COON, Sands A. - b. April 26, 1852 - d. January 11, 1917

[Marcia Moore]

(The Severyite - Jan. 8, 1917)

S.A. Coon Killed by Accidental Dischrge of Shotgun

    S.A. Coon, one of the old settlers of Elk County living four miles south of Severy, met his death very suddenly last Thursday night by an accidental shotgun wound.  The particulars as far as we have been able to learn are as follows.  Mr. Coon, in company with J.R. Allen, a geologist of Kansas City, Charles Hill of Oklahoma, and Charles Glasco of Elk County were in a car looking over the land on the Clogston place about six miles east of Severy and taking leases for drilling for oil.  The party carried guns and were hunting as they worked.  Mr. Coon had a new double barrel shotgun heavily loaded for wolves.  In getting into the car, the side door did not catch, and in reaching over to shut the door, the gun slipped between the door and in some way discharged both barrels into Mr. Coon's left leg close to the body.  This happened about four o'clock Thursday afternoon.  The wounded man was at once placed in the car and brought to Severy where he was taken to Dr. Hodge's office over the Greenwood County bank, where Dr. Hodges and Dr. Butcher worked with him and did everything possible to save his life, but with the loss of blood, he was so weak that he died about half past six.  The shot nearly took the leg off and while Mr. Coon was in great pain, he was conscious to the end and seemed to realize that he was going to die.
    The accident cast a shadow of gloom over the community, as Mr. Coon had been in Severy nearly every day for a number of weeks and was in perfect health, and was very enthusiastic over the oil situation and was making arrangements to drill on some leases him and Mr. Hill have in this and Elk County east of Severy.
    The remains were taken to the Coon home Friday morning and funeral services were held Saturday, attended by an immense number of old friends of the Coon family.  Interment was in Cresco Cemetery, west of the Coon home.  
    Sands A. Coon was born April 26, 1852 in Wisconsin; removed to Nebraska when a young man and was married to Miss Ida Karr in Nebraska in 1873,  The Coon family removed to Kansas in June 1877 and settled on a farm adjoining the present Coon home, about four miles south of Severy.
    He is survived by his widow and two sons, Ormond J. and Orval O., both living at the old home place.