Individual Details
George Joseph Besnah
(1 Aug 1873 - 23 Sep 1939)
The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wisconsin, Saturday, September 23, 1939, Page 1 & 2: Appleton Man Is Crushed Between Engine and Auto. George J. Besmah*, Switchman, Fatally Injured At Kaukauna. Kaukauna---George J. Besmah, 67, 1120 N. Appleton street, Appleton, was injured fatally at 8 o'clock this morning when he was crushed between an automobile and a switch engine at the Main street crossing here. Besmah was a Chicago and North Western railway switchman for nearly 50 years. His death raises Outagamie county's 1939 traffic toll to 12, compared with 10 at this time last year.
Besmah was standing in the middle of the crossing to halt vehicle traffic when a car driven by N. L. Ropp , 67, 719 Grignon street, failed to stop and wedged him between the left front fender of the car and the right front of the engine, according to the police report. The engine, operated by George Kromer, Milwaukee, was proceeding east while Ropp was traveling north. Ropp, according to police, said his brakes failed to function when he was about 75 feet from the crossing and he failed to see Besmah in trying to find out what was wrong with his brakes.
Left Leg Severed. Besmah, whose left leg was severed, was carried along several feet before the train stopped. He was taken to St. Elizabeth hospital, Appleton, by Alois Hopfensperger, Jr., Kaukauna, where he died about 30 minutes later.
District Attorney Raymond P. Dohr and Dr. H. E. Ellsworth, Coroner, viewed the scene of the accident this morning and called an inquest for 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Kaukauna city hall. A coroner's jury was drawn to view the body this afternoon. Members of the jury are: William Galmbacher, Jacob Miller, William Doering, John Mitchell, Gustave Bauer and J. B. Delbridge, all of Kaukauna.
Besmah was born Aug. 1, 1872, at Oshkosh and lived in Appleton the last 16 years. He worked at Kaukauna the last four years. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
List Survivors. Surviving are the widow: six daughters, Mrs. Joseph Brundage, Janesville; Mrs. Michael Flanagan, Mrs. Rudolph Konz, Appleton, Mrs. Howard Norton, Pensacola, Fla.; two sons, George, San Diego, Calif.; Glenn, LaJolla, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. William Hathaway, Oshkosh; Mrs. Antony Van Pietersom, Milwaukee and 14 grandchildren. Private funeral services will be conducted at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon at Wichmann Funeral home by Dr. John B. Hanna. Burial will be in Riverside cemetery. The body will be at the funeral home from Sunday noon until time of funeral services.
*name is spelled incorrect throughout the obituary, it should be Besnah.
Besmah was standing in the middle of the crossing to halt vehicle traffic when a car driven by N. L. Ropp , 67, 719 Grignon street, failed to stop and wedged him between the left front fender of the car and the right front of the engine, according to the police report. The engine, operated by George Kromer, Milwaukee, was proceeding east while Ropp was traveling north. Ropp, according to police, said his brakes failed to function when he was about 75 feet from the crossing and he failed to see Besmah in trying to find out what was wrong with his brakes.
Left Leg Severed. Besmah, whose left leg was severed, was carried along several feet before the train stopped. He was taken to St. Elizabeth hospital, Appleton, by Alois Hopfensperger, Jr., Kaukauna, where he died about 30 minutes later.
District Attorney Raymond P. Dohr and Dr. H. E. Ellsworth, Coroner, viewed the scene of the accident this morning and called an inquest for 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Kaukauna city hall. A coroner's jury was drawn to view the body this afternoon. Members of the jury are: William Galmbacher, Jacob Miller, William Doering, John Mitchell, Gustave Bauer and J. B. Delbridge, all of Kaukauna.
Besmah was born Aug. 1, 1872, at Oshkosh and lived in Appleton the last 16 years. He worked at Kaukauna the last four years. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
List Survivors. Surviving are the widow: six daughters, Mrs. Joseph Brundage, Janesville; Mrs. Michael Flanagan, Mrs. Rudolph Konz, Appleton, Mrs. Howard Norton, Pensacola, Fla.; two sons, George, San Diego, Calif.; Glenn, LaJolla, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. William Hathaway, Oshkosh; Mrs. Antony Van Pietersom, Milwaukee and 14 grandchildren. Private funeral services will be conducted at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon at Wichmann Funeral home by Dr. John B. Hanna. Burial will be in Riverside cemetery. The body will be at the funeral home from Sunday noon until time of funeral services.
*name is spelled incorrect throughout the obituary, it should be Besnah.
Events
| Birth | 1 Aug 1873 | Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., Wisconsin |  | ||
| Marriage | 19 May 1897 | Winnebago Co., Wisconsin - Elizabeth "Bessie" May Lombard Jackson | | ||
| Residence | 1900 | Age: 29; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head - Fond Du Lac Ward 8, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1900 | Age: 29; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head - Fond Du Lac Ward 8, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1 Jun 1905 | Marital Status: Married; Relation: Head - Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1910 | Age in 1910: 38; Age in 1910: 38; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Self; Relation to Head of House: Head - Fond Du lac Ward 12, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1920 | Age: 47; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head - Stevens Point Ward 2, Portage Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1920 | Stevens Point Ward 2, Portage Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1923 | Stevens Point, Portage Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1930 | Age: 45; Marital Status: Divorced; Relation to Head of House: Roomer - Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Residence | 1930 | Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Death | 23 Sep 1939 | Kaukauna, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin | | ||
| Burial | Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin | |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth "Bessie" May Lombard Jackson (1878 - 1963) |
| Father | Phillip Francis Besnah (1842 - 1885) |
| Mother | Margaret "Maggie" C Pomainville (1845 - 1926) |
| Sibling | Charles N Besnah (1868 - 1930) |
| Sibling | Margaret "Maggie" Besnah (1874 - 1944) |
| Sibling | Clara Louise Besnah (1879 - 1956) |
Endnotes
1. Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006), Database online..
2. Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006), Database online..
3. Ancestry.com, U. S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012).
15. Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006), Database online..
16. Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006), Database online..
17. Ancestry.com, U. S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012).