Family Plot RAGEL

Excerpts taken from "There Will Be A Wreck" written by Lyndon N Irwin, Ph.D

"World's Fair Train Wreck: On October 10, 1904 (Monday), there was a head-on collision of two Missouri Pacific trains. One of them was a eastbound passenger train packed with excited people on their way to visit the St Louis World's Fair. In the wreck, which occurred between Warrensburg and Knob Noster, Missouri, 30 people were killed. Many more were injured. They were from the towns of Kingman, Dexter, Cedar Vale, Sedan, Coffeyville, Edna, and Pittsburg; the Missouri towns of Bronaugh, Liberal, Moundville and Nevada.

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The entire Philip Ragel family from Edna, Labette County, Kansas, were passengers on the train. Four of the five family members were killed outright. Philip Ragel was a 46 year old farmer who had been born May 3, 1956 in Illinois. His wife, Rose E, age 45, had been born September 20, 1859, in Illinois. Philip and Rose had been married January 1878, and had moved to Kansas in 1884. They had six children and three were surviving. One son, James Ragel, had been killed when kicked by a horse several years before. Their son, Joseph Arthur Ragel, was killed in the train wreck. He had been born December 30, 1884, in Kansas. The 1900 census told that Joseph was a farm laborer for his father. Philip and Rose had two other children. One a daughter, Susie, age 23, died on the train and was referred to as Mrs. Susan Cooper of Oxford, Kansas. The Oxford, Kansas, address is incorrect. Susie had been born May 29, 1881 in Illinois. One September 18, 1901, she had been married to Joseph (E.J) Cooper and they lived near Edna. Mr. Cooper had apparently not accompanied his wife and her family on the train.

The Ragels boarded the train at Bartlett, Kansas (which is seven miles east of Edna in Howard Township) on Sunday evening and were on their way to visit their old home in Illinois where there was to be a family reunion. On their way back, they planned to visit the World's Fair.

Following the wreck, several bodies were robbed. The pocket book of Philip Ragel was found empty by the side of the railroad right of way. A railroad employee was later convicted of stealing $50 from Philip Ragel's body.

The bodies of the four victims arrived on the on p.m. train Wednesday. Pallbearers and several hundred Edna residents met the train. The caskets were taken in four hearses to the Methodist church at 2:30. It is estimated that 1500 people attended the funeral. … The four hearses and the largest funeral cortege in county history then went to the Edna cemetery, north of town.

Their youngest son, Clifford Ragel, was born February, 1890, in Kansas. Clifford was the only member of the family to survive the wreck, although his injuries were severe. …

A telegram announcing Clifford's death arrived only a few hours after one had been received stating that he was improving. His death on Friday night meant that the entire Philip Ragel family perished in the wreck.

Philip Ragel's brother, Joseph Ragel, of St. James, Illinois, went to Sedalia to accompany the body of Clifford back to Edna, Kansas. Joseph had come from Illinois to Edna to make arrangements for the burial of his brother, Philip, and the rest. After the funeral, he returned to Sedalia to care for his nephew. Newspaper accounts told how exhausted Joseph was due to lack of sleep.

Clifford's remains arrived at 1 p.m. Sunday and the funeral was held at the Methodist Church at 2:30. The funeral procession was nearly a mile long. He was buried beside the rest of the family in the Edna Cemetery. …"

Contributed on 2/15/14 by megskye
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Record #: 27106

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