Hiram Madison "Matt" EWER

                   Tuesday, August 9, 1938, Rochester Sentinel
Albert EWER, aged 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. M. "Matt" EWER, of Macy, was
drowned in Lake Nyona at 9 o'clock Monday night when a rowboat occupied
by him and three other youths sank in water 30 feet deep near a portion
of the lake known as Blind Island, which is located 800 feet northeast of
the boat landing operated by John SHAFER.'
Ewer went to the lake from Macy to go swimming with Bernie JONES, 21, and
Bernell JONES, 18, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Archie JONES and Harold "Archie"
WILTSHIRE, 18, who resides with Mr. and Mrs. John BOOKWALTER. These Macy
young men were rescued by nearby fishermen.
The fishermen heard the youths' cries for help butat first thought they
were joking. When they realized that they were in earnest in their shouts
for help they rowed to the spot just as the rowboat sunk to the bottom.
Ewer by that time had gone to the bottom of the lake.
All of the boys were expert swimmers but the Ewer boy had suffered with
heart troubleand it is believed that he suffered a heart attack while he
was clinging tothe side of their galvanized steel rowboat. Examination
disclosed that the air chamber of the steel rowboat had a leak and this
had caused the chamber tofill with water.
Calls were made to Rochester and Peru for pulmotors and firemen from
stations in both cities went to Lake Nyona with such equipment. A diver
from Peru was taken to the lake by a member of the state police
department but he was unable to locate the body. Nets, searchlights and
grabhooks were used.
The body was found by Robert "Bud" SCHMIDT, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Chauncey SCHMIDT, Peru and Marvin WYANT, 18, Indianapolis, who is
spending the summer at the lake with relatives. The body was found by the
two youths at12:55 a.m. Tuesday and was located with the aid of
grabhooks.
When found Ewer had on all of his clothing except his shoes. It is
believed that he had finished swimming and was in the act of dressing
when the boat sank. The victimof the tragedy graduated from Macy high
school in 1938. He was employed as adriver of a milk truck. He was a
life long resident of the Macy community.
The body was moved to the Ditmire Undertaking Parlors in Fulton where Dr.
DeanSTINSON, coroner conducted his post-mortem. Some water was found in
the lungs. The public inquest into Ewer's death will not be held for
several days.
Surviving with the parents are the following brothers and sisters: Mrs.
Chester READ, Donovan, Ill.; Mrs. Floyd BOCK, Elkhart, Ind.; Mrs. Richard
WILSON, Indianapolis; Mrs. Marshal SEDAM, Rushville; Richard EWER,
Rushville and Doyne[EWER] at home.
The funeral arrangements had not been completed at the time the
News-Sentinel went to press today.