BUECHELE, Alvin 1905-1970

WAHL, BUECHELE, SCHMIDT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/25/2010 at 20:59:17

Grafton Mayor Killed
in Boiler Explosion
at School Sunday

Alvin Buechele, 63*, Grafton, was killed about 6 p.m. Sunday after an oil-fired boiler exploded in the junior high school building in Grafton.

Buechele was the mayor of Grafton, and had been custodian at the school for more than 25 years.

Worth County Sheriff Ivan Davey said the doors blew off the boiler, one of them striking Buechele above the left eye. He was apparently killed instantly.

Buechele was found shortly after the explosion by LaVern Rohlfsen, a teacher in the school, who lives nearby.

Born to the late Edward and Anna Wahl Buechele on January** 21, 1905, he lived most of his life in Grafton. He married Laura Schmidt of Grafton October 15, 1933. Buechele had been mayor of Grafton for over 10 years and a member of the Grafton Volunteer Fire Department for more than 25 years.

He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Paul (Marie) Blom, San Jose, California, and Mrs. Harven (Ruth Ann) Anderson, Sylmer, California; two grandsons, Joe and Matthew Anderson; four brothers, Otto, Mason City, Emil, Roy and Arnold, Grafton.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Grafton, with the Reverend Victor Baderschneider officiating. Burial was in Grafton Cemetery.

[ St. Ansgar Enterprise, 1970 – St. Ansgar Museum Collections ]

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NOTE: The Social Security Death Index says that ALVIN BUECHELE was born on 21 Jul 1905, and died in Jan 1970; SSN 475-12-1068 issued in Minnesota.

* ** NOTE: The newspaper was apparently wrong, saying he was 63. If the SSA was correct, his age would have been 64 at time of death. Also note that the paper said he was born on January 21, but the SSA says it was July 21.