Wohlk brothers (1920 blizzard victims)
Encyclopedia
Herman, Soren, Ernest, and Adolph Wohlk (died March 16, 1920) were four young Ryder, North Dakota
brothers who died during a blizzard
as they made their way home from school. The three-day blizzard
, which lasted from March 15 to March 18, 1920, killed 34 people across the state, including the more famous Hazel Miner
.
Adolph, 14, Ernest, 13, Soren, 10, and Herman, 9, were the four oldest sons of Gust Wohlk, a German emigrant from Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
. Their father was the former bodyguard to Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg
. The boys, who were the only students to attend school that day, decided to drive their horses and sled the two miles home from their one-room school
. They made it to within three quarters of a mile from the farm, but had to stop when their horses could pull the sled no further. The eldest brother, Adolph, bundled up his siblings and left them to find help. His father, Gust Wohlk, found the 14-year-old's body within a quarter mile of their farm. Gust Wohlk found his three younger sons curled up together in the box of the wagon. One of the boys was dead and the two others were dying.
Ryder, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 92 people, 44 households, and 23 families residing in the city. The population density was 282.9 people per square mile . There were 67 housing units at an average density of 206.1 per square mile...
brothers who died during a blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
as they made their way home from school. The three-day blizzard
1920 North Dakota blizzard
The 1920 North Dakota blizzard was a severe blizzard that killed 34 people from March 15 – March 18, 1920 in the state of North Dakota. High winds and an eight-inch snowfall stopped rail service in Bismarck, North Dakota and only one telephone line functioned between Fargo, North Dakota. and...
, which lasted from March 15 to March 18, 1920, killed 34 people across the state, including the more famous Hazel Miner
Hazel Miner
Hazel Dulcie Miner , the daughter of a North Dakota farmer and a student at a one-room school, died saving her 10-year-old brother, Emmet, and 8-year-old sister, Myrdith, during a spring blizzard in Center, Oliver County, North Dakota.After her death, she became a national heroine...
.
Adolph, 14, Ernest, 13, Soren, 10, and Herman, 9, were the four oldest sons of Gust Wohlk, a German emigrant from Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Their father was the former bodyguard to Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
. The boys, who were the only students to attend school that day, decided to drive their horses and sled the two miles home from their one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
. They made it to within three quarters of a mile from the farm, but had to stop when their horses could pull the sled no further. The eldest brother, Adolph, bundled up his siblings and left them to find help. His father, Gust Wohlk, found the 14-year-old's body within a quarter mile of their farm. Gust Wohlk found his three younger sons curled up together in the box of the wagon. One of the boys was dead and the two others were dying.