Myron Emerick Larsson is buried in Plot Block 20, Lot 3, Grave 2, in Woodland Cemetery, Woodland, Yolo Co., CA. Thanks to Find-A-Grave for making these images available.

Myron Emerick Larsson death certificate. Record courtesy of Maurine N. "Marti" Mackie.

The Woodland Daily News, Woodland, Yolo Co., CA, Friday Evening, June 7, 1901

DROWNED IN A POND

Untimely Deaths of Nels A. and Myron E. Larsson.

The Awful Tragedy Has Pained and Shocked the Community.

Out on Cleveland street, a short distance from Agricultural Park, is a neat little cottage in which Eric Larsson and his wife and children have lived for many years. It is the home in which all the children of the Larsson family were born. It is a cheerless and sorrow stricken home today, for over it rest the gloom and shadow of a great sorrow - the greatest that has ever fallen upon the Larsson family. Two sons whose bodies but yesterday were pulsating with all the life, energy and enthusiasm of youth and health are today cold and voiceless in death. The sudden awful and unexpected summons has overwhelmed the heartbroken parents with an anguish that can hardly be understood by those who have never experienced such a shock, and the entire community is appalled and deeply sympathetic. Nels A. aged 11 years, 1 month and 19 days, and Myron E., aged 9 years, 7 months and 16 days, lost their lives in a pond of water formed in what is now known as "the sandpit", on the Reynolds farm, opposite the Mossmayer slaughterhouse, and a short distance from agricultural Park. The pond of water covers a surface of probably forty square yards. It is shallow except in one small place, where the water is probably six feet deep. It appears that the Larsson boys, unknown to their parents, have been in the habit, since the warm season began, of bathing in this pond. On this fateful Thursday their parents last saw them alive shortly before noon. About 12 o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Larsson drove into Woodland to do some trading. When they returned to their home about half past one o'clock the two boys were missing, but the circumstance gave them no concern at the time. Mr. Larsson and his oldest son, Clarence A., had an appointment to drive out to the Hannagin farm, on the creek, with George Knox, so they ate their dinner without waiting for the boys to return, and shortly afterward left home. They did not return until about 10 o'clock Thursday night, and after both bodies had been recovered. Until that hour they had not received any intimation of the awful accidents. Mrs. Larsson kept dinner on the table for the boys, but as they did not return in a reasonable time she became apprehensive that something had happened to them. William Summ and family were her nearest neighbors and to them she hastened for information. In the meantime an employee of Mr. Burnam's, whose name we have not learned, informed Mr. Burnam that there was some clothing on the bank of the pond and nobody in sight. Mr. Burnam communicated this information to Mr. Summ a few minutes prior to the arrival of Mrs. Larsson. When told of this discovery the distressed mother was almost overwhelmed with apprehension. She went to the pond and readily recognized the clothing as that of her son, Nels A. Floating on the pond was an improvised raft, made by nailing some boards to two fence posts. Mr. Burnham took Mrs. Larsson to her home, after which he, his hired man and Mr. Summ began to explore the pond in search of the body. As none of the gentlemen can swim they labored under considerable difficulty. Russ Strong, who was working in the Mossmayer hayfield near by, was called over to assist in the search. A number of men from the racetrack soon joined the party. Mr. Strong divested himself of his clothing and with the aid of the raft began an examination of the bottom of the pond. After a long search he located a body at a point where the water was deepest. Before attempting to recover it he took the precaution to tie one end of a rope around his body, leaving the other end in the hands of the watchers on the bank. This was deemed necessary to prevent the possibility of miring in the mud. Mr. Strong then dived for the body. On the first attempt he failed to bring it to the surface. On the second attempt he was successful. The body was entirely nude. It was removed as soon as possible to the home of the family. Until a late hour the theory was that Myron had witnessed the drowning of his brother and the tragic incident so frightened him that he ran away and was in hiding. This theory was strengthened by the fact that his clothing could not be found. About 7 o'clock Wallace Hester, John Boyle and Leo Slavely visited the sandpit with a view of making an investigation and also a search for the missing boy. Mr. Boyle and Mr. Slavely crossed the road to the Mossmayer hay barn and made a thorough search of the premises. During their absence Mr. Hester got on the improvised raft and propelled it over the pond, feeling the bottom as best he could with a pole. In the middle of the pond, and very near the spot where Mr. Strong found the body of Nels, Mr. Hester found what he believed to be the body of Myron. Messrs. Boyle and Slavely soon joined him and they made an unsuccessful effort to bring the body to the bank. Several times they succeeded in moving it a few feet, but every time it slipped back into the middle of the pond. Messrs. Dillard, and John Read, Peter Calder and others joined the searchers. William Gregg drove to town and procured a rake from the brewery, and with this implement the body was finally recovered about 9 o'clock. As the body of Nels A. was nude while that of his younger brother was clothed, it is a plausible theory that Myron E. was riding on the raft; that he fell from it and was so frightened that he lost his head when his brother went to his rescue and grasped him in a manner that prevented him from swimming, and in the struggle both were drowned. However, there are other theories equally plausible, and public opinion will probably always be divided as to how the drowning occurred. There is probably nothing in the rumor that a boy witnessed the drowning and was seen running  away from the pond. Reese, the 11-year old son of Peter Calder, was with the boys when they left home, but he parted company with them at Summ's corner and returned to his home. It is probable therefore that the story of the third boy is all a myth, and that there was no witness to the struggle the unfortunate lads made for their lives. At 11 o'clock this morning Coroner Bean summoned the following jury: T. P. Magee, Morris Riordan, W. I. Johnson, James Back, James Perry and Clifton Rogers. Ike Swisher, an employee at the race track, was the first witness. He narrated the circumstances of the finding of the body of Nels Larsson. Wallace Hester and John Boyle testified as to the finding of the body of Myron Larsson. The jury brought in a verdict of accidental drowning. The funeral services will be held at the family residence Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. Interment will be in the city cemetery.

