Robert Miller Haines Jr. (1875 - 1924)

Born 17 Jun 1875 in Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Died 5 Aug 1924 at age 49 in Lake Minnetonka, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joann Haines [send private message]

Biography

I found an obit in the Cornell library that says Robert Miller Haines, Jr. drowned in Lake Minnetonka, MN on August 5, 1924. The obit:

"Rober Miller Haines, an attorney in Des Moines, Ia., was drowned in Lake Minnetonka, Minn., on August 5, 1924. He was born at Grinnell, Ia., on June 17, 1875, the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Haines. He attended Grinnell College, from which he came to Cornell in 1895 as a special law student. At the end of a year he left the University."

Grinnell paper's obit:

GAVE LIFE TO SAVE ANOTHER "Bob" Haines Meets Death Tuesday Evening in Waters of Lake Minnetonka LAST CONSCIOUS ACT WAS TO INSURE WIFE'S SAFETY Body Was Brought to Grinnell For Funeral Services Held Thursday Afternoon

Word flashed over the wires Tuesday night brought the sad news of the death of Robert M., or as every one knew him, "Bob" Haines, drowned while bathing with a party of friends in Lake Minnetonka. The news came as a crushing blow to his mother, Mrs. R.M. Haines, and to his sister, Mrs. W.G. Ray, and to many other relatives and friends in Grinnell, who had thought of Bob as busy, happy and successful in Minneapolis. The Body was brought to Grinnell on the early morning train Thursday by his brothers, Austin P. Haines of Minneapolis and Dr. James Haines of Stillwater, Minn., accompanied by his wife and her mother. From later details available regarding the tragedy it appears that Mr. and Mrs. Haines had gone bathing in Minnetonka with a small party of friends. They did not wish to go, but others over-persuaded them. The lake is very low and it was possible to wade out a long distance where the bottom was not known and at one point there was a step-off which was a source of danger. As the party entered the water two men struck out for deeper water and Bob, his wife and another lady friend, waded in more slowly. Mrs. Haines was leading when suddenly she plunged in and out of her depth. Bob attempted to rescue her and they sank twice. Then with rare self sacrifice he pushed her toward safety so that the other lady was able to seize her and draw her to safety. Then he sank. The other men, hastening back, endeavored to recover the body but in vain and it was not for an hour and a half that it was removed from the water. Bob Haines was R.M. Haines, Jr. His father is still remembered and will always be remembered here as a lawyer of unusual attainments and of highest character. He was one of the men whose lives left a lasting impression on Grinnell. His mother, still living, is one of Grinnell's rare women; a woman who has lived nobly and whose life has enriched others. Into this home R.M. Haines Jr. was born and grew up, a sweet natured, promising boy. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1895 and graduated in law at Iowa University, received his degree and was admitted to the bar. He practiced for a time in Grinnell but later moved to Des Moines, where he became a member of the firm of Dunshee & Haines. About a year ago he left Des Moines to become a member of the firm of Davis & Michel in Minneapolis. He was a brilliant lawyer. He had inherited his father's keen legal mind. He was a fluent and convincing speaker and his rise to prominence in legal circles was almost meteoric. He had a reputation of having a knowledge of tax laws second to no attorney in the state. Shortly after he went to Des Moines, Mr. Haines was married to Miss Katherine Bray and a son, now 12 years old, was born to them. About a year ago, he was married again to Miss Bernice Byram, daughter of J.C. Byram, of Des Moines, who almost perished with him in the lake.^[1]

Sources

1880 - Census, 4 years old, living on High Street, Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa with parents, Robert M (41) and Joanna H (36), siblings, Mary (9), James H (8), Sarah A (7), and Charles H (2), grandmother, Mary A Harris (74), and servant, Lucy Daly (22):

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDL6-3GC : 14 January 2022), Robert M. Haines in household of Robert M. Haines, Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .