Raymond Noel 1954-1960

NOEL, MITZNER, CHAPMAN

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 9/11/2019 at 07:12:38

7 July 1960 - The Tipton Conservative

Six-year-old Raymond Noel smothered in an oats bin on the farm of the boy's stepfather and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mitzner, 3 miles west of Tipton late Saturday afternoon.

The body of the boy was found, lodged head-first under a board, by searchers about 8 p.m. The search had started about supper time and the sheriff and members of the Tipton fire department had been called to the Mitzner home.

There was only about 100 bushels of oats in the 8x10 foot granary. The door of the bin was locked. It is believed that he may have fallen from the top of the bin, which is 12 feet high. There was a "burn" mark on the side of his neck. The fall could have caused the boy to become unconscious and he may have slid headfirst down the oats until he became wedged under the board where his head was covered with oats.

Raymond was last seen about 4:30 p.m. and County Coroner Walter J. Kopsa said that the condition of the boy's body indicated that he died soon after that.

The boy's stepfather and step-grandfather, Carl Mitzner were working at the farm Saturday afternoon, along with Francis McQuillen. The child was not missed until he failed to appear for supper. A search was first made of the well and cesspool and was later extended to other areas around the farm. There is a bull at the Mitzner farm, and the area where the bull was pastured was carefully searched.

The boy's body was not found until a "last look" around was made before calling out the entire Tipton fire department and starting a thorough search of the area. Because the door of the oats bin was locked, it had been bypassed on the first searches.

Funeral services were held July 6 at Muscatine, with burial in the Grandview cemetery at Muscatine.

Raymond Prentice Noel, was born July 13, 1954, in Muscatine, the son of Joe Ray and Anna May Chapman Noel. He attended kindergarten in Tipton and the L and M Community schools at Letts. He attended the Sunday school at the First Baptist church in Muscatine.

He is survived by his mother and step-father, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mitzner; his father, Joe Noel, Lufkin, Texas; a brother, Rodney Noel; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Chapman, Letts and Mrs. Arthur Noel, Lufkin and his step-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Mitzner, Tipton.