Goltz, William 1894-1927

GOLTZ, SHOTT

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 9/1/2019 at 14:11:12

Clayton County Register, Thur., 5 May 1927.

William Goltz, 23 years old, was killed by lightning in the Milwaukee yards here shortly after 11 o'clock last night. Goltz, a car inspector, had gone on duty at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon and left the roundhouse during a severe electrical storm at 11 o'clock to walk to his auto, which was parked a short distance away. A terrific crash of lightning was heard a moment after he left the roundhouse, but other workman had no intimation that Goltz had been sstruck.

At 4:35 this morning Engineer James Fox and Fireman L. Walthan left the engineers' restroom to walk to the carmen's restroom. In an open space between the buildings they found Goltz dead. He was lying face downward and his dinner pail was under the body. The bolt had made a small hole above and behind the left ear, ripped the left leg off his trousers and tore the shoe partly off.

The body was taken to a McGregor mortuary and Coroner William Beerman of Guttenberg was notified.

Mr. Goltz leaves a widow and a daughter, 4 years old; six brothers, Louis, Edward, Lawrence, Herbert, Charles and John; and five sisters, Leona, Anne, Marie, Winnifred and Mrs. Bert Shott.

Notes: Gravestone in Pleasant Grove cemetery gives dates 1894-1927, so he was 33 years old, rather than 23 as this obituary states. He was a WWI veteran.