Obit: Hoesly, Melchior Edwin (1912 - 1965)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Hoesly, Mathey, Bredlau, Grap, Gall, Holmes, Hannan, Koehler

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) February 4, 1965

Hoesly, Melchior Edwin (19 October 1929 - 30 January 1965)

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the United Church of Christ in Neillsville for Melchior Edwin Hoesly, 52, of 106 Oak St, Neillsville, who died Saturday. The Rev. W. C. Koehler officiated. Burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Melchior Edwin Hoesly was born October 19, 1912, in Neillsville.  His parents were the late Melchior and Josephine (Mathey) Hoesly, Sr., of Neillsville.  Melchior attended Neillsville schools and was a veteran of World War II, having served four years in Enid, Okla. Since his return he had been employed by area implement dealers.  On November 21, 1954, he was married to the former Eileen Bredlau in Neillsville.

He was a member of the Neillsville Fire Department for over 25 years, and also was a member of the Neillsville Sportsmen’s club.

He is survived by his wife; two sisters, Mrs. Alice Grap of Neillsville, and Mrs. Arthur (Ellen) Gall of Waupaca; a step-sister, Mrs. Alfred (Bernita) Holmes of Eau Claire; and a step-brother, Darrel Hannan of Akron, O.

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Clark County counted its first traffic victim of the New Year last Saturday morning when Melchior E. Hoesly, 52, mechanic and widely known resident of Neillsville, was killed in an automobile-truck crash a mile south of the city on Highway 73.  Hoesly was buried following funeral services here Tuesday.

Hoesly’s father, Melchior, Sr., similarly died in a traffic accident in 1938, two miles west of the city on Highway 10.

The accident occurred about 6:50 a.m. Saturday. Hoesly’s car was struck by a truck loaded with feed grain in front of the Harold Kren residence on Ross’ Eddy, where the highway curves before ascending a hill.  Hoesly was thrown from the car, and apparently was rolled and dragged beneath the grain truck for several yards before the truck sliced off over the east embankment and overturned in a pasture some distance from the road.

Hoesly’s car apparently was spun a round several times by the impact on the left side toward the rear, went over the embankment on the east side of the highway and narrowly missed colliding with a tree.  It stopped on its wheels.

The driver of the truck owned by the Dushek Transportation Company was Dale Olson 24, of Waupaca.  With the thermometer outside standing at 14 degrees below zero at the time, Olson went to the Kren house. There he was given a band-aid to cover his only apparent injury, on the back of his hand.  He later was taken to Memorial Hospital, where he was given a checkup, and then was released.

Officers said as nearly as they could ascertain Hoesly had driven southward on Highway 73 to Ross’ Eddy, where a town road junctions from the east.  Olson told them that Hoesly’s car had pulled onto the west shoulder and that he, following in the same direction, had assumed that Hoesly was parking his car.

He told officers he pulled his truck "a couple feet over the centerline" to assure clearance; but the Hoesly car started to turn.  Hoesly’s car was hit almost squarely broadside and to the rear of the rear door. The front of the truck also indicated a near-square collision.

Officers said that Hoesly had a custom of driving southward to Ross’ Eddy in the mornings to warm up his car, then would return, stopping at Wall’s service station before traveling to his work at a Christie implement dealer’s shop.  They assumed that he was following this custom when the accident occurred Saturday morning.

Clark County authorities, who investigated, called the mishap accidental and said that no inquest will be held.