Struck by Lightning

[T. Sackett]

     George Hight, who lives three miles east of Upola, while harrowing in the field last Thursday, was struck by lightning.  Mr. Hight was almost stripped of his clothing and was badly burned.   His cap was found 15 feet from where he laid and one of the soles of his shoes three feet away. He could hear nothing and was in great distress for several days, but his hearing has now returned and the doctor has hopes of saving his life.  The team he was driving was knocked down but soon recovered.
     Published in Elk County Citizen, dated May 11, 1904

[Roma Jean Turner]

My grandfather was struck by lightening sitting in the kitchen of the sod dugout house.  The lightening came down the stove pipe. He was sitting by the stove and it jumped and went down his leg.  I don't remember the details of the story...but Grandad always just laughed and said........"It was a great shock."  Grandma was not amused.  I do remember that he yelled and was thrown to the floor.

The sad family event surrounding lightening, happened long ago.  My greataunt Bessie's brother was struck and killed by lightening out on the prairie in Western Kansas,  when he was just 16.  His father demanded that he go out in the storm to get the cattle.  Aunt Bessie's mother begged her husband to not make him go, but he wouldn't listen to her. The boy of course was killed.  Aunt Bessie's mother never spoke to her husband again, although they lived together until he died many years later.  I remember her mother from my early childhood.  I never ever saw her smile.

[Bonnie M.]

That was truly a family tragedy! 

[Marcia Moore]

     On May 30, 1932, Archie L. Young, living near Busby, was struck and instantly killed by lightning in his pasture about a half mile from his home.  There was no witness to the incident.  He had walked away from his home, where he lived with his mother and young children, and when he did not return at the noon hour, nor at evening, his mother notified the neighbors and a search was made for him.  The search was continued all night and early the next morning his body was found.  He was lying on his face, his head badly burned and unrecognizable, his clothing almost stripped from his body.  Death had been instantaneous.
     Dr. Harner, coroner, and Sheriff Rader went out and took notes, but it was not deemed necessary to hold an inquest.  Mr. Young was a World War soldier and Legionnaire, his wife died some time ago, and he leaves his mother and three young children.  His mother kept house for him. 

[Marcia Moore]

     Charlie Hill, a farmer living about six miles southwest of Severy, was struck by lightning and killed on April 24, 1901.  Hill had seen the storm coming and had unhitched, and was starting towards the house when the storm caught him.  A strike of lightning hit him in the middle of the forehead, burned his head and face, went down the right side of his body burning his clothes and killing him instantly.  Hill, 35, had been married only a few weeks.

[Marcia Moore]

     An electrical storm which visited this area on June 10, 1911, was the cause of the death of Rachel Aletha Gray, 6 yrs. old, the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Roy Gray, living about five miles southwest of Severy.  As the rain storm came up, Mrs. Gray and Aletha went to the chicken house to look after some young turkeys.  They had finished their work and had started toward the house when a bolt of lightning struck the child, killing her instantly, and knocked her mother down, stunning her slightly, but she did see her daughter jump off the ground and fall over dead.  Mr. Gray was on his way to Severy when the lightning struck and neighbors phoned and told him of the terrible death. 

[Marcia Moore]

     Hazel Noakes, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. George Noakes, was killed by lightning on July 27, 1938, during a thunderstorm at her home one mile southwest of Fiat.  The lightning also killed a team belonging to Mr. Noakes and struck his barn.  The fire, however, was put out before much damage was done.   

[Teresa]

I'm curious.
Why did more people get struck by lightening back then than now? You hardly ever hear of someone being struck.
I have been out in lots of storms , but never really thought about getting hit.

I just wondered...

[Dale Smith]

I was just wondering that very same thing.....

[Bonnie M.]

I found this on "Google."

"Lightning—The Underrated Killer
In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year. Lightning can be fascinating to watch, but it is also extremely dangerous. During the past 30 years, lightning killed an average of 67 people per year in the United States based on documented cases. This is more than the average of 65 deaths per year caused by tornadoes and the average of 16 deaths per year caused by hurricanes. However, because lightning usually claims only one or two victims at a time, and because lightning does not cause the mass destruction left in the wake of tornadoes or hurricanes, lightning generally receives much less attention than the more destructive weather-related killers. While documented lightning injuries in the United States average about 300 per year, undocumented injuries caused by lightning are likely much higher."