The Sad Fate of Mabel Elizabeth Irvin

This post recounts yet another tragic event in the family of James Irvin. Before this horrific accident, the Irvins had already suffered the disappearance and unsolved murder of Mac.  A railroad mishap crippled Harvey. Ida died far too soon, widowing James at age 53 and leaving the youngest child, Grace, without her mother at only nine years of age. And early in 1929, fire consumed and destroyed Bessie's home. But later that same year, another fire would bring unimaginable pain to the Irvin family.

Mabel Elizabeth was a younger sister to Wilmer Irvin. On November 3, 1897, she became the ninth child born to James and Ida Irvin.

The following article appeared in the Chambersburg Public Opinion on Monday, November 25, 1929.

     Mrs. Mabel Irvin Peters, wife of Andrew Peters, was fatally burned last evening, about 5 o'clock, when a lamp exploded at her home at Brandon. Mrs. Peters was preparing to go to the cellar to get some fruit and as the electric light is not near enough to illuminate the fruit cupboard in the cellar, she lighted a kerosene lamp in the pantry which leads to the cellar. There was an explosion and Mrs. Peters' clothing caught fire from the flaming oil. As Mrs. Peters entered the pantry she told her oldest son, Eugene, to tell his father, who was in his automobile ready to leave the premises, to wait as she wanted to speak to him. When Mr. Peters re-entered the house he found his wife in flames. She was taken in the Good Will ambulance to the Chambersburg Hospital, where she died at 7:45 this morning.
     She is survived by her husband, four children, Eugene, Grace, Andrew Jr. and Bernard, all at home, her father, James Irvin of Harrisburg, and these brothers and sisters, John and Harvey Irvin of Harrisburg, and these brothers and sisters, John and Harvey Irvin of Philadelphia, Wilmer and Ralph Irvin of Harrisburg, Russel Irvin of Johnstown, Mrs. Bessie Rockwell and Mrs. C. J. Gossert of Shippensburg, Mrs. Martin Shipley of Ohiophile, and Mrs. W. D. Rummler of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

(Please note that the above article is transcribed exactly as it appeared with editing errors and misspellings.)