G2G: Newman Grove, Nebraska - March 1913 snow storm deaths?

Question

Does anyone have access to records in Newman Grove, Nebraska? Specifically weather related deaths in early March of 1913.  We knew that our GGfather was a traveling minister in SD, and he died in Newman Grove. I figured he was on a regular journey, doing baptisms etc. pertaining to his roll as  minister when he fell ill and died, but recent mention was made that the circumstances of his death were that he and others traveling with him from SD, were on a mercy mission to bring supplies to Newman Grove when a severe snow storm caused the death of that party along with the families they were trying to rescue.  I cannot find any records to support this. Find very few burials in Newman Grove for Mar of 1913.  They were Hauge synod Lutherans.

Comments

What is your Grandfathers name, approx age, where was he born.

Answer 1

Patricia:

   Here's a clipping from The Bristow Enterprise (Bristow, Nebraska):

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bristow-enterprise/125465840/

Hope it helps.

                   Roger 

Comments

Thank you Roger - this is a great help.  That supports my original theory on what happened. He may have gotten pneumonia from the weather on the trip, but didn't freeze to death in the wagon with his companions and the residents   of Newman Grove as the recent info suggested.

Answer 2

March 1913 was a rather eventful month for Nebraska weather, which included the Easter Sunday tornado outbreak which killed several hundred people in the Omaha area.

As for early March, all I find mention of is a significant blizzard that hit the Norfolk, Nebraska region about March 1, 1913. It certainly could have hit the Madison and Newman Grove area too. The Grand Island newspapers indicate that this storm was predicted to hit Grand Island too, however, the storm ultimately missed Grand Island.

**It appears there had been a number of blizzards during this time, with one of the worst hitting around March 15-17, 1913, however I'm not finding any specific mention of snow totals or deaths.

Comments

Thank you Sondra. When searching for weather events in March, the tornado  was all that came up in the results.  Must have been a brutal place to live.  

Getting caught in the March 1st blizzard could have caused the pneumonia that he died of on the 8th, so the story that came my way was based on fact, just got tweaked some.

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March 1913 news was dominated by the Easter Sunday tornadoes. It was all I found initially.

From what I'm seeing it looks like end of February through Mid March saw some pretty brutal winter storms that tracked through Nebraska and Iowa.