Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Harris Seriously Burned In Farm Fire

HARRIS

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 2/25/2003 at 10:36:22

FARM COUPLE IS SERIOUSLY BURNED

Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Harris, who live on the Gus Colby farm north of Monona, were severely burned early Tuesday morning following an explosion while building a kitchen fire. Their condition is reported as "good" this morning by Postville Hospital authorities, where they are under treatment.

Mrs. Harris was building a fire in the kitchen stove about 5:30 Tuesday morning and apparently the kerosene she was using exploded severely burning her and setting the kitchen on fire.

Harris rushed to his wife's aid, carried her outside and extinguished the flames in the snow. In so doing he received burns himself.

Harris then returned to the house and rescued his children, aged seven, five, three and 18 months. He took the family to the Lester Henderson farm where the Monona fire department was summoned and aid given the burns.

By the time the fire department arrived the house was in flames and only a few things could be saved.

Harris and his wife were rushed to the Postville Hospital. Mrs. Harris suffered second and third degree burns over an estimated two-thirds of her body. She was most seriously burned on her hands, her right arm to the elbow and to a lesser degree over her face, chest and back. Mr. Harris was burned on his face and hands.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated 1952, from my mother's obituary collection. See obituary of Mrs. Virgil Harris in Obituary section.