Obituary Record

John Hillhouse
Died on 12/26/1976

None

Enterprise 30 Dec 1976

Two Arlington Men Killed As Antenna Falls on Power

(Photo of power line and trailer court) (Caption: Pictured above is a view of the accident scene where John Hillhouse and Don Bird were killed. The lower arrow points to the crumpled antenna where it came to rest on top of the trailer next to Don Bird’s trailer. The upper arrow points to the power line where the antenna hit.)

Two Arlington men were killed and three others injured following an accident that took place Sunday afternoon, December 26th, in Arlington.

Those killed were 31 year old John Hillhouse and 34 year old Don Bird of Arlington. Injured were Peter Schmalenbock, David Reed and Kenneth Peacock. Reed and Peacock were released from the Dodge County Hospital while Schmalenbock is still hospitalized.

The accident took place at about 5:30 p.m. The men were attempting to put up a CB Antenna on top of a mobile home at the Happy Hallow trailer park on the south edge of highway 30 next to the Dairy King in Arlington. The antenna came in contact with 7620 volt transmission line that runs North and South across the trailer park.

Witnesses said that a big ball of fire resulted and the antenna fell across two mobile homes. The Arlington Rescue Squad and Fire Department were called to the scene and tried to revive the two men on top of the mobile home.

According to persons living in the Happy Hallow Mobile Home Park several persons had helped put up the antenna on the fifty foot pipe. There were no guy wires and it was later decided that the antenna should be taken down in order that guy wires could be attached.

The antenna was taken down and the guy wires attached. The accident reported took place as the men tried to put the antenna back up. The long antenna got away from the men and fell onto the 7620 transmission line. The two men that were killed were on top of the metal trailer home trying to steady the long mast.

When Johnny R. Hillhouse and Donald Bird died Sunday in an electrocution accident, they left behind wives and young families.

The two neighbors in the Arlington Happy Hollow Trailer Court were killed as they attempted to mount a citizen’s band radio antenna atop Bird’s home. The antenna was a Christmas gift from his wife.

The families’ financial future is unsure. Mrs. Hillhouse is expecting their fourth child soon. Bird’s only life insurance policy was with his employer, Al Pimper Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge. Memorial funds for the Hillhouse and Bird families have been established in Fremont and Arlington. The Donald Bird Memorial Fund at the Fremont National Bank and Trust Co. was set up by David Weeker and Jerry Gibbs. Gibbs was Bird’s co-worker, and Weeker was a friend of the dead man.

Bird, 34, had lived in Arlington about one and a half years with his wife, Mary, and two boys, ages six and four. Weeker said Mrs. Bird works for Safeway in Omaha.

Two separate funds have been set up for the families at the Arlington State Bank. Any donations can be taken or sent to the Arlington Bank.

Don Bird was born February 26, 1942 to Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Bird in Omaha. As a child he became a member of Koontz Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha. On April 29, 1972 he was married to Mary E. Peacock in Grace Methodist Church of Kennard, Nebraska.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; sons, David and Donald of Arlington, Nebr.; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bird; a sister, Sharon Anderson of Omaha; Terry Bird, his brother, of Omaha; and a paternal grandmother, Mrs. Hattie Bird, of Omaha. Also by a nephew and many friends. He worked for Al Pimper Motors of Fremont, and will be deeply missed by his family, friends and associates at work.

Crosby Kunold Burket Funeral Chapel, Omaha, was in charge of arrangements and interment was at Graceland Memorial Park Cemetery of Omaha. The services were held at Grace United Methodist Church of Kennard, with the pastor, the Rev. John E. Fritzmeier, officiant.

Hillhouse was born Feb. 21, 1945, in Noxappter, Miss. He was a two-year resident of Arlington.

Hillhouse was employed by the B & W Construction Co. of Iowa as a boiler-maker.

He is survived by his widow, Eileen; a daughter Teresa; sons, Johnny, Jr., and David; sisters, Mrs. Clifton (Rebecca) Smith of Alabama, and Mrs. Charles (Janice) Addy of Mississippi; and parents Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hillhouse. ~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Printed in the Washington County Enterprise on 12/30/1976


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