Leonard Stekelenburg, Hawarden garage owner and L.C. Nechanicky of Le Mars, flying instructor at the Hawarden airport, were killed Tuesday noon when the small plane in which they were hunting coyotes crashed, exploded and burned.
Sheriff S.J. Bjork of Elk Point said the bodies were identified by keys carried by Mr. Stekelenburg and by Mr. Nechanicky's watch which stopped at 12:35. A shotgun found in the twisted wreckage was identified by Cy Youngkin as one he had loaned to Mr. Stekelenburg.
Guards were placed around the wrecked plane late Tuesday, pending investigation Wednesday by Aeronautic Inspector Ralph Horn of Huron, S.D. The bodies were taken from the scene after Coroner L.W. Anderson of Union County had announced that an inquest would not be necessary.
Funeral services for Mr. Stekelenburg will be held at 1:30 this afternoon at the Barnard Funeral Home and at 2 o'clock at the Methodist Church. Final rites were held this morning in LeMars for Mr. Nechanicky and burial was in the Catholic Cemetery there. Mass was said this morning.
Mr. Stekelenburg 46, was owner of Stek's Garage here and recently leased the Hawarden airport from the city. Mr. Nechanicky, 28, a veteran flier of World War II, was flight instructor and commercial pilot at the airport.
The crash occurred on the Adolph Wiig farm one mile south and three miles west of Hawarden.
First to reach the wreckage was Merle Peterson, owner of a nearby farm, who attempted to put out the fire by throwing dirt into the cockpit. Mr. Peterson, who said he heard shotgun shells explode in the plane after the crash, expressed the opinion that the two men were killed immediately.
Frank Holtkamp another nearby farmer reported that he had watched the plane dive a number of times at a coyote and that he heard shots fired at the coyote from the plane.
A.R. Mathews who was working in the vicinity, said he heard an explosion and saw smoke rise from the scene of the accident.
Early attempts at identifying the two victims became more positive when several persons reported that Mr. Stekelenburg and Mr. Nechanicky had announced their intention of going hunting by late Tuesday morning.
The wrecked plane faced west on the down slope of a hill about a quarter of a miles west of the Big Sioux River.
Mr. Stekelenburg was born at Hospers June 3, 1900. He moved to Salix when a boy and later lived in Sioux City. He came to Hawarden 14 years ago.
The airport manager and garage owner received his pilot license last September.
He married Beatrice O'Connor at Yankton, S.D. October 19, 1935. He was a member of the Eagles lodge.
Survivors include one widow: his mother, Mrs. Julia Stekelenburg of Sergeant Bluff; a son, Wayne Stekelenburg of Sioux City, by a previous marriage a step-son Cornie O'Connor: three sisters, Mrs. M.E. Weigel of Calloway, Minn., Mrs. C.W. Coleman and Mrs. Sam Cameron of Sergeant Bluff; three brothers, Sherman of Osage, Minn., George of Salix and Carl of Kingston, Mo. two grandchildren. Karen Stekelenburg of Sioux City and Candee O'Connor of Hawarden.
Mr. Nechanicky is survived by widow, Joyce.
Hawarden Independent 12/5/1946
Sheriff S.J. Bjork of Elk Point said the bodies were identified by keys carried by Mr. Stekelenburg and by Mr. Nechanicky's watch which stopped at 12:35. A shotgun found in the twisted wreckage was identified by Cy Youngkin as one he had loaned to Mr. Stekelenburg.
Guards were placed around the wrecked plane late Tuesday, pending investigation Wednesday by Aeronautic Inspector Ralph Horn of Huron, S.D. The bodies were taken from the scene after Coroner L.W. Anderson of Union County had announced that an inquest would not be necessary.
Funeral services for Mr. Stekelenburg will be held at 1:30 this afternoon at the Barnard Funeral Home and at 2 o'clock at the Methodist Church. Final rites were held this morning in LeMars for Mr. Nechanicky and burial was in the Catholic Cemetery there. Mass was said this morning.
