Surnames: Beyerl, Charnitz, Godlewski, Grieger, Edlebeck, Draxler, Steiner, Waldhart, Larsen, Schegley, Olson, Meyer, Suckow, Maier, Niewolny, Mertens, Weix, Blackwood, Schuster, Wirtala, Firnstahl, Arends, Feind

----Source: Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) 16 March 1988, front page.

Beyerl, Francis Peter (19 Jan. 1930 - 12 March 1988)

Silage cave-in kills Colby area farmer

Rural Colby resident Francis P. Beyerl was buried by falling silage and died at his farm west of Colby last weekend, the Clark County coroner’s office announced this week.

Beyerl, 58, who lived alone on his farm about a mile west of Colby, was apparently pitching silage out of his silo when the accident occurred, probably on Saturday, March 12, before noon.

Authorities said a milk hauler who visited Sunday morning noticed that the bulk tank only had half the amount of milk it usually contains, and the cows looked as if they had not been milked that morning. Investigation showed that frozen silage from the outsides of the silo had fallen in, and the Colby Fire Dept. was called at 10:30 a. m.

Digging revealed Beyerl’s body. Fire Chief Mark Rannow said that Beyerl had apparently been standing in a four-foot hole in the unfrozen silage in the middle of the silo, pitching it out. Rannow theorized that a 15-foot high wall of silage on the south side of the silo had been warmed by the sun and had collapsed. Silage on the north side was still frozen and had not moved.

Beyerl was pinned and buried where he was standing, the fire chief said.

Authorities noted that the barn had not been cleaned the day before, and Beyerl, who lived alone, also had not gotten the mail from his mailbox on Saturday.

The body was taken to the Rux Funeral Home.

* * *

----Source: Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) Wed., 23 March 1988

Attend Funeral

Out of town relatives and friends who attended the funeral of Francis Beyerl, who died March 12 in a silo accident, were Mr. and Mrs. Edward Charnitz Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Edward Charnitz Jr., Milwaukee; Gertrude Godlewski, Raselle, Ill; Gilbert Grieger, Green Bay; Helen Edlebeck, De Pere; Mrs. Ray Draxler and Sandy Steiner, Hewitt; Sister Mary Paul Draxler, Hewitt; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Waldhart, Stetsonville; Joann Waldhart and Mrs. Mark Larsen, Eau Claire.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Schegley, Abbotsford; Mr. and Mrs. Jay Beyerl and Ann, Marshfield; R. R. Dan Beyerl, Oshkosh; Philip Waldhart, Eau Claire; Mrs. Larry Olson, Wheaton, Ill.; James Meyer, Norridge, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Eldred Suckow, Unity; Mrs. Theresa Maier, George Niewolny and Walter Niewolny, Wausau; Rev. Michael Mertens, Necedah; Dr. and Mrs. Frank Weix, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Blackwood, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Schuster, Marshfield; Lynn Charnitz, Milwaukee; Mr. and Mrs. Ken Wirtala and family, Rib Lake; Sandra Beyerl, Marion; Mr. and Mrs. Dan Firnstahl, Stetsonville; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Arends, Watertown, and Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Feind, Abbotsford, Wis.

(Note: Middle name and birth date as found in St. Mary’s (Colby) Cemetery records.)