Hill, Michael William (1960-1976)

HILL, WESLEY

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 7/27/2022 at 17:25:43

Daily Freeman Journal
Webster City, Iowa
Friday, May 21, 1976

Williams youth dies in farm accident

Michael Hill is victim of farm tragedy

Michael Hill, 16, a sophomore at Northeast Hamilton Community school in Blairsburg, Iowa, was fatally injured in a tractor accident early last evening on a blacktop road three and one-fourth miles south of Dows in Wright county.

The youth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hill, residing north of Williams was reportedly riding on the side of the cab of the tractor which was being driven by his brother, Grayson Hill, 17. Reportedly, the brothers had just come up out of a farm field onto R-75 county road, about three miles north of Highway 20, when Michael lost his balance and fell off when a rabbit jumped out onto the highway. His brother told Don Cady, captain of the Williams rescue crew, that he had swerved to avoid hitting his brother, but the dual wheels reportedly passed over Michael's body.

Cady said the older brother ran to a neighboring farm where a CB radio on a tractor there was used to contact its home base and the Williams rescue crew was, in turn, called to the site at about 6:40 p.m. The rescue truck brought the youth to Hamilton County hospital, but he was pronounced dead on the arrival.

The accident was reportedly investigated by Highway Patrol Officer Kent Stevens of Iowa Falls who was unavailable for further details about the tragedy.

Funeral services for Michael William Hill, 16, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Williams Methodist church with the Rev. Virgil Shickell officiating and with burial in the Williams cemetery.

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

Michael William Hill, son of Thomas and Bette Wesley Hill, was born Feb. 21, 1960 at Iowa Falls. He was reared and educated in the Williams area and had been a sophomore at the Northeast Hamilton Community high school in Blairsburg.

He is survived by his parents; two sisters and one brother, Lynn Hill, Patricia Hill and Grayson Hill, all of Williams; one grandmother, Mrs. Emily Hill.

He was a member of the Williams Methodist church.