This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Wiggins, Ilgenfritz, Lansing, Parnell, Arman, Garrison, Laws, Bartlett,
Morehouse Catherwood
Classification: Obituary
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Hi.2ADI/1705
Message Board Post:
Lafayette Journal and Courier, Friday Evening, April 22, 1927
Falls Forty Feet to Death From Old Church Structure
Charles Wiggins, 52, Meets Tragic Fate at Building Opposite High School When Rafter Gives
Way and He Breaks Neck on Stone Below.
Charles Wiggins, 52 years old, was instantly killed shortly before 1 o'clock Friday
afternoon when he fell 40 feet from the roof rafters of the old building at the southeast
corner of Ninth and Cincinnati streets and landed on a stone foundation cross wall. His
neck was broken, also both of his legs.
The building was formerly the Ninth Street M. E. church, but for many years has been used
as a storage house, and is being torn down to clear off the site of the proposed addition
to Jefferson high school. R. W. Lansing of Battle Ground bought the old structure and is
salvaging it. Wiggins was working for Lansing.
Falls With Rafter
With them on the job, was John Parnell, of Frankfort. Lansing was climbing out on the
rafters and was there just in time to see Wiggins drop into space. Parnell was outside
the building and did not witness the tragic accident. The alarm was sounded and Captain
Charles Arman and Patrolman Joseph Garrison of the police force responded with the police
ambulance. Coroner Harry J. Laws ordered the body taken to the Soller funeral parlors.
Wiggins had been working for Lansing only a few days. The men ate dinner together and
were starting to work. It is thought that Wiggins crawled out to the end of the rafter to
knock a board loose when the rafter fell with him.
Life-Long Resident
He had spent his entire life in Lafayette and was at one time engaged with John
Catherwood, in the gravel business on the North River road. More recently Wiggins had
been employed as a laborer. He was a member of Tippecanoe Camp No. 17, Woodmen of the
World, and served as clerk of the camp. He was married to Alma Ilgenfritz, who survives,
together with a son, Sherman Wiggins. The family lives at 1029 North Sixth street, and
Mrs. Wiggins and her son were on their way to Remington when the accident occurred.
Surviving also are two brothers, Chris Wiggins, of Lafayette, and Thomas Wiggins of
Melott, and a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Morehouse.
Funeral of Accident Victim Will Be Held Sunday, Grace Church
The body of Charles Wiggins, who was instantly killed Friday afternoon when he fell from
the rafters of the old Ninth Street M. E. church, which is being razed, was removed to the
home, 1029 North Sixth street, Friday evening. Funeral services will be conducted from
Grace U. R. church, of which he was a member, at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Burial
in the Hebron cemetery. Besides the relatives, previously mentioned, Mr. Wiggins is
survived by a sister Mrs. William Bartlett, of Badger Grove. He was born February 5,
1872, at Oxford, Ind.