1895 Drowning Obit of Roy Roesch

1876-1895

It was early evening on the 30th of July 1895.  Roy attended the young people's summer camp.  Roy had on his bathing suit and was in the company of Mr. Kolb, the principal of the Potosi High School.  They concluded they would swim across the deep channel.  The principal swam off and into the deep water.  Roy went boldly  to near the center of the dam and jumped in where the water proved to be twenty feet deep or more. 

Roy, not the strongest of swimmers, cried out for help as he kept slipping under the water.  Mr. Kolb was nearly within reach when Roy went under for the last time.

In one brief hour, he who had been the life and soul of the camp, the joy and pride of all hearts, a most exemplary young man in town was laying there before them.  Roy was dead at the age of 18 years, 11 months and 12 days.

At four o'clock in the morning the body was conveyed to the desolate home of his heart-broken parents, Philip and Helen Roesch.  The family and friends that accompanied the remains to the grave was the largest ever seen in recent times.  Appropriate remarks were made at the gravesite and there was singing by the church choir of which Roy was a member.

A young man in the strength and beauty of his days had fallen among them, a life full of promise and usefulness had been extinguished, and a deep sorrow fell upon the people.  Peace to his quiet slumber and gently distill the dews in heaven over his early grave.



British Hollow School

 Roy graduated with much honor from the Potosi High School in 1893.  The next fall and winter he attended the Normal School (Valparaiso University) at Valparaiso, Indiana, and the next winter taught and was principal of the British Hollow School.  He was retained for the ensuing year for the same position at the time of his death.