Doorenbos, Lester, 1929-1956

DOORENBOS, SCHAFER, ROOK

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

From the Rock Valley Bee, August 9, 1956:

Shock Kills Boyden Man

Lester Doorenbos, 26, an elevator employee at Boyden, was killed by electric shock while at work Saturday morning. He was working with Rudy Henning in a steel corn bin, when the accident occurred. When Mr. Doorenbos attempted to plug in an auger, the wiring evidently shorted and electricity passed through his body, it was reported. Two doctors from Sheldon were summoned and attempted to revive him. He died one hour after the accident.

Mr. Doorenbos' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Doorenbos of Boyden, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schafr[Schafer], were returning from a vacation trip in Oregon Saturday and an attempt was being made to communicate with them with the assistance of the Iowa highway patrol.

Survivors in addition to the parents and grandparents are the widow; two children, 13 months and one month; four brothers, Glen, Donald and Douglas, all of Boyden, and Harland in the navy, and two sisters, Lois and Beverly.

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From the Boyden Reporter, August 9, 1956:

BOYDEN MAN KILLED BY SHOCK

Lester Doorenbos, 26, was killed by an electric shock Saturday morning while at work at the local elevator. Lester was working with Rudy Henning in a steel grain bin getting ready to clear the bin so that repairmen could repair the bin, when the accident occurred.

According to reports, Henning had crawled into the bin and Lester plugged in the connection to the motor on the auger, and was crawling into the bin, when he came in contact with the machinery, causing a short shooting 440 volts of electricity through his body. Lester was standing in about an inch of water at the time of the accident. Doctors from Sheldon were called, who worked faithfully for more than an hour attempting to revive him, but to no avail.

Lester’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Doorenbos, were on the west coast and could not be reached. They returned to Boyden Monday evening. Survivors in addition to the parents and grandparents are his widow and two children, four brothers and two sisters.

Funeral services were held at the First Reformed Church at 1:30 Wed. afternoon. All business houses in Boyden [were closed] during the services.

OBITUARY

Funeral services were held Wednesday, August 8th for Lester Elwin Doorenbos, son of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Doorenbos of Boyden, at 1 o’clock at the home place south of town and 1:30 p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Boyden with Rev. Henry Baak, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church of which Mr. Doorenbos was a member, [officiating].

Lester Elwin Doorenbos was born Nov. 25, 1929, on a farm near Boyden and passed away Saturday Aug. 4, 1956 in Boyden at the age of 26 years, 8 months and 10 days, when he came in touch with an electric plug and was electrocuted and passed away shortly thereafter.

Mr. Doorenbos lived in the Boyden vicinity all his life except for a few years at Rock Rapids and in Sheldon. On March 3, 1954 he was united in marriage to Rosella Rook of Sheldon. To this union two children were born, Steven Dean 1-1/2 years old and Sandra Sue, seven weeks old. He is also survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Doorenbos, two sisters Lois and Beverly, four brothers, Glenn, Donald and Douglas at home and Harlin with the U.S. navy in Texas, his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schafer of Boyden, besides a host of uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.

Mr. Doorenbos is a graduate of the Boyden high school with the class of 1947 and was employed at the Farmers Co-op Elevator in Boyden.

Steve Vanden Brink and Miss Sandra Verrips sang. Pallbearers were six cousins, Earl Horn, Marvin Horn, John Dooresbos, James Doorenbos, Raymond Rohlfs and Loren Schafer, all of Boyden. Interment took place in the Boyden Cemetery.

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From the Alton Democrat, August 9, 1956:

YOUNG BOYDEN FATHER DEAD BY ELECTROCUTION

A tragic accident in Boyden took the life of a young man, Lawrence [sic.] Doorenbos, Boyden, Saturday morning, August 4th, when he was electrocuted while working at the Farmers Co-op Elevator.

An employee of the elevator, Doorenbos was elevating corn from one bin to another with two helpers, Rudolph Henning and Verdell Van Briesen, in order to make repairs to one bin. Henning was inside the tank and Doorenbos grabbed hold of the corn auger to pull himself in. Apparently an electrical wire in the auger shorted and Doorenbos was electrocuted.

M. J. Goebel, J. P. of Alton, was called to act as coroner in the absence of Coroner Van Etten. Dr. Griffen of Sheldon was also called and worked on Doorenbos for an hour, but with no success. Acting coroner Goebel pronounced the verdict of accidental death by electrocution

The parents of Doorenbos, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Doorenbos, were enroute home from California where they had been visiting. The deceased was 26 years old, and is survived by his wife and two small children.

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His death was also covered in other area newspapers. The Sioux Center News (Aug. 10) adds his mother’s name, Elsie. A brief black-bordered tribute to him by the Board of Directors of the Boyden Farmers Coop. Association (Boyden Reporter, Aug. 16) says that he had been employed at the elevator for 24 months. Most of the reports say that his brother Harlan (or Harlin) was with the U.S. Navy in California.