was there dressed and he was removed to his home where he died about seven o’clock. He was conscious the greater part of the four hours he lived after the accident and told his family and
father of the accident.
Clyde Combs is the son of James COMBS, the grist mill man at Leiters, and lived at Culver where he operated a mill for his father. He was twenty years of age and leaves a wife and three month old baby.
The funeral was held at Leiters this afternoon at two o’clock
1906 - July - The issue of 12 July 1906 records the near drowning of - Gordan Leaf, age 6 who fell from the Peerless in front of the Lake View Hotel in about 30 to 40 feet of water. George Schal'er hearing the boys cries went to the rescue and on the second
attempt found the unconscious boy who had been in the water for six to seven minutes. Gen. Gignillant and others worked for hours to resuscitate the boy and succeeded.
1927 - August 17 – Midshipman rescued from lake.
Saturday, August 27, 1927 - Rochester Sentinel ---Brooding over ill health from which she had suffered for the past 18 months is believed to have been the cause of Mrs. Otto ALEXANDER, aged 48, of Culver committing suicide by drowning in Lake Maxinkuckee,
during the early hours of Friday morning. The body clad only in a night gown was recovered shortly after six a.m. Friday by her son, who with other members of the family had instigated a search for the missing woman.
The woman's husband, who is employed at Culver in the Ewald meat market, had remained at her bedside until 3:30 Friday morning when he fell asleep and some time between that period and six o'clock, Mrs. Alexander, who had been considered as being unable to
leave her bed, had walked from her home to the West shore of the lake and ended her life by drowning.
Mrs. Alexander had been a sufferer of a nervous disorder and but two days prior to her rash act had consulted an insurance agency concerning a policy on her life, which of course was not taken out on account of her physical condition.
Besides the husband, seven children survive. Funeral arrangements have not as yet been announced pending the decision of Coroner R. E. JOHNSON'S inquest, which is being conducted today.
14 June 1933 - Raymond T. Burton, age 25, was the first drowning victim this year in Lake Maxinkuckee. His body was recovered with some efforts
last Wed., after he and a companion went for a swim off the Lake View Hotel pier on the north shore of the lake. Burton was a member of the
orchestra of musician Jack Crawford, "the Clown Prince of Jazz" from Los Angles.
Thursday, July 22, 1943 Rochester Sentinel ---Culver, July 22. -- The body of Herbert SHAFFER, 34, Logansport business man who was
drowned July 10 in Lake Maxinkuckee, was recovered at 7:10 o'clock last night after it was sighted about 100 feet off the east shore
of the lake.
The body had drifted about a half mile from where the drowning occurred. The recovery came after eleven days of searching
for the body. Howard WADDELL, 28, of Logansport, who also drowned when the two men's boat was upset by the waves from a
passing motorboat, is still missing.
Search for his body is to be resumed with renewed effort.
Monday, August 9, 1943 Rochester Sentinel --- Logansport, Aug. 9. -- Funeral services were held this afternoon for Howard WADDELL,
28, whose body was recovered from Lake Maxinkuckee at 2:45 p.m. Saturday, 27 days after he and a companion, Herbert SHAFER, were
drowned.
Repeated dynamiting of the lake probably dislodged the body and brought it to the surface. Dynamiting was begun Friday
after every other effort to locate the body had failed. It took six more days to locate Waddell than any other drowning
victim in the history of Maxinkuckee.
Thursday, December 13, 1945 Rochester Sentinel ---- David Judge Hughes - Plymouth, Dec. 13. (INS) - Funeral services were planned
today for David Judge HUGHES, five-year-old son of Mrs. Charles E.
HUGHES, of Culver, who drowned Wednesday afternoon.
The child broke through the ice of Lake Maxinkuckee. The body was found after the mother missed the boy and began a search
with neighbors
Tuesday, January 22, 1946 Rochester Sentinel - John Milton MILNER, age 49, owner of the Culver Sheet Metal Wokers [Workers], was
stricken with a heart attack Sunday afternoon at 3:30 while fishing through the ice on Lake Maxinkuckee. Norman DUDDLESON, who was
ice skating, discovered Mr. Milner and summoned Dr. K. K. KRANING, of Kewanna, another fisherman on the lake. Dr. Kraning
administered first aid to Mr. Milner but later pronounced him dead. He was carried to the shore by Donald MIKESELL and Ford
OVERMYER.
He was born in Darling, Brown county, Indiana, and when a child lived in Indianapolis, going to Culver in 1919. Mr. Milner
served in the Air Corps during World War I . He was a member of the Culver Masonic Lodge.
Surviving are his wife Iva [MILNER]; a daughter, Mrs. Charles CLIFTON, of Culver; a son, Dan [MILNER], at home; his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. George MILNER, of Harbor Springs, Mich., and a half-sister, Mrs. Salina MALONE, of San Francisco.
1952 - July 9 – The first drowning in Lake Maxinkuckee since 1947 occurred July 4 when the body of Curtis Blanton, of
Louellen, Ky., was found in three feet of water at the town beach
Monday, June 25, 1956 Rochester Sentinel --- Cecil Slusser - Two drownings but a few moments apart occurred Sunday afternoon in
lakes in this vicinity. The victims were Cecil SLUSSER, 19, of near Logansport ..
Slusser was drowned in Lake Maxinkuckee when the boat in which he and four friends were riding was upset when it hit the wake made
by a high-powered motor boat. A nearby fishing boat was able to rescue all but Slusser...
1958 - July 9 – John Jewell, 41 of Wabash drowns in Lake near Academy’s swimming pier…
1958 - August 6 – Bob May escapes from burning motor boat…
1960's late - 1970's - ?Mc Kee dau. of Vern Mc Kee of Culver boating accident.
M. Hill writes:
I would like to give you a bit of information on one of your articles in the section of Lake Maxinkuckee drownings and
accidents. I am talking about the boating accident you refer to in the late 1960's/early 1070's with the name of ???
McKee. The victim in the accident was Janice McKee. I went to school with Janice. She was water skiing with some other
people and she was hit by the boat motor. It damaged her leg so severely that she had to have it amputated. Janice later
wore an artificial leg and continued on with her life. Hope this helps.
July 1980, Sunday - Culver Citizen issues 28 July 1980 Andre Guyton drowns in lake
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