BALSLEY, Clifford John 1885-1944

BALSLEY, GREEN, STEFFLER, BENNETTE, HAYES, WHITE

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 7/2/2010 at 13:22:35

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MITCHELL FARMER DIES IN TRACTOR ACCIDENT; LOSES BALANCE AND FALLS UNDER MOVING MACHINE

C. J. BALSLEY VICTIM; DEATH APPARENTLY CAUSED BY SKULL FRACTURE.

Charles City, Ia.---Clifford J Balsley, farmer near Otranto in Mitchell county, was dead Thursday of injuries suffered in a tractor accident two miles east and a mile south of Orchard, in Floyd county, Wednesday night.

Carl Hauser, Charles City, Floyd county coroner said that Balsley's car had slid into a ditch and that Balsley had summoned Leland Leach, a nearby farmer, with his tractor to extricate the car.

The tractor was unable to pull the car out of the ditch because the tractor's rubber tires slipped on the icy highway and Leach and Balsley decided to get a team or a steel tired tractor, according to the coroner.

FALLS IN FRONT OF WHEEL
Balsley climbed on the tractor with Leach and as they started down the road Balsley was standing on the rear of the tractor holding onto Leach and with his right foot on the axle and the left on the draw bar.

The coroner said Balsley lost his footing and fell face downward in front of one of the back wheels.

Leach applied the brakes and the tractor did not run over Balsley but it slid for some distance pushing Balsley along ahead of the wheel, Hauser said.

HEART STILL BEATING
The tractor was stopped and Leach put his hand inside Balsley's shirt and found his heart beating, but the victim died shortly afterward, the coroner asserted. Blood coming from his right ear indicated a skull fracture.

Deputy Sheriff R. C. McCartney of Floyd county investigated the accident. The body was taken to the Champion funeral home at Osage.

Balsley had been farming hear Otranto and it was understood he planned to move soon to a farm near Carrville.

Waterloo Daily Courier Thursday December 7, 1944

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Charles City---Funeral services for Clifford J. Balsley, 58, were here Saturday. He was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Balsley of Osage. He was born on a farm five miles east of Orchard, January 1, 1885. He attended rural school and later went to the Charles City college.

In 1907 he married Mertie Alma Green of Charles City. He was a farmer most of his life and the last five years had been on the home place but recently they moved to an acreage east of Charles City which they had planned to make their future home.

He leaves his widow, daughter, Mrs. Lee Steffler, San Francisco, Cal.; two sons, Dale Balsley, Kirkland, Wash.; and Clayton, Charles City; seven grandchildren; his aged parents Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Balsley; four sisters, Mrs. Mary Bennette, Owatonna, Minn.; Mrs. Dale Hayes, Spokane, Wash.; Mrs. Calvin Boone, Osage; Mrs. Ray White, Marshalltown; and two brothers, Franklin, Cleveland Ohio; and Alva, Otranto.

Waterloo Daily Courier, Sunday December 10, 1944