Evans - Donald Gordon
DON EVANS
Source: Waveland Independent July 21, 1966 p 1
Two youths, working on the new Farm Bureau Coop elevator four miles north of Crawfordsville on US 231, fell to their death shortly after 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. The two accident victims were identified as Donald Evans, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Evans of north of Waveland and Robert Joseph Mahoy, 18 son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Mahoy of east of Darlington. They were working near the top of a 120 foot high concrete loading bin at the side of four huge concrete silos that compose the storage structure. The accident victims had been tearing out wooden forms in the top of the silo and it was believed the scaffolding on which they were standing collapsed. Since there were no witnesses it was impossible to tell exactly what happened. Three fellow employees working on the top of the silo heard the screams of the youths as they plunged to the concrete below. The fire department rescue car and sheriff’s officers rushed to the scene. Firemen were forced to take the bodies of the two youths out through small openings intended to load grain into trucks. Dr. Samuel Millis, county coroner also was called. The firemen said both youths were dead when they arrived but one of the workmen said he thought he detected a faith heartbeat in Evans when he first reached the youth’s side. The youths were employed by the MidState Equipment Co of Omaha, Neb. The firm is building the huge grain elevator complex for the Farm Bureau. The elevator is composed of four round silo with a rectangular section immediately to east. It was the rectangular loading bin in which the youths were working. Officials investigating the accident said that contrary to reports the accident victims didn’t hit anything on their plunge until they struck the concrete floor. Philip Mahoy brother of one of the victims also was working on the project but was not in the silo at the time. He was taken to his home by officials who notified the parents of the mishap. When the rescue workers arrived at the scene, workers were forced to go to the top of the structure and nail down two large 2 x 12 boards left dangling in space to prevent them from plunging down on anyone who went into the bottom of the bin. William Russell, foreman for the Mid_States firm was in charge of the rescue operation until the arrival of firemen and officers. Both Mahoy and Evans were prominent athletes. Evans was a sophomore in Wabash College and was starting center on the Little Giant basketball team. Mahoy and his brother were outstanding basketball players at Darlington in recent years. The youths had been employed on the elevator for about three weeks, according to Russell. Several other young men also are employed on the project. - kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review July 21, 1966
Montgomery County mourned today the deaths of two well-known youths who plunged 95’ to their deaths Wednesday while working at the new Farm Bureau Co-Op Elevator about four miles north of Crawfordsville. Victims in the tragedy were Donald Gordon Evans, 19, of near Waveland and Robert Joseph (Joe) Mahoy, 18 of near Darlington. Both were outstanding athletes during their high school days and were well known throughout the area. Evans also was an outstanding athlete and student at Wabash College where he completed his sophomore year last spring. He was a regular on the Wabash basketball team most of the season and was a straight-A student, according to college officials. The young men were working near the top of a 120’ high concrete loading bin at the side of six huge concrete silos that compose the new storage structure north of the city on US 231. It was believed they fell about 95’, landing on the concrete floor which also served as the top of a driveway through the bottom of the structure. The accident victims had been tearing out wooden forms in the top of the silo and it was believed the scaffolding on which they were standing collapsed. Since there were no witnesses, it was impossible to tell exactly what happened. Three fellow employees working on the top of the silo heard the screams of the youths as they plunged to the concrete below. The fire department rescue car and sheriff’s officers rushed to the scene. Firemen were forced to take the bodies of the two youths out through small openings intended to load grain into trucks. Dr. Samuel Millis, county coroner also was called. The firemen said both youths were dead when they arrived, but one of the workmen said he thought he detected a faint heartbeat in Evans when he first reached the youth’s side.
The youths were employed by the Mid_States Equipment Co of Omaha, Neb. The firm is building the huge grain elevator complex for the Farm-Bureau. The elevator is composed of four round silo with a rectangular section immediately to east. It was the rectangular loading bin in which the youths were working. Officials investigating the accident said that, contrary to reports, the accident victims didn’t hit anything on their plunge until they struck the concrete floor. Phillip Mahoy, brother of one of the victims, also was working on the project but was not in the silo at the time. He was taken to his home by officials who notified the parents of the mishap. When the rescue workers arrived at the scene, workers were forced to go to the top of the structure and nail down two large 2 x 12 boards left dangling in space to prevent them from plunging down on anyone who went into the bottom of the bin. William Russell, foreman for the Mid-States firm was in charge of the rescue operation until the arrival of firemen and officers. The youths had been employed on the elevator for about 3 weeks, according to Russell. Several other men also are employed on the project. Evans was born Sept 7, 1946 in Crawfordsvile, a son of Dale and Mildred McGaughey Evans. He was a member of the Waveland Covenant Church where he was president of the MYF. A 1964 graduate of Waveland HS, he was president of the Senior class. His senior year he was voted by the Montgomery County Coaches ssociation as the county’s outstanding athlete. He also won the annual MCCA Scholarship. Surviving besides the parents are a brother, Kent of Brownsburg; paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Evans of Waveland; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. DA McGaughey of Waveland; an aunt and uncle and several cousins. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Machledt & Servies Funeral Home in Waveland with Rev. Walter Porter officiating. Burial will be in Old Union Cemetery. Friends may pay respects after 2 p.m. today. Mahoy was born July 31, 1947 at Lafayette, son of Robert F. and Edith Louise Flanigan Mahoy. He was graduated from Darlington HS in 1965. Although small in physical size, he excelled in athletics. He lettered in basketball, baseball and track. He was a member of the Esat Christian Church at Darlington and farmed with his father. A member of the Indian National Guard, he recently completed a six-month tour of active duty. Survivors include the parents, three brothers, Phillip, Don and Gary, all at home; paternal grandfather, Willard Mahoy of Rt 1, Darlington and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Flanigan. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Russell & Hitch Funeral Home at Thorntown. Rev. Donald Stockford and Rev. Willard Eckroth will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery at Darlington. Friends may pay their respects at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Thursday.
Mahoy was born July 31, 1947 at Lafayette, son of Robert F. and Edith Louise Flanigan Mahoy. He was graduated from Darlington HS in 1965. Although small in physical size, he excelled in athletics. He lettered in basketball, baseball and track. He was a member of the East Christian Church at Darlington and farmed with his father. A member of the Indian National Guard, he recently completed a six-month tour of active duty. Survivors include the parents, three brothers, Phillip, Don and Gary, all at home; paternal grandfather, Willard Mahoy of Rt 1, Darlington and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Flanigan. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Russell & Hitch Funeral Home at Thorntown. Rev. Donald Stockford and Rev. Willard Eckroth will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery at Darlington. Friends may pay their respects at the funeral home after 7 p.m. - kbz
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