George Birch
Montpelier Examiner, Friday, 23 July 1915, page 5
DROWNED
George, the 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. R A Birch, was
drowned in Bear River about two miles south of town last Wednesday afternoon
shortly after one pm. George was helping put up hay on the Lauridsen ranch and
after dinner he and the two Lauridsen boys and a Jensen boy thought they would
take a swim before going to work.
After being in the water a short time they swam downstream until they came to a sand bar. In walking off the bar George, who was in the lead, suddenly got beyond his depth and sank out of sight. He came to the surface and his companions say he attempted to swim to shore but again went down and before the other boys were hardly aware of what had happened, the river had claimed George for a victim.
As soon as the boys could, they gave the alarm and a number of men from town hurried to the scene and began to work trying to locate the body. Those who dived state it was ice cold, three feet below the surface. About midnight a hook operated by Jack Bardole, caught the lad's leg and was brought to the surface. He was conveyed to the home of his grief stricken parents.
George graduated from the eighth grade this year and expected to enter the high school in September. Besides his parents, he is survived by five brothers and four sisters. His funeral services will be held at the First ward meeting house this afternoon at 2 pm.