Herbert English Kyger
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 11 Dec 1866 - Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, United States
Christening:
Death: 1 Jan 1949 - Holland, Ottawa, Michigan, United States
Burial: 6 Jan 1949 - Spring Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, United States
Cause of Death:
Events
• Residence: 1006 N. East Street, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, USA.
Parents
Father: Tilman D. Kyger
Mother: Sarah E. English
Spouses and Children
1. *Iva Belle Hayes
Marriage: 19 May 1892
Children:
1. Donald English Kyger
2. Annalee Kyger
3. Herbert Dwight Kyger
Notes
General:
Per 1900 US Census 6/2/1900 1006 North East St., Normal, McLean, Illinois
Herbert E. Kyger is the 33 year old white male head of household, born Dec 1866 in Illinois, as were his parents. He rents his home, and works as a locomotive engineer, though he has been unemployed for 1 month. Hi wife is 33 year old Iva B. Kyger, born Nov 1866 in Ohio, as were her parents. She has had 3 children, 2 still living. Those 2 children were both born in Illinois: Donald E. Kyger, born Aug 1893; and Annalee Kyger, 3 month old daughter born Feb 1900. Living with the family is Herbert's mother, Sarah E. Kyger, a 59 year old widow born Dec 1840 in Illinois, her parents in New Jersey. She had 4 children, 3 still living.
Per 1910 US Census 4/15/1910 1006 North East St., City of Bloomington, Normal Township, McLean, Illinois
Herbert E. Kyger is the 45 year old white male head of household, born in Illinois, as were his parents. He works as an engineer for Chicago Alton, and owns his home He has been married for 18 years to 43 year old Iva Hayes Kyger. Iva was born in Ohio, her father in Indiana, her mother in Ohio. They have 3 children, all born in Illinois: 16 year old son Donald E. Kyger, attends school; 10 year old daughter Annalee H. Kyger, attends school; and 8 year old son, Herbert D. Kyger, attends school. Herbert's 69 year old mother lives with them. She is a widow, born in Illinois, her parents in Ohio.
Per 1920 US Census 1/5/1920 1006 North East St., City of Bloomington, Normal Township, McLean, Illinois
Herbert E. Kyger is the 53 year white male head of household, who owns his home with a mortgage, and was born in Illinois, as were his parents. He works as an engineer for a steam R R. His wife, 53 year old Iva Kyger, was born in Ohio, parents in the US. Annalee Kyger is their 19 year old daughter, born in Illinois, attending school. H. Dwight Kyger is their 17 year old son, born in Illinois, attending school and working as a clerk for a drug company. Living with them is Herbert's mother Sarah E. E. Kyger, a 79 year old widow, born in Illinois, her father in Kentucky, her mother in New Jersey.
Per 1930 US Census 4/4/1930 1006 North East St., City of Bloomington, Bloomington Tshp, McLean, Illinois
Herbert E. Kyger is the 63 year old white male head of household, who owns his home, valued at $6,000, and was born in Illionois, as were his parents. He works as an engineer for C & A RR. His wife is 63 year old Iva Kyger, born in Ohio, as were her parents. They got married when they were both 25 years old. Their son, 27 year old Dwight Kyger, was born in Illinois. His got married at age 20, but is now divorced. Dwight works as a machinist in R R shops, but has been unemployed for 7 weeks.
Per 1940 US Census 4/27/1940 1006 North East St., Bloomington, McLean, Illinois
Herbert E. Kyger is the 73 year old white male head of household, who owns his home, valued at $5,000. Born in Illinois, his family lived in the same house in 1935. Educated through 2 years of high school, he had income of $1,350 in 1939. His wife (informat) is 73 year old Iva H. Kyger, was born in Ohio and educated through 2 years of high school. Dwight H. Kyger is their 38 year old, born in Illinois, educated through 3 years of high school, works as a machinist in government arsenal. He worked 40 hours the last week of March, and in 25 weeks of work in 1939 earned $900.
Per Obituary Jan 6 1949
Hold Services For H. E. Kyger
Funeral services were held Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in First Methodist church for Herbert E. Kyger, 82, retired locomotive engineer, who died at 5 a.m. Saturday in the home of his son, Donald E. Kyger, 95 West 10th St., after a lingering illness. He had lived here since 1943.
Born Dec. 11, 1866 in Danville, Ill., he was the son of the late Tilman Kyger, a captain in the Civil War. He was a member of First Methodist Church.
