Several months ago I took my Dad and Step-Mother out to the Minidoka-Acequia-Rupert Cemetery north of Rupert Idaho. I had inherited 11 graves in the cemetery from the Phibbs family. 7 are together in one location, four in another. We were there on that occasion to pick out their final resting place. A somber experience if you think about it.

We walked around both sets of graves and picked out their preferred location. They picked out two graves that they wanted and we visited for a little while. While there, we looked at some of their future neighbors.

There were three graves that caught our attention. Older graves from 1917 in which it appeared all three had died the same year. Two male names and a female, we thought it looked like a father and mother and son. That raised enough questions that I researched them. Here is what is on the grave stones:

George E Davies 1908 – 1917

Hyrum E Davies 1879 – 1917

Mercy M Davis 1881 – 1917

The investigation began. It was not that hard to find their connections on FindaGrave as husband and wife and son. They had all died the same date, 4 July 1917, over 105 years ago.

I started researching the online newspapers for Rupert, Idaho. I found the Rupert Democrat from 4 July 1917 above. Here is the text of that article:

AN APPALLING TRAGEDY OCCURED ON THE MORNING OF JULY FOURTH

MR. AND MRS. HYRUM E. DAVIES AND NINE YEAR OLD SON GEORGE, WERE DROWNED IN MAIN CANAL NEAR ACEQUIA ON MORNING OF FOURTH.

BODIES HAVEN’T BEEN RECOVERED

Victims Were Enroute to the Minidoka Dam to Spend the Day Fishing When Auto Plunged Over the Embankment.

Mr. and Mrs. Hyrum E Davies and their son George, of this city met an untimely and deplorable death on the morning of July Fourth, when the auto in which they were riding skidded and plunged into the canal at a point in the canal road seven miles east of this city and one and one-half miles east of Acequia. Mr. and Mrs. Davies in company with Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Houghton and two small children were on their way to the Dam in Mr. Davies’ big Case auto, whey they had planned to spend the day fishing when the dreadful accident occured. Mr. Davies was driving and Mr. Houghton occupied the front seat with him and was holding his four year old son, the two ladies and Mr. Houghton’s two year old boy and the nine year old son of Mr. Davies occuping the rear seat; the car was running along at about twenty miles an hour, the rear wheel coming in contact with a rut caused the car to skid and the driver evidently lost control of the machine and before it was brought to a stop had plunged down the embankment and was submerged in eight foot of water in the middle of the canal. Mr. Houghton floundered out of the car and holding onto it with one hand succeeded in placing his little four year old son safely on top of the car. He then drug his wife from the car and assisted her to safety on the auto top also, the little eighteen months old son came to surface about twenty feet down stream from the auto a few seconds later and he (Houghton) quickly rescued it, after a strenuous tussle with the swift current in his efforts to return to the car.

Houghton kept close watch expecting to render aid to the other three when they appeared on the surface, but he watched in vain, the swift under current evidently took them down stream, at any rate Mr. Houghton is positive that none of the bodies appeared on the surface after he had gotten his wife to safety.

Mr. Houghton relates that before the car was completely submerged that Mrs. Davies collapsed and was firmly holding her son, George, in her arms, that the husband was attempting to get from under the steering gear and was reaching for his wife and it is the opinion of Mr. Houghton that the three were taken down the stream clinging to one another. Mr. Davies could swim but the weight of his wife and boy was too much for him to master.

Mr. Davies was an inexperienced driver, having purchased his car about one month ago. The emergency brake was set firmly when hauled out of the canal.

The Packham brothers, who were driving a buggy closely behind the car were witnesses to the tragedy, one of the young med hurriedly secured a rope at the home of L. A. Darr and succeeded in bringing the Houghtons to shore with the assistance of his brother and guard on the canal who had been attracted to the scene by the other young man.

A rescue party was soon organized after word had reached this city by ‘phone, and hastened to the place where the accident took place and a diligent search was kept up all during the day until a late hour at night for the bodies but at this writing none of the unfortunate victims have been recovered.

Mr. and Mrs. Davies had been residents of Rupert for the past three months, moving here from Salt Lake City in the early part of April. Mr. Davies was a carpenter by occupation.

