Obituary Record

Heinrich "Henry" Ahlemeyer
Died on 2/4/1911
Buried in God's Acre (St. Paul's) Cemetery

Heinrich “Henry” Ahlemeyer (spelling on stone--obituaries have alternate spellings)

#1 Blair Democrat/Courier on 2/9/1911

Farmer Killed By Train

Henry Ahlymer, a farmer residing about three miles east of Arlington, was almost instantly killed and Herman Krahlman, his hired man, was injured when the Northwestern passenger train No. 1 struck their buggy at the railroad crossing a mile and a half east of Arlington about 9 o’ clock Saturday forenoon. The body of the dead man was taken to Arlington and the coroner was summoned from there. Krahlman was taken on the train to the Fremont hospital where he is being attended by the company’s physician.

Ahlymer and Krahlman were driving to Arlington where the former was to catch the morning train to Omaha. His ten-year-old son is ill in a hospital at that place and was to have been operated upon as soon as his father arrived. The railroad crossing where the accident occurred is a treacherous spot. The railroad track lies at the foot of a hill down which the road runs. The last one hundred yards of the road is through a cut, making it impossible for one driving there to see the tracks for any distance on either side. Ahlymer and his companion were riding in a buggy with the top up and side curtains in place. They were bundled up in their overcoats, which probably prevented them hearing the approaching train.

Just before the buggy reached the track the engineer on No. 1 caught sight of the top of the buggy, a portion of which was visible over the top of the cut. He put on the brakes, but could not avert the collision. The engine struck squarely Mr. Ahlymer’s horse. The force of the impact whipped the buggy with its occupants around against the engine. Mr. Ahlymer’s body was picked up about fifteen feet from the wreckage of the buggy. He was not run over, but had been almost instantly killed. Krahlman was badly bruised and suffered a severe physical shock. The horse was killed and the buggy completely demolished.

Ahlymer was about 50 years of age, a married man with a family. Krahlman is 25 years old and unmarried.

County Coroner Pierce called an inquest for Friday forenoon at Reckmeyer’s undertaking rooms in Arlington to ascertain the facts in connection with the death of Mr. Ahlymer. The body was taken to Arlington from the scene of the accident and left at the depot until the arrival of the coroner from this city.

The crossing where Mr. Ahlymer met his death is the most dangerous in Washington County, and considerable criticism has been showered on former county boards for not having put an over-head crossing in at that point.

#2 Printed in the Blair Democrat/Courier on 2/9/1911

Coroner Pierce was called to Arlington Saturday morning to take charge of the body of Henry Ahlmeyer, who was struck by a train and instantly killed at a railroad crossing about a mile and a half east of that place. His hired man, Herman Krahlman, was in the buggy with him but wasn't seriously injured. Mr. Ahlmeyer was thrown nearly twenty feet and never knew what hit him, of course.

The crossing is at the end of a cut about a hundred yards long and a train can't be seen in either direction. They were both bundled up heavily in fur coats and were hurrying to Arlington to catch a train for Omaha, where Mr. Ahlmeyer's little son, six years old, is in a hospital critically ill.

The unfortunate man was 50 years of age and leaves a wife and several children. Mr. Krahlman is a young man, 26 years of age, and unmarried. He was taken to the hospital in Fremont, but wasn't seriously hurt. A coroner's jury was called to view the body and an inquest will be held in Arlington on Friday.

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

FindaGrave # 51614945

Printed in the Blair Democrat/Courier on 2/9/1911


[BACK]