The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA, Saturday, June 8, 1901

DROWNED IN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE BROTHER

Body of a Second Larsson Boy Found in a Pond Near Woodland.

WOODLAND, June 7. - The dispatch in The Call to-day announcing the drowning of Nels. A. Larsson, the 12-year-old soon of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Larsson, gave information of but half of the great affliction that has fallen upon the family. At the time it was sent another son, Maron E. Larsson, 9 years of age, was missing, but as his clothing was not found on the bank of the pond and a rumor was current that a boy had been seen running away from the pond, the generally accepted theory was that he had witnessed the drowning of his brother and that the tragic event had so frightened him that he had run away and was in hiding. One of the searching parties concluded last night to sound the pond. The water is very shallow except in one small spot, where there is a hole six feet deep. In this hole the body was located and when it was brought to the surface it was discovered that it was fully clothed. On the pond was floating an improvised raft, evidently made by the two boys. It was constructed by nailing some fence boards to two posts. The theory is that the youngest boy was riding on the raft, that he fell from it and when his brother went to his rescue grasped the latter in a manner that prevented him from swimming, and in the struggle both were drowned.

The Woodland Daily Democrat, Woodland, Yolo Co., CA, Saturday Evening, June 8, 1901

DOUBLE FUNERAL.

Nels A. and Myron E. Larsson Laid to Rest.

A double funeral from one home is such an unusual occurrence as to excite more than ordinary interest. In the instance here related the entire community felt a keen interest on account of the pathetic circumstances surrounding this particular affliction. A very large congregation of people assembled at the Larsson cottage on Cleveland street this morning to witness the funeral services over the bodies of the late Nels A. and Myron E. Larsson, the circumstances of whose tragic deaths were related in Friday's DEMOCRAT. The services were conducted by Rev. W. E. M. Stewart, who read a scripture lesson, two beautiful poems and made touching and appropriate remarks. The song service was by Rev. W. E. M. Stewart and his wife and Joel Wright and wife. The two coffins were taken to the cemetery in one hearse and lowered into one grave, which was divided into two compartments by cloth. The attendance at the cemetery was unusually large, and it seemed that everybody brought a choice offering of flowers. At the close of the services there was scarcely a dry eye in all that vast assemblage. The pallbearers were William Summ, Amos Eakle, George Sidwell and P. S. Snavely.