MEYER, Jake J. 1877-1954

MEYER, DEVRIES

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/10/2017 at 07:49:43

Jake J. Meyer Killed When Tractor Falls On Him

Was Helping His Son James Put In Oats; Tractor Goes Head-on Into Creek and Turns Over

Jake J. Meyer, who had spent the greatest part of his active life on a Grundy county farm, met death very suddenly about eleven o'clock Monday forenoon when a tractor which he was operating in an oat field on his son James' farm plunged head-on into a creek and turned over, pinning the driver underneath. The tractor was being used to disc the field on which oats was being seeded. Mr. Meyer's son James and his wife were operating the oat seeder. They were nearby and saw the accident.

An examination revealed that death was the result of a broken neck.

The water in the creek was several inches deep. A portion of Mr. Meyer's body was in the water, but his head was clear. He was conscious when his son and wife reached his side and his last words were "I guess I didn't turn soon enough." He was dead when Dr. Reedholm reached him ten minutes later.

Harm Hook, a neighbor, who was nearby at the time, brought his tractor and pulled the stalled tractor out of the creek. Mr. Meyer was dead when he was released from the tractor. Shortly after, his body was taken to the Engelkes funeral home at Parkersburg.

Mr. Meyer since leaving the farm in Grundy county had been living in Parkersburg. He and his sister, Mrs. Anna Radeff, had been making their home together the past 7 years. He came from his home in Parkersburg Monday morning to help his son put in the oat crop. The son lives on the Tostlebe farm 5 miles northwest of Grundy Center. It was at an angle in the field where the tractor plunged into the creek. Mr. Meyer was 77 years old.

On Beaver Township Farm 65 Years
Jake Meyer was a son of Jacob and Hannah Meyer. He was born in Ogle county, Illinois, March 15, 1877. He came to Iowa and Grundy county with his parents when he was a child and resided on a Beaver township farm until seven years ago when he moved to Parkersburg to spend the remainder of his life in the home of his sister. For many years Jake Meyer with his brother Andrew and his sister operated a big dairy farm a mile west and two miles south of Stout.

Jake Meyer and Fannie DeVries were married in 1919. The wife preceded her husband in death several years ago.

Mr. Meyer was a member of the Grundy County Board of Supervisors from the Fairfield-Beaver District for two terms and at one time served as the board's chairman. Since retiring from the farm he served as agent for the DeKalb Seed Corn Company.

Aside from his wife and his parents he was preceded in death by his sister and five brothers.

Surviving are one son, James, one grandson and one sister, Mrs. Anna Radeff.

Funeral Services Thursday
Funeral services will be held at the home in Parkersburg at 1:30 Thursday afternoon and later at the Parkersburg Baptist church. Burial will be in the cemetery at Stout.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 15 April 1954, pg 1