Services were conducted by the Rev. J. Kenneth Hoffmaster, assisted by the Rev. Alexander Stewart, Jr., a grandson, of Washington, D. C. The body was taken to Danville, where burial will take place this afternoon in Spring Hill cemetery.
Pallbearers were William H. Vande Water, Earl Vanden Nosch, Lyman Sicard, L. D. McMillin, Morris De Vries and Hugh Rowell.
Surviving are the wife, Iva Bell; a daughter, Mrs. Alexander Stewart of Washington, D. C.; two sons, H. Dwight Kyger of Minneapolis, and Donald E., local Boy Scout executive; six grandchildren and two great grandchildren; also a sister, Mrs. Della Clark of Hazelton, Kan.
Per "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF73-DNY : 12 December 2014), Herbert E Kyger, 01 Jan 1949; citing Holland, Ottawa, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,075.
Name:Herbert E Kyger
Event Type: Death Event Date: 01 Jan 1949
Event Place: Holland, Ottawa, Michigan, United States
Gender: Male Age: 82 Marital Status: Married
Birth Date:11 Dec 1866 Birthplace: Danville, Illinois
Father's Name:Tilman D Kyger
Mother's Name:Sarah E English
Per Findagrave.com Herbert English Kyger
Birth: Dec. 11, 1866 Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois, USA
Death: Jan. 1, 1949 Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA
Name: Herbert English Kyger
Given Name: Herbert English
Surname: Kyger
Sex: M
Birth: 11 Dec 1866 in Danville, Vermilion Co., IL
Death: 1 Jan 1949 in Holland, Ottawa Co., MI
Burial: 3 Jan 1949 Springhill Cemetery, Danville, Vermilion Co., IL
Census: Roll M593_285, p. 90 13 Jul 1870 Danville Twp., Vermilion Co., IL
Census: E. D. 208, roll T9_255, F.H.F. 1254255, p. 300.4000 17 Jun 1880 Danville Twp., Vermilion Co., IL
Event: Biography 13 Oct 1898 Bloomington, McLean Co., IL
Note:
A Plucky Engineer - Herbert Kyger's Experience - Shot in the Muscles of the Right Arm at Virden He Comes Home and Tells His Story
Herbert Kyger, the courageous young Alton engineer, who was pulling the train load of negroes yesterday into Virden, and who was shot by the strikers, arrived in this city last evening at 7 o'clock on the evening accommodation, and was taken at once to his home, 210 West Graham street, where an anxious wife, mother and family were awaiting his arrival. There were all sorts of rumors as to the nature of his injuries but they are not of a serious nature. He was shot in the muscles of his right arm, the bullet glancing upward and lodging near the shoulder. It is an ugly wound and was undoubtedly made by a weapon of a large caliber.
The report that the engineer had been injured created great excitement on the west side yesterday afternoon and there were all sorts of rumors afloat as to the nature and extent of the trouble.
Like hundreds of similar circumstances on the Chicago & Alton the man who was injured yesterday was off his regular run and taking some other engineer's place. Had Engineer Kyger's engine remained in good condition it would not have been he but Art Watkins who would have been suffering from an ugly bullet wound.
The trouble existing at the Virden mines is familiar to all who have been reading the telegraphic accounts of the affair in the newspapers. It culminated yesterday in a riot on the attempt of the mine operators to bring in negroes over the Chicago & Alton.
The Train - A special train left East St. Louis early yesterday morning bound for the Virden mines. It was composed of six cars, including caboose.
Four of the cars were from a Alabama railroad and were passenger coaches. These cars were filled with negro miners destined to take the place of the striking miners. Next to the engine was one box car containing the baggage and equipment of the negroes. On the end of the train was the caboose. The train left St. Louis pulled by engine 94, engineer, Art Watkins, and had a slow schedule.
Kyger Changed Engines - At Godfrey, the north-bound limited due to arrive in this city at 12:55, came along and overtook the train of negroes. The limited was pulled by Engineer Kyger and Fireman Albert Anderson was opposite him. They were on the 88 which has seen many thrilling experiences on the rail. The engine gave out due to a hot driving box.
The officials ordered the engines changed and Kyger and fireman with the 88 were given the train of negroes to take to Springfield, while Watkins and fireman were placed on the Limited with the 94 and brought the train in safely, though delayed on account of the change.
