A story of an impoverished young man, formerly of Lykens, trying to collect driftwood from the Susquehanna River so he could heat his home for his wife and five young children. He drowned accidentally and his body was not recovered for more than a month.
From the Lykens Standard, 20 Feb 1925:
BODY OF GRADY UMHOLTZ, WHO WAS DROWNED, NOT FOUND
A week of searching has failed to recover the body ot Raymond Grady Umholtz, which went downstream in Susquehanna River opposite Harrisburg, Sunday afternoon, due to the boat in which he was searching for driftwood capsizing.
Umholtz, who recently recovered from a spell of pneumonia, was attempting to secure wood to keep his family warm; the coal supply at the home being exhausted. He, in company with Samuel Keys, 14, and Howard Boyer, 13, went on the river in search of the wood.
The partly left the West Fairview side of the river, landed safely on the island opposite and had planned getting much of the wood carried there by the swift current. They decided to return to their homes and prepare to bring the wood back on there return for the shore, when about 75 feet away from the island, they encountered a swift current which tossed the boat. The party was unable to hold to the cable which was their protection on their first crossing and the boat capzized, and according to the Keys lad, Umholtz, when he saw the boat filling with water, jumped into the icy waters and shouted, we’ll have to swim to shore. Boyer swam to the shore and Keys, by holding to the cable, also managed to get to the shore. Keys said he watched Umholtz and when he was probably 100 feet downstream heard him cry, “I can’t make it boys.” He disappeared under the water. The boys stated they saw him two times after that and then he disappeared.
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The Standard then gave a brief biographical sketch of Umholtz, which, after his body was eventually found, turned out to be his obituary:
Raymond Grady Umholtz, aged 31 years, was the son of Mrs. Augusta Grosser-Hoover-Umholtz-Wert, now of Dayton. He was a former resident of Lykens, leaving here about 14 years ago.
He resided in West Fairview but two months, being forced to that place because he was out of employment and was unable to pay a high rent in Harrisburg, where he formerly resided. His death occurred Sunday afternoon at about 2:55 o’clock.
Twelve years ago he married Ellen Wolfe of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, who survives with five children; Mildred Umholtz, 11; James Umholtz, 10; Ruth Umholtz, 8; Clinton Umholtz, 6; and Leo Umholtz, 3. His mother and the following brothers and sisters survive: James Umholtz, of Dayton; and William Hoover, a step-brother of Sunbury; Mrs. Esther Bucher and Mrs. Margaret Robb, a half-sister, both of Sunbury; Mrs. Lena Klinger of Lykens; Miss Ruth Umholtz, of Dayton; and Mrs. Sara Lewis of Williamstown.
The body was not recovered at 5:30 yesterday afternoon, altho every effort was being made to raise it. Plans were under way to drag the river bed yesterday afternoon but until 5:30 the workers were unsuccessful.
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On March 6, 1925, the Lykens Standard reported the following:
Unfortunately, to this time, the bod[y] of Raymond Grady Umholtz... former Lykens resident who [was] drowned… remain unfound.
Umholtz was drowned in the Susquehanna River, at Harrisburg, on Sunday afternoon, February 15th [1925] and all search for his body has been without results.
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Then on March 27, 1925, a “medium” foretold the finding of the body. From the Lykens Standard:
CRYSTAL GAZER FORTELLS RAY UMHOLTZ DISCOVERY
That her husband’s body will be found just three miles from the spot where he was drowned was told Mrs. Ellen Umholtz, West Fairview, widow of Ray Umholtz, who drowned in the Susquehanna River, February 16th [1925]. The information came from a spiritualist medium in Steelton.
Ever since her husband drowned Mrs. Umholtz has lamented the fact that his body has not been found. In desperation on the advice of a friend, Mrs. Umholtz consulted the medium.
“When I entered her home she told me before I had spoken a word that I had come to inquire about my husband’s body,” said Mrs. Umholtz.
“She told me that he was lying on his back just three miles from where he drowned, and that two men would be dragging the river in that vicinity soon, and would find his body.
“The medium said that his body is well preserved and that at his funeral it will even be possible to view him. I do not know what to think, but she certainly knew much about me and my family.
The Rev. James E. Wagner, pastor of the North Street Church of God, Harrisburg, last week turned over to Mrs. Umholtz, a check for $114.55, making a total of $150 contributed to the widow and family thru that chiurch. In addition the church sent a truckload of provisions to the home immediately folowing the tragedy.
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Finally, the body of Umholtz was found and the Lykens Standard reported the discovery in a headline article on April 3, 1925:
UMHOLTZ FOUND
BODY LOCATED BY TRAIN CREW; WAS IN RIVER SINCE FEBRUARY 16th
BURIAL THIS AFTERNOON
After his body was in the Susquehanna for six weeks, Raymond Grady Umholtz, who was drowned at West Fairview, Sunday, February 15, was located Tuesday in the river at Rockview, about eight miles west of the scene of the drowning.
Discovery of the body was made by an Enola train crew, identification being impossible. The crew saw the body near the shore as the train was proceeding east and stopped to draw it to a safe place until Coroner Zech of York County had been notified. The body was removed to the undertaking parlor of Aaron Zeigler where an investigation was conducted.
Mrs. Umholtz and several of her children, went to Goldsboro to the undertaking parlors where the children stated the body was not their father. Further investigation by Mrs. Umholtz lead to state it was her husband because of the clothing which she recognized as that worn by her husband when he left home the morning of the ill-fated date.
Rope Around Neck
Coroner Zech said a rope was found around the neck of the dead man and that he had discovered two holes in the scull which might have been made with a blunt instrument. This lead him to believe that the body was not that of Umholtz. The holes in the head could be accounted for, it was said, bruises on rocks in the river, but the coroner was at a loss to explain the rope about the neck. Indications, he said, that the man was strangled to death rather than drowned, and an effort was made to determine the exact manner of death.
Death Was Accidental
Following an investigation, authorities in York County were convinced that death was accidental and issued a death certificate. The body was released for burial Wednesday without an inquest, The holes in the head were accounted for as bruises from rocks and floating ice, and what Coroner Zech described as a rope about the man’s neck was described by the widow Wednesday as a crong cord on which her husband wore a coin as a charm.
Funeral This Afternoon
The body was taken to the Umholtz home after preparations were made for burial and services will be conducted this afternoon at 2 P. M. in the North Street Church of God, Harrisburg, the Rev. James E. Wagner, pastor, officiating.
Surviving Umholtz are his wife, five children, Mildred Umholtz, 11; James Umholtz, 10; Ruth Umholtz, 8; Clinton Umholtz, 6; and Leo Umholtz, 3. Also his other, Mrs. Augusta Grosser-Wert of Dayton, and two brothers and five sisters.
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