GEORGE WINTHER
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise - June 14, 1939
Man Drowned in Colorado River
FARM LABORER LOSES LIFE TRYING TO CROSS STREAM ON HORSE
The Colorado river claimed another victim last Thursday evening when Geo. E. Winther, 42, a word war veteran, wad drowned while attempting to cross the river on a horse, on the Burr S. Fuller ranch, north of Gypsum.
Winther had been employed on the ranch by Mr. Fuller this season, and was preparing to quit his job to go to Montana, where it is said he had a wheat crop in, to look after the harvest.
The drowing occurred just opposite the lower end of Fuller's place, where Allen Clark and Jim Ross lived while farming the land. Ross and the farm crew had just returned from the hay field at about six o'clock in the evening, and were watering their horses, when Winther called to Ross from the opposite bank of the river and asked how the ford was. Ross replied it was all right, he guessed, and gave no further notice of Winther at the time. There is no ford at the place from where Winther called, and Ross presumed he referred to a ford father up the river.
A few minutes later Winther's pony was seen to emerge from the river, opposite the barn, without the rider, and on looking out onto the river they saw Winther struggling in the water. Ross, Clark and others went to the drowning man's rescue, but the body had disappeared, when they arrived at the stream's bank. Failing to find Winther, an alarm was sent out and Mr. Fuller organized a search which lasted until Saturday morning when the body was found by means of grabbing hooks at a point about 100 yards below where the body was last seen.
The dead man's home was in Missouri Valley, Iowa, and his people were notified of his disappearance by Mr; Fuller at once. Two brothers, James N. Winther and Jack Winther, immediately started for Colorado, and arrived here soon after the body was recovered.
The body was cared for and prepared for shipment by the Andre Funeral home in Eagle, and taken back to Iowa Monday by the brothers, being shipped from Glenwood Springs.
It is said Winther himself couild not swim, and that he horse he was riding had had no experience in swift water. The river is quite deep and swift where the crossing was attempted and it is presumed that as soon as the horse got in water beyond it's depth commenced struggling and Winthers was thrown into the water. No one saw just what did happen to cause the tragedy.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3 - July 10, 1939