Engineer Kyger did not know that he was soon to face a storm of bullets and be the target of hundreds of infuriated men. The orders from the officials on the road were to stop the train at the stockade and unload the negroes and the engineer was ready to obey the mandate.
The Arrival at Virden - The train which Engineer Kyger was pulling, he said, pulled into Virden at exactly 12 o'clock and went by the depot at the rate of 15 miles an hour. Engineer Kyger said that when he arrived in sight of the depot he saw the armed miners in great numbers. He sat in the cab window and kept his arm on the throttle until the train came to the stockade.
Acting under orders from the officials the engineer brought the train to a full stop. He said it was right in front of the stockade and on each side of the train were a swarm of armed miners. It was only a few minutes after the stop that the firing commenced.
The Engineer's Escape - Engineer Kyger and the fireman were in the cab while six armed deputies and one negro were on the engine. Some of the deputies were in the gangway, others on the tank and also a couple on the hind end of the tender. All were heavily armed. The train had just stopped when a bullet struck the engineer in the arm. He uttered a moan and some one called to him to get down from his seat in the cab and he did so standing on the deck. This was the signal for firing on both sides and the engineer said he had just been shot when the deputies returned the fire. In an instant the whole train was riddled with bullets.
The engineer saw the trend of affairs and with quick wit grabbed the throttle and pulled the train out of the city at lightning speed. Although suffering from the bullet wound Kyger stuck to his post and with a shattered arm ran the engine to the next station about six miles. He was getting faint from loss of blood and turned the throttle over to Fireman Anderson who pulled the train to Springfield, the brakeman taking the fireman's place in the cab.
Taken to Hospital - Kyger was taken into the caboose with several other injured deputies and colored men and brought to Springfield. He was taken to a hospital and two physicians probed for the ball but could not find it. He then asked to be sent home and arrived at 7 o'clock. A local physician made a critical examination of the wound but after probing some time could not find the ball. The engineer stood this ordeal without flinching and though small in stature and physical make-up, evidenced great pluck and never flinched. He will go to Deaconess hospital this morning and after being placed under the influence of chloroform the doctors will cut Mr. Kyger's arm open under daylight and then it is thought the bullet can be found and blood poisoning prevented. The ball is probably imbedded deep in the muscle of the shoulder and is hard to locate.
A Miraculous Escape - Mr. Kyger said the bullet must have been a spent ball or it would have _____ his body. He believes it went through one and a half inches of the cab wood before entering his arm. His elbow was resting on the window sill of the cab while his hand was on the brake valve. The bullet, he is positive, was fired by someone at the bottom of the embankment near the track.
As great as the excitement was, Kyger had time to observe some of the results of the shooting. The engine and cars, he said, were full of bullet holes. The wooden part of the cab where he was sitting was a mass of holes and had it not been for the fact that he was told to step down he would have been killed instantly. The boiler head and other parts of the engine were riddled with holes. Half a dozen balls passed through the window where the engineer had been sitting a moment before. The windows were all shot out. One ball passed through the cab window and was found imbedded in the copper tube which ______. If it had pierced the tube the engineer and fireman would have been scalded to death the train probably _____.
Negroes in the Cars - The wounded man was ___ in ___ to ___ much, but said the cars were a sight to behold after ____ the fire. The negreos had _____ in the bottom of the _____ and would not get up. T____ were on the platform ______ the caboose also crowded ____ escaped. Fireman Anderson ____ in sight after the train reached _____ He was down near the ________ not see any of the ______. Kyger said the wounded negroes who were taken to the hospital with him said they did not know they were going to take the place of strikers.
Family links:
Parents:
Tilmon Dwight Kyger (1833 - 1876)
Spouse:
Iva Belle Hayes Kyger (1866 - 1959)*
Sibling:
Herbert English Kyger (1866 - 1949)
John Tilmon Kyger (1870 - 1894)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial: Spring Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois, USA
Created by: Kyle
Record added: Mar 15, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 34846390
Per Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1950
Name: Herbert E Kyger
Gender: Male Marital Status: Married
Birth Date:Dec, 1866 Birth Place: Danville, Ill
Death Date: 1 Jan 1949 Death Place: Holland, Ottawa, Michigan, USA
Death Age: 82 File Number: 004089
Father:Tilman D Kyger
Mother:Sarah E English