Bio: Kalsow, Carl W. - Killed by Backhoe Injury (1974)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcounyhistory.org 

Surnames: Kalsow, Laatch, Seelow, King

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/02/1974

Retired Farmer Hit by Backhoe (Dies of Injury - 1974)

C.W. Kalsow, 92, widely-known retired Globe area farmer, died in Memorial Hospital here about 2:30 a.m. last Friday as a result of injuries suffered in an accident involving Neillsville city equipment.

Mr. Kalsow suffered injuries earlier when he was struck on the head by a backhoe being used to dig a sewer trench on West Street. He was knocked down, and in the fall his head also struck a concrete culvert.

Mr. Kalsow had been watching the trench-digging operation a short distance from his home. About five minutes before the accident city workers felt he was too close to the trench and, fearing that he might fall in or get in the way of the machinery they had warned him to stay further away.

Laatch said that “it happened so quickly that nobody really knows what did happen.” He said that Fred Seelow, who was operating the backhoe, had just finished dumping a shovelful of dirt into a city dump truck and was swinging the empty shovel to the trench for another load.

When the backhoe was swung around and stopped, the momentum apparently carried the end of the long implement beyond and it struck Mr. Kalsow above the temple, leaving a gash on the right side of his head.

As he fell down the left side of his head came in contact with a concrete abutment.

Laatch said that he held Mr. Kalsow in his lap while Jerry King, a member of the city crew ran to a nearby house to telephone for an ambulance. Mr. Kalsow did not lose consciousness, Laatch said.