Press
Gazette
September
17, 1963
Hillsboro,
Ohio
Farmer
Dies in Field Chopper
Mishap
Occurs in Cornfield
Howard
McKenzie
Victim;
Rites Tuesday
Howard T. McKenzie, 47, prominent
Highland County farmer of the Danville community, was fatally injured
when he was pulled into a mechanical field chopper at his farm about
noon Saturday.
He was
pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Glenn Doan, of Greenfield, Highland
County coroner. He had severe head, arm and shoulder injuries.
The
McKenzie farm is located on the Danville Pike, about six miles
southwest of Hillsboro. The family had resided there for about 12 years.
His
father, Julian McKenzie, found him shortly after noon in the corn field
where he had been operating the field chopper. The younger McKenzie had
not appeared for lunch and his father began a search.
It was
theorized that the farmer was yanked into the tractor-pulled chopper
when he tried to free it after it had become clogged up. The tractor
and chopper were still running when the elder McKenzie arrived at the
scene about a half mile or more from the farm buildings.
McKenzie,
a native of the county, was vice chairman of the board of the Hillsboro
Church of Christ and active in numerous farm groups.
Dr. Doan
listed it as an accidental death, due to “hemorrhage and traumatic
amputation of the right arm.” He said there were injures to the left
side of the head and face. The victim was pulled into the blades
head-first, up to his shoulders. Neighbors and others had pulled him
out of the machine onto its platform by the time the coroner arrived.
The
machine itself is used to cut ensilage for silos in the field and then
it is hauled to the silo.
He was
born in New Vienna on Jan. 4, 1916, the son of Julian and Jessie
Records McKenzie. He served as elder of the Hillsboro Church of Christ
for many years.
He is
survived by his father, Julian, of New Vienna; his wife, Edith Smith
McKenzie, Hillsboro, Rt. 5; one daughter Mrs. Peggy Gass, Washington.
C. H.; two sons, H. Randolph (Randy), a senior at Case School in
Cleveland, Charles, at home; his stepmother, Mrs. Edna McKenzie, New
Vienna; one brother, Willard, Martinsville; three stepbrothers, Robert
McKenzie, Fort Wayne, Ind. Roger McKenzie, Farmers City, Ill., and
Herbert McKenzie, Lees Creek; one grandson, Karl Gass Washington, C. H.
Services
will be held Tuesday at 2 P. M., at the Rhoads Funeral Home, with dr.
Paul Jones officiating and burial following in Mt. Zion Cemetery.
Friends
may call at the funeral home from 2 to 4 P. M. and from 7 to 9 P. M.
Monday.
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