Mark Crawford
| Date of Interment or Death | 01/20/1931 |
|---|---|
| Location | Old Fairview |
| Section | D |
| Block-Lot-Grave | 1-3-4 |
Obituary
Center Township Farmer is Fatally Injured by Bull
Death Caused by Internal Hemorrhages, Chest, Back and Side Crushed by Animal
Funeral services for Mark Crawford, pioneer Richland County farmer and highly respected citizen, will be held at two o’clock from the Congregational church in Wahpeton and interment will be in the Fairview cemetery. Mr. Crawford was killed last Thursday when his Holstein bull turned upon him and inflicted fatal injuries. There were no witnesses to the tragedy which cause the death of Mark Crawford but the evidence indicates that he had led or driven the animal from a pen in the barn, down a runway and into the barnyard where it had been turned loose. Mr. Crawford had handled stock for many years and was unafraid of the bull as testified y the fact that he must have turned his back upon the animal and stooped to place a board under the barn door. He was struck in the back and the broken bones tearing his lungs.
The bull must have lunged again crushing his chest and later crushing his side. He was trapped against the side of the barn with a big water tank on his right hand. Blood stains along the wall of the barn for several feet showed where the animal gored him against the barn until he fell. The animal must have left him for dead. The injured man crawled into the barn, closed the door, walked through the barn and out another door and was halfway to the house where he fell against a light pole. Crawford was siting against the pole when a hired man who had been in the field getting straw drove up to the house. The injured man waved his hand in the direction of the machine shed but before help could get to him he had passed away. The housekeeper, Mrs. Springer came out at this time and Mr. Crawford was taken into the house.
Medical aid was called a once, but nothing could be done. Efforts were made to capture the animal which was enraged and free in the yard. The wire fence held it in but the fence wouldn’t have stood an instant had the animal charged. However, it seemed to believe the fence would hold it and stood glaring at the would-be capturers. The animal has been killed. It was of blooded Holstein stock.
Mark Crawford was born May 1, 1877 at Eyota, Minn. In 1881, he came to Wahpeton with his parents who both have passed away since. The family lived in Wahpeton for a year after which they moved to great Bend. They lived upon this farm for about eleven years.
The Crawford farm, four and a half miles west of Wahpeton is a landmark familiar to everyone. Mark Crawford came to that farm from Great Bend vicinity and made it his home ever since. He was working on the farm at the time of the fatal accident
His immediate relatives who survive are a brother, Robert Crawford and family of Aakron, Ohio; a brother, Walter Crawford who lives just across the road from the old Crawford farm; a sister Mrs. Buckingham and family of Marshfield, Oregon. Mark Crawford was a member of the Congregational church. He was president of the Sunday school of Dwight Congregational church until I was consolidated with the Wahpeton church, after which he became an active member of the Wahpeton church.
Mark Crawford was well known over the county as a highly respected, well liked and industrious farmer and a good neighbor. His untimely death has caused sincere mourning among a host of friends. Unfortunately, due to difficulty in being understood over the rural telephone line, the Farmer-Globe had Mr. Crawford’s age wrong in the last issue. He was fifty-four years old. The fatal accident occurred just as the Farmer-Globe was going to press. The press had to be stopped and the report as to his age was not accurate.
Active pallbearers at the funeral which will be held on Tuesday afternoon at two o’clock from the Congregational church here will be F.D. Ward, Frederick Nunns, J.J. Boomgaarden, R. T. Barber, Peter Sletten and Mr. Carlton from Valley City. Honorary pallbearers, all neighbors of the Crawfords are F. E. Nunns, Sr. Peter Ruddy, James Ruud, Thos O’Leary, J. Brand, Clarence Moore and August Matt. Reverend Hall will preach the funeral service, his topic to be “A Good Man is Rather to be Chosen than Great Riches and to be Well Thought of than Silver and Gold. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery.”
Headstone photograph(s)
Location
Old Fairview is located on the southern half of the cemetery grounds.