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(Veteran US Coast Guard) Blair Man Killed As Crane Contacts High Voltage Line

Curtis Gilliam Killed Instantly At Fremont Gravel Pit

Victor King Is Recovering Burns

One man was killed instantly and another was seriously burned Saturday afternoon when a steel-towered crane on a truck touched an electric high-tension line. The men were working in a field near Fremont.

Curtis Gilliam, 22-year-old Blair man died instantly from shock and burns and Victor King, of east State street, Blair, was burned and knocked to the ground unconscious.

The two men were part of a crew of five who were employed by the Korshoj Construction company of Blair in the erection of a hopper to be used in the loading of gravel onto trucks. The hopper was being built on a tract of land recently purchased by Clarence Kuhr of Blair who plans to open a gravel pit there soon.

Three Blair men were in the crew. They were Gilliam, King and Roy Durfey. Durfey is also proprietor of the Robinson Café of Blair.

According to Durfey, Gilliam and King were holding on to a cable which was suspended from the crane when the accident happened. Durfey was in the truck backing it into position. He was being directed by a foreman. It was near quitting time and a light shower had come up and the men were preparing to finish their work for the day.

As the crane came into contact with the line, which was carrying 13,500 volts, there was a blinding flash. Both Gilliam and King fell to the ground unconscious. Other members of the crew immediately summoned aid and set about to administer artificial respiration. The Fremont Rescue Squad responded immediately but were unable to revive Gilliam. King, however, showed signs of life after a few minutes work.

After all efforts had been exhausted, Gilliam was pronounced dead and King was rushed to the Dodge County hospital where he was treated for shock and severe burns. King was returned to his home late Sunday where he is recovering from burns on his hands, leg and back.

Services for Gilliam were held Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the Christian church.

Born January 5th, 1928, Gilliam was 22 years, 5 months and 12 days old. He was the son of John and Cora Gilliam, of Blair, where he had been born and raised. He had attended Blair High school, but had enlisted in the Coast Guard before graduating. He served in this branch of the service for 3 years. During the war he saw service in the vicinity of Newfoundland and Hawaii.

In 1947 he was married to Lucile Marry, of Paducah, Kentucky and to this union a daughter, Carla Diane, was born.

He was a member of the Christian church of Blair.

Besides his wife, little daughter and parents, he leaves one sister, Mrs. James Glass, Jr., of Kansas City, Mo., and a grandmother, Mrs. Elsa Stricklett, of Blair, other relatives and a host of friends to mourn his passing.

Pall-bearers at the services were Ross Nicholson, Bill Jones, Marshall Turner. Charles Shumaker, Tom Donaldson and James Wilcox.

The V.F.W. Firing Squad carried out military services at the grave.

The burial was in charge of the Bendorf Funeral Home and the Rev. Ralph Kersey delivered the sermon.

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