LACLEDE COUNTY, MO., OBITS 1937: Noticed this obit for MILLER CO persons: After four days of futile labor, men in boats dragging the Osage river five miles below Bagnall dam today had abandoned their search, until the river goes down, for the bodies of two men and a Richland child who were drowned last Sunday when their boat sank. The drowned victims are: VERA COX, 12 year old orphan, who lived with her half sister, MRS. SHERMAN ATKINSON, at Turkey Ridge. LESLIE KEETH, 35, of Iberia, a cousin of the Cox child, WILLIAM EIFFERT, 45 of Iberia. These three and two other young girls, DORIS EDWARDS, 14 of Kings Bluff, and RENA GARDNER, 14 of Iberia, were enjoying a fishing trip in a boat powered by an outboard motor. They had been drifting with the current when Mr. Keeth decided to start the motor. As he stepped back to crank the engine, the stern of the heavily loaded small boat was submerged and the craft quickly filled with water and sand. The Edwards girl grabbed an inflated inner tube as the boat began to sink.. LCR, May 21, 1937 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and this from a 2nd obit: The murky turgid waters of the Osage river this week gave up the bodies of two MILLER COUNTY men who drowned ten days ago, and as they were being prepared for burial, grimfaced fishermen continued their search for the body of 12 year old VERA COX, orphan of a Richland World War Veteran. Fifteen miles downstream from the Kings' Bluff where LESLIE KEITH, 35, WILLIAM EIFFERT, 45, AND VERA COX, 12, drowned May 23, (1937)the body of Keith floated to the surface last Saturday morning.....(goes on with details of search...) The Adams and Casey funeral home at Iberia...(can't be read)...The men who found....(can't read)....body of William Eiffert was found three quarters of a mile downstream from the spot where the trio sand as they struggled to get out of a sinking boat. His body came to rest on a sand bar as they murky waters of the Osage receded from half flood status. His body too was taken charge by Adams and Casey. Both bodies were so badly decomposed that they were not recognizable. Meanwhile, three rowboats each manned by two veteran river men, continued a valiant patrol up and down the Osage in hopes of finding the body of Vera Cox , the third member of the party who drowned. LCR, June 4, 1937 Nancy W. in CA.
Thanks Nancy Walchli for the obits for these people who drowned. The Leslie Keeth of Iberia who drowned was Leslie C. Keeth. His parents were James Harrison "Little Jim" Keeth and Mary Jane <Wall> Keeth. All I had down for him was that he drowned and no other information. Barbara (Sloan) Darst