Chatfield Farmhand Suffocates in Mud Under Overturned Car
Rites for Henry Blumer, 31, Conducted Today.
Chatfield, Minn. - (Special to The Republican-Herald)) - Henry Blumer, 31, Chatfield farmhand, died of suffocation when his car crashed through a bridge guard rail four miles east of here on highway 30 late Saturday afternoon and landed upside down, shoving Blumer's head through the cloth top into the soft mud, the Fillmore county coroner, Dr. F. P. Arny, said after an investigation.
There will be no inquest.
An examination of the body Saturday evening revealed that one lung was full of mud, the Preston physician said, and there were some indications of a struggle.
Blumer was found upside down and buried up to his shoulders in the mud beside Lynch creek. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Paquette, Fairbault, found him about 5 p.m. Saturday. They had gone over the bridge about 4 p.m. to visit relatives east of Chatfield and noticed nothing unusual then, but on their return they noted that the iron guard rail on the south side had been torn away.
Protruding Arm Seen.
Investigating they found Blumer's old Buick coupe turned turtle close beside the creek. One of his arms was protruding. The engine of the car was still warm.
At about the same time Clarence Jacobson, a Chatfield trucker, arrived and he notified Sheriff Knute Inglebret of Preston, the highway patrol and a Chatfield physician. The coroner was out of town at that time.
After removing the body with difficulty it was taken to the Boetzer funeral home shortly after 5 p.m.
Dr. Arny, who investigated the fatal accident later in the evening, said it was apparent that Blumer drove to his death in the following manner:
Accident Reconstruction.
Driving east on highway 30, Blumer lost control of his car in loose gravel at the bottom of a hill. It struck the right side of the bridge guarded by an iron rail, dropped 15 feet and landed upside down, driving his head through the top into the mud.
The bridge where the accident happened is near the William Ward farm, and on either side the road rises rather sharply. Since Blumer lost control of his car at the bottom of the hill it is possible that he was going fast.
The point where the farmhand died is about one mile from the farm of his employer, Floyd Richter.
Born in Holland.
Blumer was born September 10, 1909, in Holland, and came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blumer, when he was three years old. Chatfield had been his home for about 15 years. He never married.
Survivors are his mother, Mrs. Anna Blumer, two sisters, Mrs. Monroe Battey, Chatfield, and Mrs. M. Williams, living in Missouri, and two brother, William and Clarence, both of Chatfield. His father died in 1937.
Funeral services were conducted at 9:30 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian church, the Rev. S. C. Jepson officiating. Burial was in the Chatfield cemetery.
The Winona Daily News (Winona, Minnesota)07 Jul 1941, Mon., Page 1
Contributor: jhelget (48924853)
Rites for Henry Blumer, 31, Conducted Today.
Chatfield, Minn. - (Special to The Republican-Herald)) - Henry Blumer, 31, Chatfield farmhand, died of suffocation when his car crashed through a bridge guard rail four miles east of here on highway 30 late Saturday afternoon and landed upside down, shoving Blumer's head through the cloth top into the soft mud, the Fillmore county coroner, Dr. F. P. Arny, said after an investigation.
There will be no inquest.
An examination of the body Saturday evening revealed that one lung was full of mud, the Preston physician said, and there were some indications of a struggle.
Blumer was found upside down and buried up to his shoulders in the mud beside Lynch creek. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Paquette, Fairbault, found him about 5 p.m. Saturday. They had gone over the bridge about 4 p.m. to visit relatives east of Chatfield and noticed nothing unusual then, but on their return they noted that the iron guard rail on the south side had been torn away.
Protruding Arm Seen.
Investigating they found Blumer's old Buick coupe turned turtle close beside the creek. One of his arms was protruding. The engine of the car was still warm.
At about the same time Clarence Jacobson, a Chatfield trucker, arrived and he notified Sheriff Knute Inglebret of Preston, the highway patrol and a Chatfield physician. The coroner was out of town at that time.
After removing the body with difficulty it was taken to the Boetzer funeral home shortly after 5 p.m.
Dr. Arny, who investigated the fatal accident later in the evening, said it was apparent that Blumer drove to his death in the following manner:
Accident Reconstruction.
Driving east on highway 30, Blumer lost control of his car in loose gravel at the bottom of a hill. It struck the right side of the bridge guarded by an iron rail, dropped 15 feet and landed upside down, driving his head through the top into the mud.
The bridge where the accident happened is near the William Ward farm, and on either side the road rises rather sharply. Since Blumer lost control of his car at the bottom of the hill it is possible that he was going fast.
The point where the farmhand died is about one mile from the farm of his employer, Floyd Richter.
Born in Holland.
Blumer was born September 10, 1909, in Holland, and came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blumer, when he was three years old. Chatfield had been his home for about 15 years. He never married.
Survivors are his mother, Mrs. Anna Blumer, two sisters, Mrs. Monroe Battey, Chatfield, and Mrs. M. Williams, living in Missouri, and two brother, William and Clarence, both of Chatfield. His father died in 1937.
Funeral services were conducted at 9:30 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian church, the Rev. S. C. Jepson officiating. Burial was in the Chatfield cemetery.
The Winona Daily News (Winona, Minnesota)07 Jul 1941, Mon., Page 1
Contributor: jhelget (48924853)
Chatfield Farmhand Suffocates in Mud Under Overturned Car
Rites for Henry Blumer, 31, Conducted Today.
