FINGER, Trent 1961-1979

FINGER, JANSSEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 5/13/2016 at 20:41:37

Two Men Die Inside Silo At Corn Country Beef Feedlot

Two employees died of apparent nitrogen dioxide poisoning Tuesday afternoon inside an 80-foot silo at the Corn Country Beef feedlot two miles south and two and a half miles east of Dike.

Pronounced dead at the scene by the Grundy county medical examiner were Trent Le Finger, 18, and Kerry Allyn Kannegieter, 23, both of RR 1, Aplington.

Autopsies will be performed to determine the cause of death, but it is believed the two men were the victims of nitrogen dioxide, the deadly 'silo gas.'

Grundy County Sheriff Bill Marten said his office was advised at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday that two men were trapped in a silo at Corn Country Beef.

According to the sheriff, Finger and Kannegieter had been working on top of an 80-foot silo and were attempting to retrieve a part inside the silo.

"The last time the employees were seen they were on their stomachs, looking into the silo thru a 16-inch opening," Sheriff Marten stated.

About 10 minutes later neither of the men could be seen from the ground, and another employee climbed to the top of the silo and saw Finger and Kannegieter lying on corn silage about 20 feet below the opening.

The Dike fire department was called, and the Cedar Falls fire department assisted.

Several Dike firemen equipped with air tanks were lowered into the silo and retrieved the bodies.

Sheriff Marten said firemen were hampered by the presence of poisonous gas, the cramped working area atop the silo, and by high winds.

The bodies were removed from the silo at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Both men were employees of Corn Country Beef.

Funeral arrangements for Kannegieter and Finger are pending at the Schwartz-Engelkes Funeral Home in Parkersburg and Aplington.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 1 November 1979, pg 1

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Funeral Rites For Accident Victims Friday

Funeral services were held Friday for the two victims of the October 30 silo accident at the Corn Country Beef feedlot southeast of Dike.

Services for Trent Finger, 18, were held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, rural Wellsburg, and services for Kerry Kannegieter, 23, were held at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Presbyterian Church in Aplington.

Kannegieter had been employed by Corn Country Beef since June, 1978, and was foreman. Finger had worked there for about eight weeks. Both were of rural Aplington.

Trent L. Finger
Funeral services for Trent L. Finger were held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in St. Peter's United Church of Christ, rural Wellsburg, with Rev. Ronald Fisher officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery.

Casket bearers were Allen Froning, Allyn Harms, Billie Spree, Michael Klahsen, Brent Neymeyer and Wayne Nolte.

Mrs. Wilbert Ubben was organist and Randy Aalderks was soloist, accompanied by Mrs. Gordon Pruisner.

Trent was born January 21, 1961, in Hampton, the son of Elwin and Irene Janssen Finger. He lived his entire life on the family farm south of Aplington.

He was active in school activities, was an officer in FFA, played football, and was graduated from Aplington high school in 1979. He was also an active member of St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and was a former officer of United Disciples.

Survivors include his parents; three sisters, Mrs. David (Judy) Kuper and Mrs. Keith (Karla) Kramer of Ackley and Lorie Finger at home, two brothers, Eldon Finger of Minneapolis and Dale Finger of Goodman, Mo.; five nieces and nephews, Chad and Kristy Kuper, Randy Kramer and Travis and Micah Finger; and his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Lenora Janssen of Ackley.

The Schwartz-Engelkes Funeral Chapel in Aplington was in charge of arrangements.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 8 November 1979, pg 7