GALESBURG — On March 18, Galesburg’s Malik Andre Williams was one of 19 individuals who were named winners of the Carnegie Hero Award. On June 6, 2017, Williams jumped into the Mississippi River, despite being unable to swim, in order to rescue his 6-year-old son. He succeeded, but he died in the attempt. Williams was 25 years old.
The first Galesburg resident to receive the honor was a 32-year-old housewife, Mrs. E. Gertrude Semon.
On Dec. 14, 1910, Mrs. Elizabeth King, 36, was a newly married woman. The former Elizabeth Cleary had married Bert King only a few weeks before. Mr. King had left for work at O.T. Johnson’s that morning. While either tending the furnace fire or while cooking, the edge of Elizabeth’s dress caught fire, without her noticing.
“She sat down to the table to drink a cup of coffee and it was then that she felt the warmth of the flames which were burning around the bottom of her skirt,” read the Evening Mail.
By the time she reached the house, she was completely engulfed in flames. She ran through the house, and the much-smaller Gertrude Semon grabbed her and ripped off the flaming clothes. She held her neighbor down and put out the flames. In the process her hands were burned and her own dress caught fire. Neighbors heard the screams and police and an ambulance arrived. King was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital while a doctor cared for Semon.
King remained hospitalized, expected to recover. However, she took a turn for the worse and died on Jan. 28. Semon recovered from her burns, but between her injuries and the mental toll of the ordeal, she was disabled for over seven months.
On Jan. 5, 1916, children were ice skating on frozen Highland Lake (later known as Gale Lake.) Earl Lowman, Madeline Philblade and Harry Hallock were there together, enjoying the fun. At about 4 p.m. they were getting too cold and started to cross the lake in order to go start a fire and warm up. They were walking along the ice “near the dam between Highland Lake and Chautauqua Lake” when they realized the ice was quite thin under their feet. Then, it suddenly broke.
Madeline and Harry, both 14, fell in. Earl, 13, was farther away from them and quickly rushed toward them. Madeline was able to swim and keep her head up while Harry held the edge of the ice.
When Earl reached the edge, he managed to pull Madeline out of the water. While he did so, Harry was able to get himself out on his own.
Madeline was now unconscious and Earl carried her to the pump house at the park’s entrance, where she was revived and warmed and dried.
On Dec. 12, 1916, 20-year-old Knox College student Hale Douglas Adams, rescued Charles F. Marsh, 46, from a runaway team of horses.
Marsh’s team of horses ran and he was thrown back onto the tongue of the wagon. Seeing this, Adams ran into the street and grabbed the reins.
Adams and Marsh were both bruised, but otherwise alright.
Gertrude Semon ended up moving back to her native Wisconsin, where she died in 1963.
Thanks to Earl Lowman saving her life, Madeline Philblade was able to marry in 1918. She had three sons and by the time of her death in Galesburg in 1986 at age 84, she had nine grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 17 great-great-grandchildren.
Lowman grew up, married, and had children. He worked for the C.B. & Q. Railroad for 23 years. When he died in 1943, his obituary made no mention of his heroic actions in 1916.
Hale Adams joined the military a few months after his rescue of Charles Marsh, and would serve in France during the Great War, including at the front during the Aisne defensive. His company, Adams Pressed Metals Corp., lasted in Galesburg until long after his death. His obituary also did not mention his award.