Surnames: Gault, Pischer, Garbisch, Schoengarth, Dux, Krejci, Johnson, Kunze, Moeller, Warren

Thursday, September 19, 1946 edition of the Clark County Press

Jason F. Gault, 46, Injured Fatally in Tractor Accident

Lies Conscious and Helpless Three Hours on Lonely Road Awaiting Help

Jason F. Gault, 46, of the Town of York, was injured fatally when a tractor pulling a road grader passed over him late Saturday, was buried in the Neillsville Cemetery following services yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Gault, the father of four children, was working on a York town road on Pischer's hill, one and one-half miles east of the Pleasant View school when the accident happened.

Although his chest was crushed as the rear wheel of the tractor passed over him, he was conscious when found three hours later by Gerhardt Garbisch, York road patrol superintendent.

In halting words as the injured man and the road superintendent awaited the arrival of ambulance, Mr. Gault told how the accident had happened.

He had been dragging eastward on the east-west town road, he said. This road ends in a junction with a north-south town road, which runs about mid-way up Pischer's hill.

Finishing one time over the mile and one-half stretch from the Pleasant View school, Mr. Gault said he started to turn the tractor and grader around. He swung the equipment to the south at the junction of the roadways, then stopped the tractor.

He said he left the motor in gear, with the tractor shut off, and got down from the rig to adjust the grader blade for the return trip. To do this, it was necessary for him to remove a pin which held the blade swivel, and to move the blade around in a circular manner.

Mr. Gault said he had removed the pin and was jerking on the blade when the tractor started to move ahead and down the incline.

The compression of the motor was not sufficient to hold the tractor and grader, and the equipment kept lunging ahead. Seeing that the tractor was heading for a ditch, which was filled with rock and young elm trees, Mr. Gault told Mr. Garbisch that he made an attempt to climb aboard the tractor and stop it.

He either mis-judged the step, or he slipped, and fell under the moving tractor. The left rear wheel of the tractor passed over his shoulder, upper chest and lover part of his neck. Apparently in his fall, his leg came into contact with some portion of the tractor, for there was an eight inch gash in it. The tractor came to a stop against a small elm tree after moving only about 30 feet.

The accident happened about five o'clock, Mr. Gault told Mr. Garbisch. He was not found until three hours later, when Mr. and Mrs. Garbisch went out to search for him.

Mr. Gault frequently worked until 7 o'clock, so Mrs. Gault was not worried until he failed to return home by 7:30. She telephoned Mr. Garbisch and learned that Mr. Gault had not returned there with the grader. Mr. and Mrs. Garbisch went out to find him, heading directly for Pischer's hill, for they knew he was working in that area.

Mr. Gault was conscious when they arrived, and apparently had not lost consciousness at any time during the three hours he had lain there.

Mrs. Garbisch stayed with Mr. Gault while her husband went to a telephone and called an ambulance from Granton. He also called Neillsville to have the hospital and doctor prepared for their arrival.

It was while awaiting the arrival of help that Mr. Gault told the Garbisches the details of the accident.

As the ambulance carried Mr. Gault to the hospital, Mr. Garbisch drove to the Gault home and notified Mrs. Gault of the accident.

Mr. Gault died about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, about six and one-half hours after entering the hospital.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the Georgas Funeral Home and the Congregational Church, with the Rev. Samuke D. Robbins in charge. Burial was made in the Neillsville Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Alfred Dux, Tom Krejci, Roy Johnson, Art Kunze, Jake Moeller, and Otto J. Warren.

Mr. Gault was born December 6, 1899, in Tomah to Edward and Edith Alton Gault. When six months old, the family moved to Clark County and Mr. Gault had resided in the county since that time. He had been on the present farm near Oriole Hill school, Town of York, for the last 19 years.

Mr. Gault was married to Alvina Schoengarth in Neillsville by the Rev. G.W. Longenecker, and to this union were born four boys; Robert of Neillsville, Wilfred of Asheville, North Carolina, and Franklin and Gene at home.

Also surviving are three brothers, Stewart of Neosho, and Edward and Forrest of Neillsville; and a sister, Mrs. Percy Northup. His parents and a brother Merrill preceded him in death:

Mr. Gault was a member of Royal Neighbors of America, and for 18 years had served as clerk of the Oriole Hill School.