Obituary: Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Gerhard Otto Christian HOYER ************************************************************************ Submitted by Kathy Grace, November 2004 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ Winneconne Local Apr. 17, 1913 p.1 Young Life Lost on Rail Road Crossing One of the saddest accidents in the history of the village happened at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad crossing on Main street, directly in front of Welson-Gove Hardware Company's store at about 8:40 o'clock Tuesday evening. Rev. O.T. Hoyer and his little son, Gerhard, were returning from a trip to the country with a horse and buggy. Upon crossing the bridge coming west, Rev. Hoyer heard the bell of the engine which was then switching on the main line in front of the depot. Respecting the warning Rev. Hoyer slowed the horse down to a walk intending to stop altogether and await the passing of the engine. The engine was going very slowly and as it appeared from behind Gavins saloon the horse seemed struck with an ambition to cross the track ahead of he engine and accordingly started to run for the crossing. Rev. Hoyer struggled to regain control of the horse, but with his attention divided between the willful animal and the little boy at his side his efforts were fruitless. His contentions of the horse's designs, however, served to turn the horse from the road to the left. The horse ran up onto the cement walk in front of the hardware store, crossing parallel with the door, and onto the track beyond. It was here that the engine, backing down from the depot, struck the buggy. The jar of the collision partly overturned the buggy, throwing the little boy out onto the tracking and shoving the whole along several feet as the engine struck the buggy. Mr. Hoyer jumped clear of the impending wreck, saving himself from perhaps serious injury but the little boys fate was more severe. The engine was stopped almost immediately upon striking the buggy and kind hands lifted the wreck from the prostrate form underneath. His little head rested on one of the rails and had the wheels of [the train] rolled two feet further they would have severed it. Rev. Hoyer was the first to reach his son, and lifting him tenderly in his arms carried him into Welson- Gove's store. Dr. C.w. Hughes was immediately summoned and under his ministering the lad regained consciousness and even spoke at times. He was removed to the home of his parents, but his young spirit remained but a few hours and at midnight the Angel of Death visited the stricken family and bore away the flower of childhood. A lucky coincidence of circumstances saved Rev. Hoyer from at least a terrible maiming. As the engine was backing down, the engineer noticed the commotion and shut off the throttle, so that when the engine struck the buggy it was going very slow. The horse was across the track and was not in the least injured. Had the engine been going faster, it would have undoubtedly struck the buggy in the forward part and thrown the occupants under the wheels and perhaps crushed them, nor would the horse have escaped. The body of the buggy was undamaged, though all of the spokes in the two rear wheels and one front wheel were forced out. This is the first serious accident that has ever happened at these crossings, though narrow escapes have been numerous. There is no protection to the traveler at these places and the location of the crossing on the main track, where this accident occurred, is such that to driver coming from the east a train coming from either direction is entirely hidden, and the absence of a flagman makes it exceedingly dangerous. Gerhard Otto Christian Hoyer was born in this village on the 25th day of November, 1909. He was the eldest and only son of Rev. and Mrs. O.T. Hoyer, pastor of the German Lutheran church in the village. He was a bright, loveable little lad and an unbounded joy to the hearts of his parents. At the time of the accident, which so cruelly terminated his existence, his age was three years, four months and twenty days. His death was attributed to severe internal hemorrhage, principally at the base of the brain. Upon learning the severity of the accident, Dr. Hughes summoned Dr. C.J. Combs, a surgeon of Oshkosh, but there was no hope for the young life. Little Gerhard leaves to mourn his loss, his parents and two sisters, Antia and Gertrude. The sympathy of the whole community is extended to the bereaved family. The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the church. A minister from Oshkosh will conduct the services.