Notes:
unmarried
Data source is the 1990 book, "Moomaw-Mumma-Mumaw-Mumaugh Genealogy" compiled by Robert Austin Moomaw (deceased).
The following was contributed by Margaret L. Sopp mlsopp@ix.netcom.com
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York Co. newspaper clipping "series." Publication unknown
10-11-1948 handwritten on clipping
Miss Louise Sprenkel
Overcome by illuminating gas which escaped slowly from a heater
while she was taking a bath, Miss Louise Sprenkel, 86 years old, was found
dead about 9:30 o'clock yesterday morning in a partly-filled bathtub at her
home, 124 South Beaver street, where she lived alone. Her lifeless body was
found by a nephew, John F. Sprenkel, 181 East Springettsbury avenue, who had
called at her home, as was his Sunday custom for many years to take her to
Sunday school. When he failed to get a response to a knock on the front
door he became alarmed, he told Police Sergeant Richard K. Johnson, and then
hoisted a window through which he entered the house. He detected a slight
trace of gas fumes and a search led to the discovery of the octogenarian's
body in the bathtub which was filled with about six inches of water. The
victim's head rested in a slumped position above the water line. When
police were certain that the woman was dead, Coroner Lester J. Sell was
notified. An investigation disclosed that the gas escaped from a jet on a
heater in the bathroom. The door to the room was partly open. The victim's
right hand was firmly clutched to a wash cloth. The coroner believes that
death had occurred some time before noon Saturday. Miss Sprenkel had an
appointment at 1 p.m. Saturday with a local eye specialist. She had been
suffering from cataracts according to relatives. However, she never turned
up for the appointment. This suggested the likelihood that death overtook
her before she could visit her doctor. It is supposed that the aged
spinster was taking her bath in preparation for her appointment with the eye
specialist when she was asphyxiated. Coroner Sell said there was conclusive
evidence that death was accidental. Miss Sprenkle [sic] was the last of the
original group that organized a mission Sunday school in 1897 which later
became the Second Church of the Brethren. She was a member of the Sunday
school for the past 10 years and a teacher of the school for the past 58.
Last Sunday she received an award for 35 years of perfect attendance.
- - end transcription
Note
Miss Louise and her sister, Ella, lived together in the family home after
their parents, John Landis Sprenkel & Juliann Fishel, passed away. Miss
Ella died in 1940.
Her nephew, John F., who is mentioned in the article, was John Fishel
Sprenkel, Jr. He was the father of Dr. Esther Sprenkel-Segel, who has done
considerable research on the family.