Mr. Stekelenburg 46, was owner of Stek's Garage here and recently leased the Hawarden airport from the city. Mr. Nechanicky, 28, a veteran flier of World War II, was flight instructor and commercial pilot at the airport.
The crash occurred on the Adolph Wiig farm one mile south and three miles west of Hawarden.
First to reach the wreckage was Merle Peterson, owner of a nearby farm, who attempted to put out the fire by throwing dirt into the cockpit. Mr. Peterson, who said he heard shotgun shells explode in the plane after the crash, expressed the opinion that the two men were killed immediately.
Frank Holtkamp another nearby farmer reported that he had watched the plane dive a number of times at a coyote and that he heard shots fired at the coyote from the plane.
A.R. Mathews who was working in the vicinity, said he heard an explosion and saw smoke rise from the scene of the accident.
Early attempts at identifying the two victims became more positive when several persons reported that Mr. Stekelenburg and Mr. Nechanicky had announced their intention of going hunting by late Tuesday morning.
The wrecked plane faced west on the down slope of a hill about a quarter of a miles west of the Big Sioux River.
Mr. Stekelenburg was born at Hospers June 3, 1900. He moved to Salix when a boy and later lived in Sioux City. He came to Hawarden 14 years ago.
The airport manager and garage owner received his pilot license last September.
He married Beatrice O'Connor at Yankton, S.D. October 19, 1935. He was a member of the Eagles lodge.
Survivors include one widow: his mother, Mrs. Julia Stekelenburg of Sergeant Bluff; a son, Wayne Stekelenburg of Sioux City, by a previous marriage a step-son Cornie O'Connor: three sisters, Mrs. M.E. Weigel of Calloway, Minn., Mrs. C.W. Coleman and Mrs. Sam Cameron of Sergeant Bluff; three brothers, Sherman of Osage, Minn., George of Salix and Carl of Kingston, Mo. two grandchildren. Karen Stekelenburg of Sioux City and Candee O'Connor of Hawarden.
Mr. Nechanicky is survived by widow, Joyce.
Hawarden Independent 12/5/1946
Leonard Stekelenburg, Hawarden garage owner and L.C. Nechanicky of Le Mars, flying instructor at the Hawarden airport, were killed Tuesday noon when the small plane in which they were hunting coyotes crashed, exploded and burned.
Sheriff S.J. Bjork of Elk Point said the bodies were identified by keys carried by Mr. Stekelenburg and by Mr. Nechanicky's watch which stopped at 12:35. A shotgun found in the twisted wreckage was identified by Cy Youngkin as one he had loaned to Mr. Stekelenburg.
Guards were placed around the wrecked plane late Tuesday, pending investigation Wednesday by Aeronautic Inspector Ralph Horn of Huron, S.D. The bodies were taken from the scene after Coroner L.W. Anderson of Union County had announced that an inquest would not be necessary.
Funeral services for Mr. Stekelenburg will be held at 1:30 this afternoon at the Barnard Funeral Home and at 2 o'clock at the Methodist Church. Final rites were held this morning in LeMars for Mr. Nechanicky and burial was in the Catholic Cemetery there. Mass was said this morning.
Mr. Stekelenburg 46, was owner of Stek's Garage here and recently leased the Hawarden airport from the city. Mr. Nechanicky, 28, a veteran flier of World War II, was flight instructor and commercial pilot at the airport.
The crash occurred on the Adolph Wiig farm one mile south and three miles west of Hawarden.
First to reach the wreckage was Merle Peterson, owner of a nearby farm, who attempted to put out the fire by throwing dirt into the cockpit. Mr. Peterson, who said he heard shotgun shells explode in the plane after the crash, expressed the opinion that the two men were killed immediately.
Frank Holtkamp another nearby farmer reported that he had watched the plane dive a number of times at a coyote and that he heard shots fired at the coyote from the plane.
A.R. Mathews who was working in the vicinity, said he heard an explosion and saw smoke rise from the scene of the accident.
Early attempts at identifying the two victims became more positive when several persons reported that Mr. Stekelenburg and Mr. Nechanicky had announced their intention of going hunting by late Tuesday morning.
