#1-Published in the Blair Pilot, April 18, 1928

BURGESS SAGER HUNG HIMSELF IN BARN MONDAY AFTERNOON

HAD BEEN WARDEN AT CEMETERY 11 YEARS

HE LEFT NO NOTE OR REASON FOR THE ACT, BUT HAD THREATENED TO PUT HIMSELF OUT OF HIS TROUBLES IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS

WAS JUST PAST 50 YEARS OLD

Burgess Sager, who had served as cemetery warden for the city for over eleven years, was found dead in the hayloft of his barn at a little after 8 o’clock Monday evening, he having hung himself from the rafters with a rope.

When he didn’t come home for supper, Mrs. Sager sent out to the cemetery to see if Burgess was out there. When it was found he wasn’t there, J.E. Campbell, who had gone over to see him about digging a grave went into the barn and discovered the body. He sent for Sheriff Mehrens and it was taken down and placed in the morgue at about 8:30. From its condition he had been dead four or five hours.

He left no note that has yet been found explaining his action, but he had threatened to put himself out of the way to some persons outside the family. His wife had been sick with inflammatory rheumatism for about nine weeks and he had waited upon her constantly, not even allowing the nurse to do little things she could just as well have done.

Attending to his regular work besides, he was pretty well worn out and had told the attending physician that day that he was all worn out and didn’t believe he could stand it much longer. Mrs. Sager is much better, but isn’t able to leave her bed yet.

The funeral will be held at the residence on north Walker avenue at 2:30 tomorrow, Thursday, afternoon, Rev. Chas. D. Hering, officiating. Burial will be in the Blair cemetery in the family lot.

Burgess Sager was born in Carroll City, Carroll county, Iowa, January 7th, 1877. His mother died while he was but a small boy and his father brought the two boys, Alfred and Burgess with him to Blair in 1884, where his two sisters, Mrs. Lou Vaughan and Mrs. Mary Wilson lived.

His father afterward remarried and made his home in Arkansas where he died a number of years ago. Burgess made his home with Andy Rose for a number of years, or until he was big enough to work out and make his own way in the world.

On June 23rd, 1915, he was married to Mrs. Ella Christiansen and three children were born to them, two of whom died in infancy, John is now eight years of age. Besides the wife and son, he leaves two step-children, Russell L. and Audrey Christensen. They had also had the care of George Matteson since he was eight months old. He is now 11.

His step-mother, Mrs. John Sager, makes her home at the soldier’s home at Burkett, Neb. Mrs. Lou Vaughan, of this city, is his aunt and another aunt, Mrs. Mary Smith, lives at Valley, Neb.

Mr. Sager had been a member of the Modern Woodman Lodge for a number of years and carried a policy for $2,000 in that order. He also had a policy for $1,000 in the Central Life, of Des Moines, which is made payable to his son, John, when he is 20 years of age.

The bereaved family have the sincere sympathy of their many friends in their sudden and unusual bereavement.

#2-Published in the Enterprise April 19, 1928

Blair Man Found Dead in Barn-Deceased Held in High Repute by Acquaintances, No Reason Is Known for Taking Own Live, Was In Despondent Mood-Leaves Wife and Family

Burgess Sager, well and favorably known in Blair where he had spent the greater part of his life, committed suicide by hanging himself by a baling wire in the hay loft of his barn on North Walker Avenue, on Monday afternoon, April 16.

He left home sometime in the afternoon and at supper time he had not returned. Later in the evening the wife, who has been ill in bed for several weeks, became anxious and phoned for friends who instituted a search for him. The first place searched was the cemetery, as he had been the sexton for several years and it was supposed that he might have been detained by some duty. As he was not found there a search of the premises was made and he was found suspended from a rafter in the hay mow of his barn. From appearances he had stood on a milk can and fastened a baling wire about his neck and then kicked the milk can away. The fall could not have been much over a foot but he was dead when found at about 8:30 p.m. by the sheriff and the party of friends who were searching for him.

Deceased was a man of good habits and had many friends who have nothing but good words to speak of him.

He was fifty-one years of age and a man of family leaving a wife and two step-children, one adopted child and one child of his own who mourn his passing deeply.

The funeral services are to be held this afternoon at 2:30 o’clock from the ome and interment will be made in the Blair Cemetery.

#3-The Tribune 19 April 1928

Burgess Sager Dies

Funeral Services To Be Held From Family Home Today

The body of Burgess Sager was found hanging by a wire fastened to a rafter in the hayloft of a barn near his home last Monday evening after an hour’s search for him had proven fruitless. Sager, who is sexton of the Blair cemetery had not returned home at his usual time in the evening and his wife becoming uneasy, asked J. E. Campbell to help locate him. Campbell inquired about among friends and finally went to the ban where the body was found. The sheriff and county coroner were called and the man was pronounced dead, an examination showing that he had been dead for several hours before being found.

Sager, who was fifty-one years old at his death, had been a long resident of Blair where he was born, and had been engaged at various industry in this community where he was held in high esteem. For the past ten years he had been sexton of the cemetery and had gained the reputation of attending to his duties in a faithful manner.

He leaves to mourn his loss, his wife, who has been bedfast for the past ten weeks, a son, John, an adopted son, George Maddison, and a step-son and step-daughter. Funeral services will be held from the family home on north Walker avenue this afternoon at 2:00 o’clock, the Rev. Carl G. Bader, officiating after which burial will be made in Blair cemetery.

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