Westran, Axle William


BORN: 1875
BORN IN: Sweden
DIED: 4/18/1906
AGED: 31
CAUSE OF DEATH: Injuries by Earthquake
DEATH LOCATION: Santa Rosa

MEMBER OF: REDMEN

PLOT INFO:
HEADSTONE INFORMATION:
OBITUARYS:
PHOTOS:
FAMILY INFO:
MENTIONED IN:

BURIED NEARBY IN PLOT Redmen:
CURRENT EVENTS:
  • 1876 Telephones (Alexander Graham Bell)
  • 1876 Baseball's National League
  • 1877 Phonograph (Thomas Edison)
  • 1879 Light Bulb (Thomas Edison)
  • 1901 Teddy Roosevelt elected President
  • 1903 First powered flight (Wright Brothers)
  • 1906 The San Francisco Earthquake

OBITUARY ---------------

WM. A WESTRAN

Redwood City Democrat

June 28, 1906

Although it was the fate of Wm. A. Westran to lose his life under the most stressing circumstances, far from home and relatives, his burial in this city last Sunday lacked none of that sympathy that would have been manifest were his body laid away in the presence of his nearest kin. Westran had resided in Redwood City for several years previous to the earthquake and was employed at the Frank Tannery. He was a well behaved, industrious young man, respected by many friends. On the day preceding the great disaster, he departed for Santa Rosa, where he had secured employment, little dreaming that he was going to his death.

The next morning he was killed in the collapse of the Eagle Hotel. This body was taken from the ruins and hastily buried. Shortly afterwards the news of his untimely death reached this city and the members of the Metamora Tribe of Redmen immediately took steps to have his body brought here for interment, His family in Scranton, Pennsylvania were communicated with and gave their approval of the movement. After much correspondence back and forth, with the authorities of Sonoma county, permission was finally secured to remove the remains and the body arrived last Friday.

On Sunday, the members of the tribe marched to the cemetery and with impressive ceremonies of the order, the body of the unfortunate young man was reverently laid to rest and his grave covered with the choicest flowers of spring, fragrant expression of the love and esteem in which he was held by all. His friends have announced their intention of erecting a suitable monument to his memory.

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