This article was from an undated newspaper - neither the name of the newspaper nor its date were given. It was reprinted in Obituaries - Pioneers of Northwest Ohio, available in the Defiance Public Libraries.
"DROWNED AT DEFIANCE
Welty Haver, Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Haver the Victim -
Was Playing with Dog
Wednesday evening Welty Haver, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Haver, former citizens of Hicksville, met death by drowning in the Maumee river at Defiance. The child, three years and eleven months old, was playing with a dog back of his father's livery barn, throwing sticks into the river for the dog to go in after and bring back to shore, when the accident happened.
Spectators claim the boy had ventured into a boat tied along the bank of the river and in throwing a stick into the river, accidentally toppled into the water. A woman on the bridge and a man on the opposite side of the river saw the boy fall in and disappear in the water, but not come to the surface. An umbrella mender was the first to reach the scene and plunged into the water to try to save the child, but as it failed to come to the surface, could not find the body. The child had only been in the water about ten minutes when the body was rescued by George Lawton. A physician was promptly summoned but all efforts to resuscitate failed.
At the time of the accident, the boy's father was in the country and the mother did not miss the child until she heard the cries of those on the shore looking for her son.
The accident is truly a sad one and the family have the sympathy of many Hicksville friends. The funeral was held from the home Friday afternoon."
--Welty's obituary appeared in the Defiance Daily Crescent on August 26, 1909, providing more information and a year and likely month of death.
As a side note, about a month later, September 24, 1909, Welty's father enhanced his livery business at the foot of the Clinton Street bridge, perhaps giving the location of the drowning.
Keep this going please, great job!
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