Obituary – Frank L. Votaw
(5/4/1871-12/13/1906)
Contributed to Genealogy Pit Stop
By Jayson A. Smith
THE SALEM NEWS
18th Year #293 Page 1
Thursday – December 13, 1906
VIOLENT DEATH AT E. LIVERPOOL
Frank Votaw Killed While Operating an Elevator
NO ONE SAW ACCIDENT
Supposed to Have Lost His Balance While Reaching for the Lever–Survived by Several Relatives in and Near Salem.
Frank Votaw, son of Levi Votaw at Guilford, and well known in the vicinity of Guilford, Winona and Salem, where he had numerous relatives, was fatally injured at East Liverpool Thursday morning in an elevator accident at the Colonial pottery, where he was employed as a warehouseman. He died an hour after the accident. He was about 35 years old, and had been located in East Liverpool for the past four years. He is survived by his second wife and an infant child, and two children by his first wife.
While no one witnessed the accident, it is thought that Votaw, who had a quantity of ware on one floor which he wanted to hoist to another, had run the elevator up to the floor on which he was working, and reached for the lever to stop it. In so doing it is thought that he had lost his footing and fell forward onto the elevator. He was probably stunned by the fall, for it appears that he lost control of the elevator and was unable to stop it. The elevator carried his body up with it, and at the next floor the body was crushed against the safety gate appliances, being terribly mangled. He was removed to the hospital, where he died soon after.
He was a cousin of E. G. Votaw of this city, and known to many Salem people. He is survived by his father, Levi Votaw, living at Guilford, and by the following brothers and sister: Charles Votaw of Salem, John Votaw of Pittsburgh, Morris and Emerson Votaw of Guilford, and Mrs. Frank Ingram, who lives near Salem.
THE SALEM NEWS
18th Year #294 Page 5
Friday – December 14, 1906
VOTAW FUNERAL SATURDAY.
The funeral of Frank Votaw, who was killed at East Liverpool Thursday, will be held there at 12 o’clock Saturday, with burial there. Charles Votaw and wife and Frank Ingram and wife of this city and Levi and Emerson Votaw of Guilford left Friday afternoon to attend the funeral.