A distant MARTIN cousin, G., asked one day if I had information about a mutual cousin she was researching. That inquiry led us both down several rabbit trails that answered some questions and brought up more. I’ll blog about that another day.
On one of the rabbit trails, I found a clump of young deaths in one family. Most of these causes of death are usually treatable with today’s medicine: influenza, eclampsia, and bronchial pneumonia.
But one of those causes of death is generally not treatable even now.
Earl FROST was born 25 April 1913. He was the 2nd child and oldest son of Jesse Andrew FROST (1888-1938) and Katie LEE FROST (1893-1956). The family lived in Richland and Lexington Counties in South Carolina. Katie’s mother, Aretta MARTIN LEE (1863-1953) was a sister of my great-grandfather, Adolphus Burdine MARTIN (1867-1917). This makes Earl my 2nd cousin, once removed.
On the 1920 U.S. Census, 6-year old Earl attended school. Father Jesse was a carpenter, and mother Katie was at home taking care of Earl and his three siblings.
Six years later, when Earl was nearly 13, tragedy struck.
On the morning of 20 January 1926, Earl was walking on the brickyard road, according to The State newspaper. This was likely the Guignard Brick Yard which was built in 1920 in New Brookland, Lexington County, South Carolina. It was located just west of the Congaree River which separates Lexington and Richland Counties.
Earl came across a live wire, and you know where this is going.
Here’s the article from The State dated 21 Jan 1926.
Considering the details given, I think Earl was not alone. How awful to have witnessed this accident. Death was instantaneous according to the death certificate.
Earl is buried at Beulah Baptist Church in Killian, South Carolina, according to the death certificate and the article in the newspaper. But according to Find-A-Grave, he’s buried at Ebeneezer Holiness Baptist Church on Old Sloan Road which is in the Killian area. I can’t find much about either church, but I suspect it’s the same church and it changed names somewhere along the line.
Earl made a bold move that day, believing that he could crawl under the wire. Young people make bold moves. Haven’t we all? It’s part of being young and invincible (at least in our minds.)
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How sad. I’ve found so many sad stories of early deaths, but even sadder are the ones who die with nothing to explain what happened.
I agree completely.