BURNS, Bernard M.: Died 1962

BURNS, WILSON

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 9/11/2020 at 22:55:50

**Handwritten: d. 25 June 1962

Bernard Burns Electrocuted Monday Night
Funeral Set For Thursday In Milton

Bernard M. Burns, 54, Roscoe township farmer, was electrocuted Monday evening as he was working with electric lines in the barn lot oat the William Matthews farm southeast of Pulaski.

Funeral services have been set for Thursday afternoon at 2 at the Methodist church in Milton. In charge will be the Rev. Harold Harryman of Ames, formerly of Milton. Burial will be in the Pulaski cemetery.

The accident happened between 7:30 and 8. David Burns, 15, with his father at the time of the accident, told the newspaper he applied mouth-to-mouth respiration for 20 minutes until a resuscitator arrived from Milton.

Burns, who was experienced in electrical work, was helping a neighbor, William Matthews, who moved a newer farm house to a location just behind the present Matthews home.

Secondary power lines, leading from the transformer at the road to a barnyard pole, had been taken down so the house could be moved into position.

It was in replacing the lines that Burns was killed.

He had replaced two line - the top "neutral" wire and the middle "hot" wire - and was starting on the third wire, also a 120-volt hot line, when he apparently came into contact with it and was grounded through the pole.

Matthews took a rake and pulled the third wire free and then Matthews and David, one on each of the two ladders going up the pole, carried the victim to the ground.

First on the scene were Bill Wellborn and Harold Baxter of Milton, who used the resuscitator in the unsuccessful attempt to revive him.

Also called was the Bloomfield rescue squad.

The Southern Iowa Electric Cooperative had been called last Friday to help as the house was moved under the power lines running along the road in front of the Matthews home. The cooperative wasn't called when work was done on the secondary lines.

After the accident, a crew from the power co-op was on the scene and shut off the power going into the barn lot lines by killing the transformer.

Mr. Burns is survived by his wife, the former Edith Wilson, whom he married in 1936; his parents, Sylvester and Minnie Burns of Pulaski; two brothers, Leslie Burns of Montrose and James Burns of Pulaski; and four children, David and Bonnie at home, Bill of Odebolt, and Marilyn, a student at Iowa State University, Ames.

Source: "The Hazel Stafford Obituary Collection", Pg. 42, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA