 |  |  |
WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY?
School board member, Andrew Kehoe, stockpiled over 500 pounds of dynamite inside the school building. He was disgruntled over property taxes and the upcoming foreclosure of his farm. Kehoe was known to be an angry man. The school exploded at 8:45 a.m. Thirty minutes later Kehoe drove his own truck to the school and while conversing with the superintendent, detonated the bomb inside his truck killing himself, the superintendent and a young boy nearby. It was later learned that Kehoe had already killed his wife and firebombed his own home.
Of those children killed that day, 3 are related to me. I cannot even imagine the horror of that day for the town of Bath, Michigan. It is in honor of those family members and all the others killed or injured that day, that I write this post.
Children of Eugene Samuel HART and Irene Elizabeth CARR who died that day are: Iola, Percy and Vivian.
|
|
|
An older brother of the three children killed, survived the bombing that day. He went on to have over 30 surgeries as a result of his injuries.
Perry George Hart
|
|
FindAGrave memorials can be seen by visiting these links:
Iola Irene Hart
Percy Eugene Hart
Vivian Oletta Hart
Here are some links of articles and a video where you can read about this terrible incident.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bauerle/disaster.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2012/12/18/bath_school_bombing_remembering_the_deadliest_school_massacre_in_american.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh2D1LqcHv0
http://daggy.name/tbsd/tbsd-x.htm
I had never heard about this bombing until I began to research this part of my Hart family. The three children who were killed are 3rd cousins once removed.
If you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog, please contact me!
In memory,
Michigan Girl
Copyright © 2015 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION
Wow! I'd never heard of this bombing before. How horrific! Oh, those poor parents of the children who were killed! So very sad!
ReplyDeleteJana - I was very surprised that we'd never heard of this on various news programs when the other tragedies occurred. The McDonald's shooting was right here in San Diego. It's really amazing the things we uncover as we research our family history. This incident being one I would rather have not had to read about. I cannot imagine what the parents and families of all those killed and injured went through.
DeleteNot related to YOUR people, but my father's twin brother Oral Riker was injured in the incident. He was living with an older brother in Bath and attending school there; my father Othal Riker was living with another older brother in Toledo. Although Oral was injured, he survived -- but was killed in a bicycle accident at age 16, so I never knew him. My father never mentioned the Bath incident; we only learned about it when doing genealogy research. I now have several books about it and have visited the museum and other memorials in Bath. Judy Riker Gager
ReplyDeleteJudy. How sad for your father to lose his twin. Twins always have a special bond. Thank you for sharing your story with me.
DeleteMy grandmother told me about this tragic event just recently as we are related to Iola, Percy and Vivian also. They were my great grandfather's, Leo Hart, 1st cousins. 1st cousins, 3x removed to me.
ReplyDeleteThey are also related to me. I would love to exchange Hart family information with you, but you didn't leave a name. If you see this reply, please get in touch with me.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
My friend of mine, Lorinda Ann (Huyck) Day is the distant cousin of Bath, Michigan hero, Emory Eli Huyck. Lorinda passed away very unexpectedly in Moffat County, Colorado.
ReplyDelete