William Hovendick, lifetime resident of the Spiker area west of Blair, was killed Monday when he was pinned under an over-turned tractor. He was cutting hay at the time and the tractor overturned as he was turning the machine at a point.

He was found a short time after the accident happened, by his son, Stanley, who found the tractor upset and the motor still hot, but not running.

Mr. Hovendick was using a late model tractor which had fenders, a top and hydraulic equipment at the rear of the operator’s area and it was difficult for him to jump free of the machine when it tipped over. He was cutting hay with a tractor mounted mower and had moved the right hand rear wheel in to avoid running over the hay. The narrowed wheelbase is believed to have been responsible for the tractor tipping over to the right as he turned at a point in the field.

The deceased man was born at Spiker and had lived and farmed in the area all of his life. He was born November 10, 1908 and was 58 years old. He had been active in many things in the community and had made many friends. He was considered a very good farmer.

He is survived by his wife, Carla, and by two sons, Stanley and David, both of whom also farm in the Spiker vicinity. A daughter, Donna, is at home. Also surviving are three grandchildren and a brother, Ed. Hovendick of Herman. There are five sisters all of whom survive. They are Mrs. Edythe Atwood, of Blair, Mrs. Mabel Lindenmeyer, of Blair; Mrs. Dewey (Edna) Holstein of Fremont; Mrs. Pearl Kimbro of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Mrs. Hans Christensen of Tekamah.

Funeral services are to be held Friday afternoon in Christian Missionary Alliance Church at 19th and Lincoln Streets, Fremont. The Rev. Howard Bedell will conduct the service. Burial will be made in the Blair Cemetery under the direction of the Bendorf Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Clifford Johnson, Arthur S. Jensen, John, Taylor, Sr., Robert Rasmussen, Sr., Harold French and Wesley Sprick.

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