The wrecked plane faced west on the down slope of a hill about a quarter of a miles west of the Big Sioux River.
Mr. Stekelenburg was born at Hospers June 3, 1900. He moved to Salix when a boy and later lived in Sioux City. He came to Hawarden 14 years ago.
The airport manager and garage owner received his pilot license last September.
He married Beatrice O'Connor at Yankton, S.D. October 19, 1935. He was a member of the Eagles lodge.
Survivors include one widow: his mother, Mrs. Julia Stekelenburg of Sergeant Bluff; a son, Wayne Stekelenburg of Sioux City, by a previous marriage a step-son Cornie O'Connor: three sisters, Mrs. M.E. Weigel of Calloway, Minn., Mrs. C.W. Coleman and Mrs. Sam Cameron of Sergeant Bluff; three brothers, Sherman of Osage, Minn., George of Salix and Carl of Kingston, Mo. two grandchildren. Karen Stekelenburg of Sioux City and Candee O'Connor of Hawarden.
Mr. Nechanicky is survived by widow, Joyce.
Hawarden Independent 12/5/1946
Sheriff S.J. Bjork of Elk Point said the bodies were identified by keys carried by Mr. Stekelenburg and by Mr. Nechanicky's watch which stopped at 12:35. A shotgun found in the twisted wreckage was identified by Cy Youngkin as one he had loaned to Mr. Stekelenburg.
Guards were placed around the wrecked plane late Tuesday, pending investigation Wednesday by Aeronautic Inspector Ralph Horn of Huron, S.D. The bodies were taken from the scene after Coroner L.W. Anderson of Union County had announced that an inquest would not be necessary.
Funeral services for Mr. Stekelenburg will be held at 1:30 this afternoon at the Barnard Funeral Home and at 2 o'clock at the Methodist Church. Final rites were held this morning in LeMars for Mr. Nechanicky and burial was in the Catholic Cemetery there. Mass was said this morning.
Mr. Stekelenburg 46, was owner of Stek's Garage here and recently leased the Hawarden airport from the city. Mr. Nechanicky, 28, a veteran flier of World War II, was flight instructor and commercial pilot at the airport.
The crash occurred on the Adolph Wiig farm one mile south and three miles west of Hawarden.
First to reach the wreckage was Merle Peterson, owner of a nearby farm, who attempted to put out the fire by throwing dirt into the cockpit. Mr. Peterson, who said he heard shotgun shells explode in the plane after the crash, expressed the opinion that the two men were killed immediately.
Frank Holtkamp another nearby farmer reported that he had watched the plane dive a number of times at a coyote and that he heard shots fired at the coyote from the plane.
A.R. Mathews who was working in the vicinity, said he heard an explosion and saw smoke rise from the scene of the accident.
Early attempts at identifying the two victims became more positive when several persons reported that Mr. Stekelenburg and Mr. Nechanicky had announced their intention of going hunting by late Tuesday morning.
The wrecked plane faced west on the down slope of a hill about a quarter of a miles west of the Big Sioux River.
Mr. Stekelenburg was born at Hospers June 3, 1900. He moved to Salix when a boy and later lived in Sioux City. He came to Hawarden 14 years ago.
The airport manager and garage owner received his pilot license last September.
He married Beatrice O'Connor at Yankton, S.D. October 19, 1935. He was a member of the Eagles lodge.
Survivors include one widow: his mother, Mrs. Julia Stekelenburg of Sergeant Bluff; a son, Wayne Stekelenburg of Sioux City, by a previous marriage a step-son Cornie O'Connor: three sisters, Mrs. M.E. Weigel of Calloway, Minn., Mrs. C.W. Coleman and Mrs. Sam Cameron of Sergeant Bluff; three brothers, Sherman of Osage, Minn., George of Salix and Carl of Kingston, Mo. two grandchildren. Karen Stekelenburg of Sioux City and Candee O'Connor of Hawarden.
Mr. Nechanicky is survived by widow, Joyce.
Hawarden Independent 12/5/1946
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