Helen Annice Pounds

The first fatal auto accident occurred in this city last Saturday evening at about 6 o’clock, when little Helen Pounds, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Pounds, was run over by an auto driven by John Nelson, who lives south of town, on the crossing between the Julius Peterson hardware and the Bee Hive. Those who saw the accident say it was through no fault of Mr. Nelson, for Helen jumped out of the way of an auto coming from the east directly in front of Mr. Nelson’s car. The fender struck her and knocked her down the front wheel running over her and when Mr. Nelson stopped the car the hind wheel was directly on top of her stomach. He backed the car off her body as soon as possible and Carl Hindly, who was standing near by, picked her up and took her directly to Dr. Hinchman’s office. She called for her mamma twice after he had her in his arms, and told Dr. Hinchman who she was. They sent for her grandpa, W.P. Samson, who later took her to his home. They couldn’t tell just how badly she was hurt, but when she began to grow weaker from the loss of blood it was believed that the stomach was perforated from the weight of the wheel. She was conscious up to the last minute, asking frequently for a drink of water, and seldom have hearts been torn with grief as were those of her parents and grandparents. It seemed hard to realize that the bright little girl who had sent up town for a loaf of bread for supper could so quickly be taken from them. The shock was almost greater than they could bear but the little life has not been in vain, the love she inspired has refined and purified the souls of everyone who came in contact with her. It is just as true in this sense as in any other that “it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Helen Annice Pounds was born in this city July 26th, 1905, and she would therefore have been ten years of age the 26th of this month. The funeral was held at the Presbyterian church at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon, Rev. W.W Pfautz officiating. Mrs. Pounds’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Lamb, were here from Fremont, also Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Rothe, Mrs. Elmer Wild, Mrs. Chas. Ford, Mrs. R. Herrick, Mrs. Livingston and Mrs. Sachland and daughter, Hattie. Also Mrs. Pounds’ uncle, Mr. Chas. Lamb and wife, of Gage Okla., and Mrs. Samson’s brother, George Morrison and wife, of Honey Creek, Ia., and many other friends from Arlington, Kennard and Herman.

Tribune 14 Jul 1915

VICTIM OF AUTO ACCIDENT

Last Saturday’s festivities brought grief to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Pounds in a most shocking manner.

Their little daughter was run down by an automobile and sustained serious injuries which resulted in her death.

The little girl was crossing the street and apparently without seeing the machine ran directly in front of it, and before the driver could bring the machine to a stop the front wheel has passed over her head, and the hind wheel, when the machine was stopped, rested on her little body, causing internal injuries from which she died in a few hours.

Helen, has she lived, would have been ten years of age on the 26th of this month, and was a bright active child, the only child of the Pounds family.

The funeral was held on Monday afternoon at 2 p. m. being conducted by Rev. Pfautz of the Presbyterian church.

The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the family in their bereavement.

Enterprise 16 Jul 1915

DISTRESSING FATAL ACCIDENT

HELEN POUNDS CRUSHED BY AN AUTOMOBILE

Last Saturday evening, just after six o’clock, little Helen, ten years of age, only child of Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Pounds, was run over by an automobile, driven by John Nelson, at the southeast corner of Washington street, on the crossing between the Bee Hive and the Petersen hardware store. The little girl was on her way to the bakery and the streets were congested with automobiles. In dodging a car at the north end of the crossing she ran in front of the car driven by Nelson and was knocked down when struck by the front fender, a front wheel passing over the side of her face and brow and the hind wheel running up on to her waist and bowels, after rolling her body over a couple of times, when the car was stopped its weight resting on her stomach and bowels, the driver of the car evidently, not knowing that she had been struck. Carl Hindley was close by and had Nelson back his car up releasing the body, and took it in his arms to Dr. Hinchman’s office, nearby. The little one was conscious for a time and called twice for her mama. Her grandpa Samson came immediately and took her home where her death occurred at 11 o’clock that night.

Her death was an unavoidable accident, under the circumstances. Had the authorities exercised the care, in the congested condition of street traffic, to have stationed an officer at each of the two intersections of Washington street, Walker avenue and Fifth street, possibly this fatality might have been avoided. No one can in any way blame Mr. Nelson, the driver of the car; he is a most careful driver, as proven by the fact that his car was stopped before it went its length, less than ten feet. It is reported that he is prostrated over the accident.

Helen Annice Pounds was an only child and would have been ten years old on July 26, 1915. She was one of (unreadable) little girls in Blair; was born here and loved by a large circle of friends, the idol of parents and grandparents who are simply prostrated by their great loss. Nothing but deepest sympathy for the afflicted ones is heard on every hand; none but those who have lost a dear child of their own can know the bitter agony that wrings their hearts, an agony that time alone can soften but never heal.

There is a consolation in knowing that she did not suffer during the last hours of her life; the nerve centers being paralyzed saved her this ordeal.

Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian church Monday afternoon conducted by Rev. W. W. Pfautz, who spoke words of consolation to the bereaved ones and told them of the joys beyond, where there is no night, no suffering, where sorrow holds no carnival over withered affections, where hearts do not break, where all may be reunited and “know each other there.”

The casket, covered with a wealth of sweet, fragrant blossoms, none of which were fairer, purer nor sweeter than her own short life had been, was borne by six young girls dressed in white. They were Edna Smith, Margaret Williams, Mary Robertson, Mariam McQuarrie, June Dixon, Bessie Monroe. The little form was tenderly laid away in the Blair cemetery, to which place loving thought will often revert so long as the parents, grandparents and other relatives shall be endowed with the faculty of remembering.

Besides the parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Pounds, the grandparents, Mr. J.W. Lamb, and Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Samson, and the great-grandmother, Mrs. Banks, these other relatives and out of town friends were in attendance at the last sad obsequies: Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Pounds and family, Mr. and Mrs. H. Sutherland, Mr. and Mrs. James Ryan, Sr., and families, Mr. and Mrs. A.T. Allen and family, Mr. And Mrs. George McCoy, of Blair. W. T. Meador and wife of Herman, Chas. Lamb and wife of Gage, Okla., H.C. Ide, wife and family, Geo. Morrison and wife, and Robert Morrison, of Honey Creek, Ia., J.C. Rothe and wife, Herman Sutherland and wife, Mrs. Hattie Sutherland, Mrs. Rob’t. Herrie, Mrs. D. Livingston, Mrs. Elmer Wilds, Mrs. Maude Ford, of Fremont, Mrs. Herbert Foulton, of Arlington.

Note: Since actual death date was not given, the news article date was used.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~