Melbourne-Heins-Boesch-61622

Obituary

Melbourne H. Boesch, 36, former president of John Boesch company, was instantly killed three miles south of Hinckley, Minn., yesterday at 10:30 am when his automobile skidded on slippery pavement and went off the road. He was en route from Minneapolis to Duluth on business.
News telling of his death was received by The Hawk-Eye early last night in a dispatch which stated that his car overturned on a curve. Boesch was pinned underneath the machine. His head was crushed and he died instantly. Two companions, passengers in the car, were injured and taken to Hinckley for treatment.
When the news of his death reached Burlington, The Hawk-Eye called his sister, Mrs. Dale Merrick of Minneapolis, by telephone, where Boesch had been staying following his recent nervous breakdown. While Mrs. Merrick was unable to talk Mr. Merrick stated that Boesch had left their home yesterday morning for Duluth. The first news they received of the accident was a long-distance call from MD Folson undertaking parlors in Hinckley, where the body had been taken.
Folson, in talking to The Hawk-Eye last night stated:
“We received an ambulance call at 11 am stating that there had been a serious accident four miles south of Hinckley. On arriving at the scene my driver found the body pinned under his machine and it was necessary to raise the car before the body could be moved. The head was terribly crushed and identification was made by a card found in his pocket. He had been killed instantly. I have been asked by his sister, Mrs. Merrick to ship the body to Burlington and it will leave here Friday.” Folson said.
Boesch, until his nervous breakdown early last fall, was one of the leading businessmen of this city assuming the management of the John Boesch store six years ago upon the death of his father, George C. Boesch, the founder. He was a member of the Rotary Club, and Chamber of Commerce, and always took an active interest in the work of the retail merchants bureau. He was always interested in community enterprises and was a member of the Grace ME church and Patriot Lodge, A & AM.
Born here Dec. 1, 1894, he attended the public schools. Upon graduating from high school he attended a military academy at Alton, Ill.
He was married to Miss Bonnie Mumper, Oct. 19, 1916, at Quincy, Ill. During the war, he served as first lieutenant at Camp Grant being in charge of the personnel department.
In addition to his widow, he is survived by a daughter, Bonnie Jean, 11, his mother, Mrs. George C. Boesch, all of this city, and two sisters, Mrs. Dale Merrick of Minneapolis and Mrs. EC Kinsloe, of Houston, TX.
The body will arrive here Saturday morning and will be taken to Prugh’s chapel pending funeral arrangements.
Boesch disappeared from here September 25. At first, it was believed that he had been drowned in the river. Later, however, he was located at Detroit suffering from a nervous breakdown. He was confined to a sanitarium for a number of weeks, later going to Decatur, Ill., to visit friends and relatives.
As soon as he was able to do any work he went to Minneapolis where he took the agency for a nationally known indoor golf manufacturer with an extensive territory thru the central states. The work called upon him to spend considerable time out of doors and was aiding him in regaining his health. As general agent over a large territory, he was making his home with his sister, Mrs. Dale Merrick, at Minneapolis, and the fatal accident occurred while he was on his way to Duluth on business.