Night Train to Nisswa

By Mary Buffington

Flood creek in northeast Iowa swelled beyond its usual trickle when torrential rains poured down on June 1st, 1916. The scene was set for a tragic event when railroad officials in Waterloo, Iowa, were forced to make a decision for Engine No. 19 to cross the Packard bridge.

When Olive Kober boarded the train in Waterloo, Iowa, along with her mother and two daughters for their summer vacation in Nisswa, Minnesota, she had no idea how her life would change that night. Readers will become absorbed in the story of lives lived and lost.
This historical account was developed from information shared between the author and Olive Kober’s niece. Researching the history of this event and its effects on the lives of the people involved, also led to a genealogical study of three families who farmed in eastern Iowa, near Traer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Buffington
• Release date: Oct 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301484331

Mary Buffington

Mary Kathryn (Alesch) Buffington was born and raised in Northwest, Iowa. She was the middle of three daughters growing up in the small town of Le Mars where she attended Gehlen schools. After high school graduation in 1958, she attended the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. She then completed her BA degree at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA in 1962. Mary always enjoyed her English and language art classes, as well as Children Literature and Library Sciences. She taught elementary school in Iowa City and also substituted in Pre-schools as her four children grew to adulthood. In 1984, Mary became secretary to her husband’s business, but along with an “empty nest” she became interested in researching her family roots. A love of genealogy began, which lent itself to publishing three books that traced both sides of her family. These publications were meant mainly for relatives. In 2009, Mary became smitten with the story of the 1916 Packard train wreck revealed to her as she conversed with a friend who was related to victims of the disaster. This inspirational story lent itself to another genealogy project combined with researching the historical event that allowed Mary to write her first non-fiction book about an event in Iowa, namely, Night Train to Nisswa. Mary hopes to continue her research projects, along with enjoying her family. Her “empty nest” is now filled with six grandchildren, who love to visit Grandma’s house when time and travel permit.

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Night Train to Nisswa

By Mary K. Buffington

Copyright © 2012

Mary K. Buffington

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

ISBN: 9781301484331

The author welcomes feedback:

mailto:[e-mail]

This book is available in print at:

https://sites.google.com/site/nighttrainnisswa/

This is a true story about the 1916 Packard, Iowa train wreck and the effect it had on three families from Traer, Iowa - the Van Vlietes, the Kobers, and the Dunlaveys.

All of the dates, names, and facts are true. Conversation within the story is the only embellishment used to make the story come alive. Quotes from Margaret Dunlavey are as true as the author can recall.

Margaret Dunlavey died on November 23, 2009.

The research and writing of this story was completed on November 23, 2011

Dedicated to Margaret Dunlavey, who lived to be

98 years old. She recounted the events and stories to me about

the Packard train wreck,

the necklace,

and the crazy quilt.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REMEMBERING

The Van Vlietes

THE TRAIN TRIP

A Summer Vacation

THE 1916 PACKARD IOWA TRAIN WRECK

Disaster at Flood Creek

LOVED ONES

The Dunlaveys

FOUR DAYS OF TRAGEDY

The Newspapers’ Accounts

HOW GREAT THOU ART

The Kobers

A NEW HOME

Finding Time and Place

THE RETURN

A Resting Place

CONCLUSION

A Priceless Gem

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AUTHOR’S NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

REMEMBERING

The Van Vlietes

Hindsight told her they should have waited. One more day could have made the difference. Or perhaps they should have left one day earlier.

She sat at the kitchen table looking at the two empty chairs. Could she bear another day with these thoughts, with this emptiness?

She walked over to her writing desk, and knew there was no longer any need to pen a letter to her Mother.

She lifted the letter opener and held it in her hand. It would never open another message from her Mother.

Why was she left to mourn the three people who meant so much to her they had filled the most important years of her own life.

She took the stairs to the bedroom, and fell on the bed sobbing with more pain than she ever imagined. Her heart was broken in three pieces. She fell asleep and did not awaken until she heard a door opening.

Her husband, John was coming home from work. Another day was drawing to a close, and now she must face the dark of night, with all of its terrifying memories.

She heard John’s call.

Ollie, are you upstairs?

She answered, Yes, John, I’ll be down in a minute.

Ollie pulled her head away from the pillow, sat up and slipped on her shoes which had sat empty all afternoon by her bedside. Oh dear God, she thought, will I ever be able to find another life and forget the things that are tearing my heart apart?

John gave her a hug as she entered the kitchen. How’d your day go? he asked.

Ollie didn’t reply. She began to look in the cupboard for some sort of dinner fixings for John. Canned peaches, bread, cheese maybe she could boil some potatoes.

John had been so good to her. Six years ago, they had decided to leave their farm, and the rest of the Kober’s and Van Vliete’s in Traer, and head out to Waterloo, about 30 miles away. John had hopes of a better income by working in the city. He was going to work for the Gas Engine Company.

Ollie was agreeable to the change, looking at it as an adventure filled with opportunities for the girls. Ruth would soon be in high school, and Doris at 10 years of age, could make an easy transition in grade school. Both girls were such good students and Olive felt the school system in Waterloo would be challenging for them, compared to the small school system in Traer.

Ollie and the girls loved their new home at 524 Hammond Avenue, where the big Elm trees lined the boulevard. They had fun wallpapering the girl’s rooms, and fixing every nook and corner to satisfy their feminine dreams. John was happy the women in his life were agreeable to the move and he didn’t mind their ambitions to make things pretty and comfortable. Besides, the relatives from Traer farm country loved to come to the city and visit them, so it was fun to show off their new life in Waterloo.

524 Hammond Ave, Waterloo, Iowa

The family became members of the First Methodist Church, and both Ruth and Doris were active in the Epworth League and the Sabbath school.

Six years had passed since the move to Waterloo. Ruth had graduated from High School now, and she had met a very nice gentleman from Waterloo. They had recently been engaged to marry. Doris was sweet 16.

When Grandma Flora invited the girls and their mother, Olive, on a summer trip to Nisswa, Minnesota to the family cabin, it was accepted with a great deal of enthusiasm.

This would give them some special time together. They all needed a summer away from the hub-bub of Waterloo and their activities.

Nisswa was a small village on the shores of Lake Gull, near Brainerd, Minnesota. Years ago, Fred Van Vliete, Olive’s father, had purchased a cabin on the lake as it was prime fishing for walleyes and northerns. Flora, Olive’s mother, had helped make it a retreat for their family. Fred loved to take the boys, Blaine, Fred, Jr. and James on fishing trips, while his wife, Flora, and his four daughters, Ella,