Caught in a Blizzard
At the Sweet family reunion were two brothers and a sister whose experience in life is sad and pitiful, January 12th, 1888, they were living in Olivet, South Dakota, and with their father and mother, another brother and nephew, started at 11 o'clock that morning in a sleigh to attend the wedding of another brother four miles distant. It was a pleasant morning, but they had driven but half way, when a blizzard overtook them, and the blinding snow became so dense that they lost their way in the darkness, and wandered about until their horses were frozen to death, and they could nothing but remain in the sleigh until the following morning. When the storm abated, they were only 40 rods from a neighbor's house and the father went at once to get help. As soon as he went near the fire, his face which was badly frozen, commences to swell and in a few moments he was totally blind. He could not even see to get back to the sleigh.
A school teacher found them and soon they were all taken home. It was then found that they were so badly frozen that the sister, Berdena M. Sweet had to have both hands amputated near the elbow, and Orlo M. and Herbert J. had both legs amputated near the knees. They are now on their way - driving across the country in a covered wagon - to Painesville, Ohio. They reached here just in time to attend the reunion.