Obit: Staab, Valentine (1885 – 1928)

Contact: Linda Mertens
Email: mertens@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Staab, Ternsteiner, Calmes, Hartwig, Fuchsgruber, Stoiber, Heindl, Ulrich, Boxrucker, Winchell

----Source: Anna Johnson's Scrapbook

Valentine Staab (12 Jan 1885 - 1 Mar 1928)

A cavein at the Casper Ternsteiner gravel pit a few miles west of Little Black, or what is known as the Little Black gravel pit, which occurred at five minutes to 12 yesterday noon caused the immediate death of one person and slight injuries to several others.

Valentine Staab, a young and well known farmer living two miles west of the village (Dorchester, Clark Co., WI), was completely buried by the falling dirt above and teams had to be used to pull away the large frozen chunks of gravel before he could be dug out. He was dead when they reached him, and death must have been almost instantaneous for the body was badly bruised and many bones were broken. George Calmes who was nearby had the shovel jerked from his hands and one arm injured.

Corner Hartwig and a doctor from Medford were immediately called who pronounced the death accidental and took the body to Medford where it was kept until late afternoon when it was brought to the Fuchsgruber undertaking parlors to be prepared for burial.

Details vary somewhat but as we understand them several (of) our farmers have been in the habit of hauling gravel from this pit for use in construction work on their own farms. Yesterday, Valentine Staab, Frank and John Stoiber and Martin Heindl were hauling gravel for Rudolph Ulrich, who was also with them, which was to be used this spring in cementing the stable. Besides these were Dell Winchell, John Boxrucker and George Calmes who were hauling gravel for themselves. Shortly before the accident occurred, a large chunk of sand fell from the ceiling which was being broken up and loaded. All loads had left the pit with the exception of Frank Stoiber’s which was being finished by Valentine, and a couple of others when the sudden cracking of one of the posts used to reinforce the roof caused everyone to jump from under the overhanging roof. All got out safely but Valentine, who it is believed ran against the pole thus retarding his getaway and was caught. Before this large chunk fell, Mr. Ternsteiner and Martin Heindl were both at the back of the pit, but immediately made their way out and escaped injury, when the outer portion of the roof, from which the first bunch fell, gave way and caused the tragedy.

Note added by Linda Mertens: It is possible that "Ternsteiner" should, instead, be Pernsteiner.