The story behind the gravestone below picture.

This post is a follow-up to an earlier posting of a headstone that I saw at the Erie cemetery. The art and scripts on the headstones often reflect the architecture style in homes of the era. This one grabbed my attention just because of the inscription. It made me want to find out the story behind the words written on the headstone.

Search of the newspaper archives at the library revealed two accounts of what happened. Here is one of them.

August 1, 1927 newspaper account

WESLEYVILLE FATHER GIVES LIFE IN FUTILE EFFORT TO SAVE SON

Harry B. Cooper, Taking Children for Ride in Rowboat, Dives to Death in Effort to Rescue Boy Who Falls Overboard.

Leaping into Lake Canadhota in an attempt to save his 3 !/2-year-old son, Robert Cooper, who had fallen from a row boat Sunday afternoon, Harry B. Cooper, of McClelland Av*., Wesleyville, and the boy both were drowned while many bathers and campers witnessed the tragedy.

Divers from Oil City and Lake Canadohta campers with grappling hooks recovered the boy’s body six hours later. Monday morning the father’s body was recovered.

MOTHER, BABE THERE

First reports were that Mrs. Cooper was rescued after she also had leaped from the boat in an attempt to save her husband and son. These, however, were denied by Mrs. W. H. Beck, 2310 Sassafras St*., mother of Mrs. Cooper, who said that her daughter and the latter’s youngest child, Lanette, were with her at a camp at Lake Canadhota when the tragedy occurred.

According to Mrs. Beck, Cooper agreed to take Robert and Susan, his six-year-old daughter, for a boat ride. When they were about 400 feet out from the Lee bath house Robert in some manner fell from the boat. As he went under the surface his father, who could not swim, dove from the boat. He grabbed the boy but he, too, submerged. Little Susan made a fruitless effort to save her father and brother by holding an oar out to them.

Meanwhile persons who had seen the tragedy were rushing to the scene in boats. They arrived within a few minutes after the father, and son were last seen. Two divers took turns for 10 minutes, but were unsuccessful in finding the victims at the bottom of 10 feet of water where they went under.

TELLS OF TRAGEDY

Susan was taken to shore. In tears she told her mother of the tragedy.

Mrs. Cooper, badly shaken, stood on shore while the search progressed for her loved ones.

After considerable grappling, the boy was brought up some little distance from where he had drowned. The body was removed to Erie to be prepared for burial. After an investigation, Coroner D. S. Hanley said that the boy had accidentally drowned. There will be no inquest.

Dual funeral services for the drowning victims will be held at 2:30 p.m., fast time, from the late home, at 28th and McClelland Ave*.

*None of the addresses appear to exist today.