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Eunice Lathem, 22, Of Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan

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Eunice Lathem, 22, of Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan, passed away on the night of November 20th, 1955, after falling through thin ice at a skating party in her honour. Residents of the town came to celebrate the recent engagement of Lathem and her fiance, Nathan Singleton, on the cold, November night. The celebration was to be held at a nearby lake which appeared to be frozen over and suitable for skating. The party commenced at around 6:30 p.m. lasting several hours before many began to head home. At around 10 o’clock that night, Lathem and her younger sister Delia Sykes were seen venturing out into the east bank of the lake. At approximately 10:05 p.m., several witnesses recalled hearing cries for help. “There is a place in that bank where …show more content…

The night was dark and I couldn’t see the girl’s faces. All I could do was grasp the nearest pair of wrists and pull.” Singleton recollected. “It took all of our efforts” another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “though we were able to save only one”. The men who arrived to help were able to drag Sykes back to safety. “As we were doing it,” Singleton stated, “The ice broke beneath our feet and the second (Lathem) went under.” Onlookers did not realize that Eunice had fallen through until the hole became illuminated by the moon. “We went back to the hole, but Eunice had vanished. There wasn’t any way we could get her body” Singleton concluded. Will Singleton, Nathan’s brother, also attended the event. “It was an awful thing to have happen on our place” he said. “My brother was a hero who risked his life though there was no way on earth he could save both girls. All I know is that he will never fully recover. All that the town can do at this point is try and prevent this from happening again.” The Willow Bunch funeral home and the Lathem and Singleton families have organized Eunice’s funeral to take place on Sunday, November 22nd and her name will always be remembered on a gravestone in St. Chad’s parish. All are welcome to

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