17 Nov 1938

Killed Yesterday

FATHER, HIRED MAN AT TRAGEDY SCENE

Youngster Had Helped on Numerous Occasions by Throwing Tractor in Gear; Funeral Plans Not Completed Early Today

Larry Nelson, nine years old, son of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Nelson, was killed almost instantly at five o’clock Wednesday evening when he became entangled in a tractor-power takeoff while helping his father and their hired man unload a wagon of corn.

Just how the mishap occurred is not known, but the boy, home from school only a few minutes, met his father in the barnyard and aided him in making preparations to unload the corn, as was his custom. He went to the opposite side of the wagon, Mr. Nelson said, and when given the signal he threw the tractor into gear.

Within two minutes the tractor stalled and Mr. Nelson and the hired man went to investigate. Entangled in the machinery, crushed beyond recognition, they found the boy’s body.

The Nelsons lived northwest of Telbasta and although their mail address is Hooper they are Washington county residents. Funeral plans had not been made Thursday morning.

Surviving are the parents and the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. John Nelson of Blair. Mr. Nelson being a former county commissioner. Also surviving are two sisters, Joan and Carol, and a brother, Keith.

#2-17 Nov., 1938 - The Enterprise

YOUTH IS KILLED BY TRACTOR

Boy of Eight Slips Into Power Takeoff of Farm Tractor

WHIPPED TO DEATH

An accident resulting in the instant death of little Larry Nelson, eight year old son of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Nelson of the Telbasta school district, occurred late Wednesday evening.

The father was unloading corn with a portable elevator propelled by a farm tractor. In some unaccountable manner the boy fell into the power takeoff, and the whirling of the gear immediately whipped him to death.

Besides the grief-stricken parents, he leaves to mourn his death two younger sisters, Joan and Carol and a younger brother, Keith. No funeral arrangements have as yet been made.

The parents are well known around Blair, the father being a son of John C. Nelson, former county commissioner for commissioner district 2.

#3-Pilot Tribune 1 Dec 1938

NEIGHBORS HUSK FOR BEREAVED PAIR

1,400 Bushels Corn Picked At Nelson Farm, Where Boy Was Killed

Cornhusking operations at the George W. Nelson farm near Telbasta, interrupted when the Nelsons’ nine-year-old boy, Larry, was killed while helping November 16, were finished last Tuesday.

Thirty-five men of the neighborhood, 19 of them with teams of horses, went to the farm and picked 1,400 bushels of corn from 57 acres within a few hours, while their women invaded the Nelson home and prepared dinner of hot dogs, pie, coffee and cookies for the workers.

The problem of getting the corn shucked had been a worry to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, grief-stricken since the accidental death of their son, and the husking bee staged by their friend came as a godsend.

The Nelson boy met death when he became entangled in a tractor-power takeoff while helping his father and their hired man unload a wagon of corn. Before the tractor stalled, the boy’s body was mangled beyond recognition.

Men who brought teams for the husking bee were L. Schafersman, J. Stuenkel, H. Stoffer, R. Timme, Ed Dam, Ed Olson, L. Gnuse, J. Meyer, A. Barthing, V. Barthling, H. Franke, A Barthing, H. Krohn, H. Mill, Howard Moll, M. Pawling, W. Schuett, I. Pullen and Paul Feiste. Others who helped were P. Wright, O. Krohn, A beermann, T Panning, G. Schuett, L. Bartling, P. Kuhls, E. Kuhls, H. Stuenkel, H. Kuss, A. Kreite, K. Hartung, W. Mueller, L. Moll, A. Timme and W. Pawling.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~