As a result of the horrible disaster four little children will never again perceive the pleasures of a doting and solicitious father and mother. The surviving children, who were to spend their Fourth in Rupert at the request of their parents, include three girls and a boy, namely Virginia, aged fifteen; Gladys, aged twelve; Nelva, aged five and Erwin aged two. They will be cared for by their aunt, Mrs. A. G. Morris of this city, Mr. Morris being a brother of Mrs. Davies. Another brother, S. N. Morris resides at Salt Lake City. Mrs. Mollie Wheeler of this city is also related to the Davies family.

While the Davies family was not very well known in this city, their tragic and sudden death cast a shadow of sadness and gloom over our city which detracted from the enjoyment of the celebration to a noticeable extent.

The Houghtons are also recent new comers to Rupert, having moved here from LaGrande, Oregon, less than a month ago. Mrs. Houghton is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Workman of this city. The Davies family was in no way related to the Houghtons.

Mr. Davies was thirty-six years of age and his wife thirty-five. They were married sixteen years ago in Utah. They were members of the L. D. S. church.

I also found this article.

HYRUM E. DAVIES, formerly of Salt Lake, who with his wife and child, was drowned near Rupert, Idaho, yesterday.

AUTOMOBILE PLUNGE DROWNS 3 PERSONS

Former Salt Lake Residents Die When Machine Falls Into Canal Dam.

Two former Salt Lakers, ,Mr. and Mrs. Hyrum E. Davies, and their 4-year-old son were drowned in the Minidoka project canal near Rupert, Idaho, yesterday afternoon when their automobile plunged over an embankment. The bodies have not been recovered.

First word of the drowning was received in this city by Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Strong, 360 Ninth East street, Mrs. Strong being a sister of Mr. Davies.

Communication by wire with Sheriff Hiram Thompson of Lincoln County, Idaho, established the fact that early in the afternoon Mr. & Ms. Davies started for the Snake river dam, which diverts the water into the Minidoka project canal. They had with them their 4-year-old son, leaving the four elder children at home.

When a short distance out of Rupert Mr. Davies, who was driving the automobile, appears to have lost control of the car as it struck a deep chuck hole in the road. The vehicle went over the embankment into the canal, which at that point is about eight feet deep and 120 feet wide.

Persons driving along the road later saw the automobile in the canal and notified the officers. A searching party was immediately formed and the work of attempting to find the three bodies was begun. Up to the last reports received late last night no success had been realized in the effort. The search was continued and a screen was stretched across the canal at a point some distance below the point of drowning to catch the bodies in case efforts made by men on a rapidly-constructed raft should fail.

Mr. Davies had lived in Salt Lake City about thirty-five years and until six weeks ago, when he moved his family to Rupert, Idaho, was employed as a motorman for the Utah Light & Traction company. The family lived at 650 Ely avenue which is between Seventh and Eighth East and Seventh and Eighth South streets.

Surviving Mr. Davies are four sisters, Mrs. E. J. Strong and Mrs. David McCleery of this city, Mrs. A. Freeman of Ogden and Mrs. E. T. Knotts of Shawnee, Okla.

Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Strong left here for Rupert on the midnight O. S. L. train last night. Upon recover of the bodies they will probably be brought to Salt Lake for burial.

I was unable at this time to find any updates to the story for when the bodies were found or obituaries. I will update if I find that information.

Hyrum Edward Davies, born 12 August 1879 in Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.

Mercy Mathews Morris, born 28 January 1881 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Hyrum and Mercy were married 16 October 1901 in Mercur, Tooele, Utah.

Hyrum and Mercy had five children, Virginia, Gladys, George, Afton, Erwin.

Mercy Virginia Davies, born 19 July 1902 in Salt Lake City, Utah, died 24 Ocober 1977 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.

Gladys Orlean Davies, born 19 March 1905 in Salt Lake City, Utah, died 10 December 1964 in Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada.

George Edward Davies, born 8 March 1908 in Salt Lake City, Utah, died 4 July 1917 in Minidoka County, Idaho.

Afton Elva Davies, born 13 August 1911 in Albion, Cassia, Idaho, died 26 October 2001 in Orange County, California.

Hyrum Erwin Davies, born 8 March 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah, died 15 September 1996 in Barstow, San Bernardino, California.