Obit: Hofmann, Emil O. (1897 - 1939)

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Surnames: Hofmann, Okerlander, Schmidt, Tessmer, Kraut, Benz, Kronschnabl, Anderson, Pudliner

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 11/09/1939

Hofmann, Emil O. (6 Sept. 1897 - 4 Nov. 1939)

Burned beyond recognition, Emil O. Hofmann, 42, town of Hoard, Clark county, Wisconsin, died at the Medford clinic Saturday night about five hours after he was burned underneath his truck on county trunk A, nearly a mile west of Dorchester, Wis.

Hofmann, who suffered third degree burns over his entire body, was believed to have been draining gasoline from his truck tank when a match he was said to have lighted ignited his gasoline-drenched clothes. The accident occurred shortly before 6:30 o’clock.

Jack Okerlander, who lives near the scene of the accident, told investigators that he saw Hofmann beneath the stalled truck 10 minutes before the vehicle burst into flames. He said he believed Hofmann was draining a quantity of fuel from the tank to supply the motor’s vacuum tank.

It was believed Hofmann’s clothes became saturated with gasoline as it gushed from the tank when he struck a match to locate the outlet valve. There were no witnesses to the tragedy.

When neighbors were attracted to the scene by the fire, they found Hofmann writhing in pain in a ditch nearby. Among them were Anselm Schmidt and son, Edward, Gustave Tessmer and John and Jack Okerlander. Donald Kraut, Arnold Benz and Jerome Kronschnabl, who arrived later, took Hofmann to the Medford clinic. He died at 11:10 o’clock.

Hofmann was a life-long resident of the Dorchester community, He was born in Dorchester September 6th, 1897. Survivors include his stepmother, Mrs. Robert Hofmann, town of Hoard, three brothers, Albert Hofmann, Curtiss, Henry Hofmann, whose whereabouts were unknown; a sister, Mrs. Edwin Paul, Lena; two half-brothers, Ernest Hofmann, Dorchester, and Hugo Hofmann, Medford; a half-sister, Mrs. William Anderson, Milwaukee; two step-brothers, Emil Pudliner, Dorchester, and Paul Pudliner, Milwaukee, and one step-sister, Miss Louise Pudliner, of Milwaukee.