This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Wiggins, Ilgenfritz, Lansing, Parnell, Arman, Garrison, Laws, Bartlett, Morehouse Catherwood Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Hi.2ADI/1705 Message Board Post: Lafayette Journal and Courier, Friday Evening, April 22, 1927 Falls Forty Feet to Death From Old Church Structure Charles Wiggins, 52, Meets Tragic Fate at Building Opposite High School When Rafter Gives Way and He Breaks Neck on Stone Below. Charles Wiggins, 52 years old, was instantly killed shortly before 1 o'clock Friday afternoon when he fell 40 feet from the roof rafters of the old building at the southeast corner of Ninth and Cincinnati streets and landed on a stone foundation cross wall. His neck was broken, also both of his legs. The building was formerly the Ninth Street M. E. church, but for many years has been used as a storage house, and is being torn down to clear off the site of the proposed addition to Jefferson high school. R. W. Lansing of Battle Ground bought the old structure and is salvaging it. Wiggins was working for Lansing. Falls With Rafter With them on the job, was John Parnell, of Frankfort. Lansing was climbing out on the rafters and was there just in time to see Wiggins drop into space. Parnell was outside the building and did not witness the tragic accident. The alarm was sounded and Captain Charles Arman and Patrolman Joseph Garrison of the police force responded with the police ambulance. Coroner Harry J. Laws ordered the body taken to the Soller funeral parlors. Wiggins had been working for Lansing only a few days. The men ate dinner together and were starting to work. It is thought that Wiggins crawled out to the end of the rafter to knock a board loose when the rafter fell with him. Life-Long Resident He had spent his entire life in Lafayette and was at one time engaged with John Catherwood, in the gravel business on the North River road. More recently Wiggins had been employed as a laborer. He was a member of Tippecanoe Camp No. 17, Woodmen of the World, and served as clerk of the camp. He was married to Alma Ilgenfritz, who survives, together with a son, Sherman Wiggins. The family lives at 1029 North Sixth street, and Mrs. Wiggins and her son were on their way to Remington when the accident occurred. Surviving also are two brothers, Chris Wiggins, of Lafayette, and Thomas Wiggins of Melott, and a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Morehouse. Funeral of Accident Victim Will Be Held Sunday, Grace Church The body of Charles Wiggins, who was instantly killed Friday afternoon when he fell from the rafters of the old Ninth Street M. E. church, which is being razed, was removed to the home, 1029 North Sixth street, Friday evening. Funeral services will be conducted from Grace U. R. church, of which he was a member, at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Burial in the Hebron cemetery. Besides the relatives, previously mentioned, Mr. Wiggins is survived by a sister Mrs. William Bartlett, of Badger Grove. He was born February 5, 1872, at Oxford, Ind.