Orval Christian

Orland Register, Saturday 6 February 1904:

    Orval, the eight-year-old son of Oscar Christian, swallowed a tooth some seven weeks ago and has ever since been in a very critical condition.  In some way or other the tooth was permitted to enter the bronchial tube and at once caused the little fellow to cough.  The cough has staid with since, and as he dwindled away it caused his parents to become uneasy and send for a doctor.  It was thought he had consumption but upon closer investigation the idea was given up.

    Last week Oscar took the boy to Red Bluff where the X-ray was brought into use, which revealed the tooth in the bronchial tube.  Orval is now improving and it is thought he will soon be all right, unless it becomes necessary to perform an operation to remove the tooth.   

Orland Register, Saturday 27 February 1904:

DEATH OF ORVAL CHRISTIAN.

    Orval, the nine year old boy of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Christian, died at the home of his parents Tuesday night at 8 o'clock after a lingering illness of seven or eight weeks.

    It will be remembered that the boy swallowed a tooth several weeks ago and it was thought at that time impossible for him to live.

    The attending physician thought consumption the cause of the severe cough with which he was afflicted but later when the X-Ray was brought into use, the tooth which had been swallowed weeks before, was located in the bronchial tube.

    Everything possible for human hands to do was done in the endeavor to alleviate the pain and save the child's life but to no avail.  He continued to grow weaker.  For the past two weeks, however, there was little change.

    Tuesday morning Mr. Christian informed us that Orval seemed brighter than usual and expressed himself as though he thought there might be some chance for his recovery.

    The death of Orval at this time is a most sad incident.  Only last summer while Mr. Christian was in the mountains he received word of the death of his baby and now the death of another child makes the lot of the bereaved family a sad one indeed.

    The mother feels the loss very much and was nearly prostrate with grief.

    The funeral services were held in the Baptist Church on Thursday at 11 a. m. Rev. Mr. Roberts officiating.  After a touching sermon all the earthly remains of Orval Christian were laid to rest in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. 

                     - Transcribed by E.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via brother Granville Lawrence Christian by SmartCopy: Oct 27 2015, 22:12:26 UTC