Mildred, the nine-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don J. Gammel, of Omaha, died at about 10:30 this evening of heart trouble. She is a niece of the editor, her mother being a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. S. VanDeusen, of this city. The probabilities are the body will be brought here for burial.

Card of Thanks: We wish in this way to express our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Congregational Church of Blair for the use of the church for the funeral of our little daughter, Mildred, last Saturday, also to their pastor, Rev. A. R. Jones for his kindly and helpful ministrations in our time of great grief. We also wish to thank the quartette for the music and the friends for the beautiful flowers sent in memory of a beautiful life.

#2-Pilot 24 April 1918

The body of little Mildred Gammel, whose death occurred last Wednesday evening, was brought up from Omaha last Saturday afternoon and the funeral held at the Congregational Church, Rev. A. R. Jones officiating. The church was well filled with the relatives and friends of the sorrowing families, and the flowers were as fresh and sweet as her life had been.

She was born in Creston, Neb., nine years ago last August, and while living on a government homestead in South Dakota, she had an attack of appendicitis. She was operated upon too late and the pus had spread through her system from which she never recovered. Heart trouble developed, or became manifest, and she grew gradually worse, being better at times, then worse than ever. The family moved to Omaha so she could have every attention and there with the attention of a physician and the loving service of her devoted aunt, Miss Lena VanDeusen, who is a trained nurse, she slowly but surely slipped out onto the river of death, despite all that could be done. She had every confidence in their services and when the end was near and she was suffering so severely, she said, “What are you going to do now, auntie?” believing that she could still bring her relief. But, everything had been done that medical or nurse’s skill could do. She was conscious up to her last breath, even after her heart had stopped beating, saying “I am dying” and then “Dead”. This is a very rare occurrence and was very painful for those present.

She was unusually bright in her school work and even when so badly afflicted, she learned to play several pieces on the piano, playing a duet with her mother when the writer was down there but a few weeks ago.

But her body was too frail, she had no chance in this life and, therefore, no one could wish her back who believes she is to have a perfect body and a better chance in another world.

She was an only daughter, also, having an older brother, Lloyd, and two younger brothers, Mason and Harold. Mrs. Gammel was formerly Miss Grace VanDeusen, a sister of the editor and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. S. VanDeusen of this city. To all of us, and to her Aunt Lena, and other uncles, C. C. and H. G. VanDeusen, Mildred was as dear almost, as she was to her own father and mother, and in her death, we all feel to have lost a daughter as truly as they.

Mr. and Mrs. Don J. Gammel, and relatives.

#3-The Tribune-April 25, 1918

The remains of Mildred, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Gammel, of Omaha, were brought to Blair last Saturday for burial, and the services were held from the Congregational Church. Mildred was a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. S. VanDeusen of this city, and died from dropsy brought on by heart trouble.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library~~~