Published on 9 July 1913/1914? (corner of article torn off)

Burial in Blair Cemetery

BOY'S BODY FOUND IN RIVER

Charles Lake and his son, who live down on the banks of the Missouri River, found the body of a small boy about seven years old floating downstream Sunday evening, and after towing it to the bank, notified Coroner Pierce, who with Sheriff Compton and one or two others drove to the river and returned with the lifeless little form.

When found the body was in a badly decomposed state, the left leg being gone from the knee down and right being badly gnawed and rotted, while the flesh had entirely fallen from the face and head. The little fellow wore a suit of blue overalls and a blue shirt with a fine stripe, which constituted his entire clothing.

Sometime during the past week a fish warden went down the Missouri and when east of Blair, informed Mr. Lake that a small boy had been drowned at Sioux City two weeks ago Sunday and instructed him to be on the lookout for a body. This gave Sheriff Compton a clue as to the little fellow's identity and upon calling up Sioux City it was learned that the lad had been riding a tricycle near the river and the wheel started down the bank. Being unable to stop it , the boy and wheel both went in and it was the last that was seen of either, the accident taking place in sight of the father and several other people. The boy failed to come to the surface after falling into the water and from the marks on the body Coroner Pierce think he struck something or had been injured by the wheel.

The boy's father, who was James Bushus, arrived in Blair Monday morning and after identifying the clothing of the little fellow had the remains laid to rest in the cemetery east of town. The boy was named after his father and was born in Omaha December 5, 1906. He was heir to a legacy that had been left by his grandmother, his mother having died some time ago.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~ Note: Since the actual death date not given, the date of the estimated news article was used in order to input this record.