Chatfield, Minn. - (Special to The Republican-Herald)) - Henry Blumer, 31, Chatfield farmhand, died of suffocation when his car crashed through a bridge guard rail four miles east of here on highway 30 late Saturday afternoon and landed upside down, shoving Blumer's head through the cloth top into the soft mud, the Fillmore county coroner, Dr. F. P. Arny, said after an investigation.
There will be no inquest.
An examination of the body Saturday evening revealed that one lung was full of mud, the Preston physician said, and there were some indications of a struggle.
Blumer was found upside down and buried up to his shoulders in the mud beside Lynch creek. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Paquette, Fairbault, found him about 5 p.m. Saturday. They had gone over the bridge about 4 p.m. to visit relatives east of Chatfield and noticed nothing unusual then, but on their return they noted that the iron guard rail on the south side had been torn away.
Protruding Arm Seen.
Investigating they found Blumer's old Buick coupe turned turtle close beside the creek. One of his arms was protruding. The engine of the car was still warm.
At about the same time Clarence Jacobson, a Chatfield trucker, arrived and he notified Sheriff Knute Inglebret of Preston, the highway patrol and a Chatfield physician. The coroner was out of town at that time.
After removing the body with difficulty it was taken to the Boetzer funeral home shortly after 5 p.m.
Dr. Arny, who investigated the fatal accident later in the evening, said it was apparent that Blumer drove to his death in the following manner:
Accident Reconstruction.
Driving east on highway 30, Blumer lost control of his car in loose gravel at the bottom of a hill. It struck the right side of the bridge guarded by an iron rail, dropped 15 feet and landed upside down, driving his head through the top into the mud.
The bridge where the accident happened is near the William Ward farm, and on either side the road rises rather sharply. Since Blumer lost control of his car at the bottom of the hill it is possible that he was going fast.
The point where the farmhand died is about one mile from the farm of his employer, Floyd Richter.
Born in Holland.
Blumer was born September 10, 1909, in Holland, and came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blumer, when he was three years old. Chatfield had been his home for about 15 years. He never married.
Survivors are his mother, Mrs. Anna Blumer, two sisters, Mrs. Monroe Battey, Chatfield, and Mrs. M. Williams, living in Missouri, and two brother, William and Clarence, both of Chatfield. His father died in 1937.
Funeral services were conducted at 9:30 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian church, the Rev. S. C. Jepson officiating. Burial was in the Chatfield cemetery.
The Winona Daily News (Winona, Minnesota)07 Jul 1941, Mon., Page 1
Contributor: jhelget (48924853)
Rites for Henry Blumer, 31, Conducted Today.
Chatfield, Minn. - (Special to The Republican-Herald)) - Henry Blumer, 31, Chatfield farmhand, died of suffocation when his car crashed through a bridge guard rail four miles east of here on highway 30 late Saturday afternoon and landed upside down, shoving Blumer's head through the cloth top into the soft mud, the Fillmore county coroner, Dr. F. P. Arny, said after an investigation.
There will be no inquest.
An examination of the body Saturday evening revealed that one lung was full of mud, the Preston physician said, and there were some indications of a struggle.
Blumer was found upside down and buried up to his shoulders in the mud beside Lynch creek. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Paquette, Fairbault, found him about 5 p.m. Saturday. They had gone over the bridge about 4 p.m. to visit relatives east of Chatfield and noticed nothing unusual then, but on their return they noted that the iron guard rail on the south side had been torn away.
Protruding Arm Seen.
Investigating they found Blumer's old Buick coupe turned turtle close beside the creek. One of his arms was protruding. The engine of the car was still warm.
At about the same time Clarence Jacobson, a Chatfield trucker, arrived and he notified Sheriff Knute Inglebret of Preston, the highway patrol and a Chatfield physician. The coroner was out of town at that time.
After removing the body with difficulty it was taken to the Boetzer funeral home shortly after 5 p.m.
Dr. Arny, who investigated the fatal accident later in the evening, said it was apparent that Blumer drove to his death in the following manner:
Accident Reconstruction.
Driving east on highway 30, Blumer lost control of his car in loose gravel at the bottom of a hill. It struck the right side of the bridge guarded by an iron rail, dropped 15 feet and landed upside down, driving his head through the top into the mud.
The bridge where the accident happened is near the William Ward farm, and on either side the road rises rather sharply. Since Blumer lost control of his car at the bottom of the hill it is possible that he was going fast.
The point where the farmhand died is about one mile from the farm of his employer, Floyd Richter.
Born in Holland.
Blumer was born September 10, 1909, in Holland, and came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blumer, when he was three years old. Chatfield had been his home for about 15 years. He never married.
Survivors are his mother, Mrs. Anna Blumer, two sisters, Mrs. Monroe Battey, Chatfield, and Mrs. M. Williams, living in Missouri, and two brother, William and Clarence, both of Chatfield. His father died in 1937.
Funeral services were conducted at 9:30 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian church, the Rev. S. C. Jepson officiating. Burial was in the Chatfield cemetery.
The Winona Daily News (Winona, Minnesota)07 Jul 1941, Mon., Page 1
Contributor: jhelget (48924853)
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