Thelma RAUK

Notes:

Burned to death.

From an article in the Rice County Journal, 25 Sep 1912 edition:

A sad and unfortunate accident occurred last week near Nerstrand in Goodhue County when Thelma, the four year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Knute Rauk, was burned to death. The child’s dress becoming ignited from the flames of a burning straw pile, there being no one near enough to save her with the exception of a little brother, who ran to the house for help, but by the time help arrived she was so badly burned that she died in a couple of hours. The father had set fire to a straw stack in the field some distance from the house and several of the younger children were watching the flames. The children came too near and the fire, burning off everything she had on and herself fatally. Death followed two and one-half hours after the accident.