LOST HER WAY

[Janet Harrington]

LOST HER WAY

  Last Friday night at 9:30 a little girl about 12 years old came to the home of Henry Churchman and gave her name as Nora Johnson, with a story of a fifteen mile walk part of it in the dark.  Her home is at Severy and she had gone to Moline to visit friends and was told by the agent there that the family had moved away the week before.  The child had no money to pay for a night's lodging and without consulting anyone, started about 4 o'clock to walk back to Severy.  She took the wrong railroad out of town and when she reached Elk Falls, thought she was a Fiat.  It was already dark and no light in the depot, so she walked on.  As she crossed the bridges she began to realize that she was not on the Severy road and when she got near the depot in Longton seeing the light in the Churchman house went there and told her story.  A warm supper and a good night's sleep revived her spirits and Mr. Churchman put her on the morning train with a ticket for Severy. - Longton Gleaner.

[genealogynut]

I was rather surprised, but pleased to see this article, as Henry Churchman is in my family tree.

[Janet Harrington]

Well, see.  I am doing some good.  I bet that little girl was scared out of her life.  You can bet in this day and age that she would have been reported as a runaway and she probably would not have made it back to Severy alive because she would have been raped and killed and thrown in the trees somewhere.

[Joanna]

Well Janet honestly!  In this 'day and age' no normal 12 year old would even consider walking from Moline to Severy.  They'd use their cell phone!  Of course, I've seen kids that age walk/run in pastures all day (probably almost that distance) while hunting or fishing and never complain once about being tired.