Loftsgard, Helmer Carl 1899 - 1949

LOFTSGARD, HOUG, SCHNEIDER, HALVERSON, KNUTSON, RHEINHARDT, SKARSHAUG, AMES

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 10/31/2014 at 10:00:04

Elgin Echo, Thur., 25 Aug. 1949.

Helmer Carl Loftsgard, the son of Lars and Betsy Loftsgard, was born on Feb. 24, 1899, at Inwood, in Lyon county, and was accidentally killed on Aug. 11, 1949, at the age of fifty years.

He was baptized at Our Savior Church in Lyon county and was confirmed at the Marion Lutheran church at Gunder. At the age of 10 years he moved with his parents to Clayton county, where he resided until his marriage to Ruth Houg. To this union five children were born. He lived on farms in Clayton and Fayette counties until in 1925, when he purchased the farm in Clayton county where he resided until the time of his death.

He was a member of the board of directors of the Marion Telephone Co. for the past twenty years.

Those left to mourn his departure are his widow and children, Eileen (Mrs. Jacob Schneider), Norma (Mrs. DeVere Halverson), Lloyd, Raymond and Sharon, at home, and two grandchildren; also five brothers, Theodore, Mellion, Gilbert, Arthur and Edwin Loftsgard, and two uncles and a number of nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the home and at Marion Lutheran church with Rev. S. J. Strandjord officiating. Music was furnished by the choir and Arthur Amundson. Casket bearers were, Henry Olson, Harold Opsand, Otto Gisleson, John Hellum, Arthur Landsgard and Henry Veillersven.

Relatives from a distance attending the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinan Knutson of Schlesvig; Mr. and Mrs. Olaf Knutson, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Knutson, Inwood; Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Rheinhardt and Loren, Spring Valley, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Houg and Helen, St. Ansgar, and Mrs. Harold Skarshaug, Karen and Donna, Ames.

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Elgin Echo, Thur., 18 Aug. 1949.

Funeral services were held at the Marion Lutheran church Tuesday afternoon for Helmer Loftsgard, 50, who was electrocuted Thursday morning, Aug. 11, at about ten o'clock, while repairing a phone line just in front of the Otto Blockhus farm home.

Mr. Loftsgard, who had been working as lineman for the Marion Telephone Co., was electrocuted when he came in contact with a charged telephone wire. The wire was charged from an electric light wire about three miles east or near the Harold Opsand farm. Mr. Loftsgard was alone at the time of the accident but was found a few minutes later by Mrs. Blockhus, who had gone to the house to try out the phone for him.

Clayton county Sheriff Fischer and Coroner Tuecke, were called to investigate the accident. The body was then brought to the Muehlethaler funeral home at Elgin.

Three of Mr. Loftsgard's children were away on vacation trips and were called home by their father's death. The last to arrive was Raymond, who flew from the state of Washington Saturday and was met at Minneapolis by Bernard Loftsgard and Myron Houg, who drove there to bring him home.

Mr. Loftsgard's obituary will be published next week.