----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda" <llt@hoosierlink.net> Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 2:47 PM ============== > Source: GC-Wabash County Obituaries > URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/In/WabashObits/238 > Subject: DAVID COBLE > > > Surname: Coble, Stanley, Swain, McClure, Pond, Jones, Jenkins > ------------------------- > > Taken from the Wabash Plain Dealer in Wabash, Indiana ... Wed., Aug. 11, > 1909 > > Living to the age of ninety-three, and more, one of the sturdy pioneers > of Wabash County, David Coble, who had successfully withstood the ravages > of time, yielded to accident today, and met death as a result of an accident > on the street car line. > > This is the third fatality upon the line, the first being Mrs. Neucomb, > the second, Mrs. John Unger and the third Mr. Coble, but fate seemed to > enter a hand in each case for the street car men seem to have been as careful > as could be asked. > > The accident of this morning, which tore away one of the oldest and best-known > residents of Wabash, was due to the overestimation of his strength by Mr. > Coble. > > This morning, shortly before ten o'clock, Mr. Coble, decided that he wanted > to walk to the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. P. Jones, on north Wabash > Street. > > He refused all entreaties to wait and ride and started on the walk alone. > Unable to persuade him not to go, his daughter, Miss Coble, telephoned > to Mr. Jones and Mrs. Ed Holder drove to meet him, but arrived too late. > > Owing to his age and his rugged life, Mr. Coble did not realize that he > was not strong and in his childish pleasure at the trip he continued his > way. At the intersection of Columbus and Vernon Streets he continued on > Columbus Street. > > This part of the street is cut off from traffic, regularly, and so the > street car men did not expect to meet with anyone. At a sharp curve, at > the stone crusher, Mr. Coble yielded to exhaustion or the infirmities of > age, and fell forward, his left leg and left arm over the track. > > He lay there, still, as the city car came along, Will Chasey, motorman > and Hiram Guthrie, conductor. Both say that the curve and the surroundings > prevented their seeing Mr. Coble as he lay helpless. > > The car struck him and amputated the left leg about ten inches below the > thigh. The left arm was also amputated, leaving a stump about five inches > in length. On the left side of his head was a wound, no doubt caused by > his falling upon the hard road. > > At once the car was stopped, Dr. N. H. Thompson called, the accident occurring > at 10:30 o'clock. Dr. Thompson was soon there and finding it would be better > to hasten to the house than remain by the road, Mr. Coble was tenderly > placed in the car and a quick run was made to his home on West Pike Street. > > At some time on the run to the house, death came, the condition of Mr. > Coble being so weak that it could not be told just when death came. He > never suffered pain and knew nothing of the accident, death coming to him > without any harshness to him, after so many active years. > > The street car men assert they had the car under perfect control but on > a street closed to traffic, at the curve which was so sharp and with his > lying quietly they had no way of learning that he was on the track and > the fatality was not a result of their carelessness. > > In this investigation would seem to bear out the statement. Mr. Coble, > because of his great age, was more or less childish and thought he could > make a trip as he desired although it developed that several persons had > warned him. As soon as Mr. Jones knew he was walking they hastened to meet > him but could not save him from the death that came. > > Mr. Coble was sturdy and a man of integrity and strength of character. > A member of the Friends' Church, he was always devoted to its teaching > and was a man among men. > > For years he was a noted hunter and has killed deer in this vicinity, as > well as in other localities. Even after he had passed ninety years of age > he went hunting for short distances, often, and he took great delight in > the chase. As a hunter he won distinction among those who knew of his feats. > > He was a man spared to a second generation and was one who throughout his > life was active and honorable in all things. A gentleman of the old school > he was courteous and made and kept friends even to the last. For several > months he has been growing much weaker than in the past. > > Mr. Coble was formerly a miller and resided near Red Bridge. he was born > in Preble County, Ohio, May 18, 1816. He spent most of his boyhood days > in Darke County, Ohio, where he was the recipient of a rather limited education > following only farming until coming to Indiana in 1836 where he located > in Henry County and started learning the business of making fanning mills. > After conducting this business until the latter part of the fall of 1852 > he moved to Wabash County, first locating in Somerset where he purchased > a farm. Mr. Coble has lived in various parts of the county including a > residence of some two years in Wabash where he was engaged in the mercantile > business. > > In 1865 he with S. B. Jones as a partner, purchased the Stephen Jones farm > and laid out the site of South Wabash. In 1879 he owned and conducted the > Sherman house in this city remaining here until purchasing the Eagle flour > mills at Red Bridge in the spring of 1881 which was the twenty-first move > their family had made since their first experience in housekeeping. Mr. > Coble has been married twice, first in 1839 to Rebecca Stanley, they having > one son, William P. Coble. Mrs. Coble died May 28, 1844. On September 19, > 1845 he was again united in marriage to Miss Susan E. Swain, born in North > Carolina, in 1822. To this union were born seven children. Of these, five > are still living, Rebecca Jane, now Mrs. John McClure, of Petoskey, Michigan, > Mrs. Phoebe Pond, widow, residing in this city; Miss Mollie Coble, city; > Louise F., now the wife of W. P. Jones, city; and Elmina B., wife of Charles > Jenkins of Marion. These five children are all that are left of the family > to mourn their loss, the mother and two daughters having been dead for > some time. > > The funeral arrangements have not yet been completed. > ***** > Taken from the Wabash Plain Dealer in Wabash, Indiana: > > The funeral of David Coble will be held tomorrow morning at 10:30 o'clock > from the Friends' Church, west of the city. Rev. Myron Hartley will officiate, > assisted by Rev. Richard Haworth. Interment will be in the Friends' Cemetery > at the Church, he being laid to rest beside his wife. Those who desire > to view they could not tell that Mr. Coble anytime before ten o'clock tomorrow > morning. Motorman Chasey and Conductor Guthrie stated that they did not > know until that was lying on the track until they were 100 feet from him. > His form was so much like the surroundings that they did not know until > that distance it was a man. > > Even then they did not recognize who it was until they had reached him. > The car was stopped after the front wheel had passed Mr. Coble but before > the rear wheel had, the car being just over him. The accident was a most > unfortunate one for all and is deeply regretted by every one who knew and > loved Mr. Coble for so many years.