William Ralph Nitzsche

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Obituary- Nitzsche, William 2

Electrical shock kills repairman
William Ralph Nitzsche 58, of Turon, Kansas, a Rock Island Railroad signal maintainer was killed Wednesday, morning when he came in contact with a 600 volt power line while working up a highline pole on the right-away near US 54 just west of Pratt, Ks.

He was dead when they removed his body from the pole. A passing train crew saw him dangling by his safety belt and radioed the report in. Death was said to have occurred approximately an hour prior to this time. Just minutes after his body was placed in an ambulance, another repairman climbed the pole to finish tying off the line that Nitzsche had been working on and he, too touched the “Hot line’’ and the crew standing by had to climb the pole and bring him down. His condition is reported good in the Pratt Hospital. After investigating the accident later, they found that a tree limb had broken and fallen across the wires west of where the accident happened and this caused the wires to be “hot”.

Ralph Nitzsche was born December 9, 1904 at Rulo, Nebraska. He lived in Rossville for several years before moving to Turon, Kansas 26 years ago. He worked as a signal maintainer for the Rock Island Railroad for 26 years. He was a member of the Christian Church and Masonic Lodge in Turori. At the time of his death, he had been Scout Master for the Boy Scouts, Troop No. 339 over 20 years.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Marie Nitzsche and two sons, Dennis R. and Larry E. all of the home; two daughters, Janice of the home, and Doris of San Pedro, Calif.; two brothers, George Diehl, 3115 Minnesota, and Earl Diehl 2540 Amhurst, both of Topeka; and three sisters; Mrs. Ina Marney of Chicago, Mrs. Alice Gentry of 1129 Webster, Topeka, and Mrs. Ruth Martinek, Rossville.

Funeral services were held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Turon Christian Church with burial in the Turon Cemetery.

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