All I can offer is the following "verbal family history" of the tradegy. The 3 girls were daughters of Silas & Catherine (Harris) Gann; Silas was my gr-gr-grandfather's brother. All 3 drowned in their father's mill pond in boating accident; their father Silas was operating the mill at the time; mill was sold later. There are several versions as to the cause of the accident among living descendants yet all agree they were crossing the pond on their way to a party when the accident occurred. What has been "verbally" passed down through my family is that all 3 girls were dressed up for the party and boating across the mill pond to attend. One of the girls had leaned over the edge of the boat, running her hand in the water, lost her balance tipping the boat over, and all 3 fell in and drowned encumbered by their bulky clothing that women/girls of that day wore. A teenage boy (remembered by family to be one of their cousins or a brother...no one living now knows for sure) saw the accident and tried to save them but was unsuccessful. As Martha said, all 3 girls are buried in the Marlin Cemetery in Webster Co., MO and have a very lovely "angel" stone. --- Doretta Moore
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