Bentley, Harold Elston (1922-1975)

BENTLEY, SCHEETZ, BLOSSER, HERTZLER, WELDIN, GARTH

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 1/4/2017 at 07:28:06

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Monday, September 29, 1975

Blairsburg farmer dies in tractor mishap

H.E. Bentley is victim of farm tragedy

Harold E. Bentley, 53, Rural 1, Blairsburg, was apparently instantly killed in a tractor mishap which occurred at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the farm yard of his home eight miles north of Blairsburg in Wright county.

Wright County sheriff's officials and Dr. Dale Harding, Wright county medical examiner, called to the scene of the tragedy, reported that Bentley had apparently been trying to get the fairly new tractor started and was standing on the left side of the tractor. He apparently shorted some wires which started the tractor suddenly while the tractor was in gear. He was thrown under the tractor wheels which ran over him, fatally injuring the farmer.

The tractor ran into a combine and damaged it. Then the dual wheels on the tractor hit a tree, turning it around 180 degrees after which it knocked over a propane gas tank, causing a rupture in the tank with the gas starting to pour out. The Williams fire department was called, but there was no fire.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Vernon Lutheran church southwest of Dows, the Rev. David Anderson officiating and with burial in Graceland cemetery where flag folding services will be conducted by the American Legion Post 553 of Woolstock.

The body will lie in state at the Foster Funeral home until 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when it will be taken to the church.

Harold Elston Bentley, son of Gordon C. and Irma D. Scheetz Bentley, was born Aug. 23, 1922, near Williams.

When he was a small boy he moved with his parents to Waterloo attending school there. The family returned to the Blairsburg community in 1938, where he completed his schooling.

He was united in marriage May 18, 1944, to Maxine Blosser, and the couple made their home in the Blairsburg area for eight years, then moved to Boone.

They returned to the Blairsburg community in 1959 and had farmed in that area since that time.

Surviving are his wife; two daughters and one son, Mrs. Ron (Kay) Hertzler of Lisbon, Iowa; Mrs. Ron (Diane) Weldin, Hampton, and one son, Albert Bentley of Clinton, Iowa; three grandchildren; four brothers and one sister, Gerald L. Bentley of Blairsburg, William Bentley of Fredericksburg, Iowa; Mrs. George (Violet) Garth of Webster City, Gordon D. Bentley of Oscoda, Mich., and Lloyd W. Bentley, Crozet, Va., and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by one son, Kenneth L. Bentley in 1973; his parents; one brother and one sister, LaVerne Bentley and Velva Leone Bentley.

He was a member of the Vernon Lutheran church and had been currently serving as a deacon on the church council.

He was a member of the American Legion at Woolstock, the Webster City Moose lodge, the Blairsburg Lions club and also a member of the Blairsburg Co-op elevator board.

Mr. Bentley served in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in the Pacific war theater.