On July 26, 1913 Mary (Vallem) Sanderson, her husband Seward, 6 of their children and a nurse were on their way home when the vehicle died while crossing a railroad track near Sugar Grove, Kane County, Illinois. Seward, the driver, attempted to crank the vehicle in order to start the engine while a train was approaching. As he saw the Burlington Express #57 lights he yelled for the family to flee the vehicle. Unfortunately Mary and Seward's daughter, Lillian was thrown forty feet from the vehicle and died. Her sister Violet was found nearby but fortunately only received injuries as did their mother. Everyone else survived with apparently no injuries.
The Ashton Gazette reported the accident on the front page of their July 31, 1913 edition.
Seward Sanderson was the driver, his wife Mary (Vallem) was in the front passenger seat with daughter Violet Myrle and son Charles LeRoy. Sitting in the back seat were 4 of their children, Walter Orlando, Anna Isabelle, Lillian Rachel and Marion. A nurse, Miss Carrie Brown was also in the back with the children.
The next day, the Dixon Evening Telegraph reported on their front page that the vehicle had been stolen while the family was at the hospital in Aurora.
Lillian Rachel Sanderson was born September 12, 1906 most likely in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois. She died as a result of the collision with the train on July 26, 1913 in Sugar Grove township, Kane County, Illinois. Her memorial can be found here.
Lillian was the daughter of Ellen Marie (Mary) and husband Seward Sanderson, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lars 'Lewis' Vallem and great-granddaughter of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.
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