October 21,2021 THE JOURNAL
Wisconsin launches Buckle Up Phone Down campaign
Wisconsin officials are challenging the community to put and individuals are invited to take the Buckle Up Phone Down
safety first, help prevent crashes, and save lives on state roads pledge.
and highways. “We need everyone to join us,” WisDOT Secretary Craig
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Thompson said. “The collective effort of each individual and or­
new Buckle Up Phone Down campaign asks everyone to show ganization will bring change and create safer roads in Wisconsin.
support for two simple measures: use a seat belt every time you Every person who takes the pledge demonstrates their commit­
get in the car and stay off your phone while driving. ment to the health and well-being of their communities and all
“The safety of everyone in Wisconsin is our top priority,” Lt. the people of our state.”
Gov. Mandela Barnes said. “Distracted driving and not wearing People of all ages in Wisconsin can commit to saving lives by
your seat belt can be deadly. But these devastating incidents can taking the pledge at wisconsindot.gov/BUPD. Participants are en-
be prevented. Everyone can do two simple things that may save
their lives: Buckle Up Phone Down.”
Cell phone use is one of the biggest distractions while driving.
Distracted driving was a factor in almost 9,000 crashes in the state
last year, including 31 deaths.
WisDOT reports 11 percent of drivers in Wisconsin did not
OBITUARIES
/////////////////////////^^^^
buckle up in 2020. Unbuckled drivers and passengers made up
44 percent of all fatalities last year.
“Our officers see tragedies like these on the roads every day,” Algot r
Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tony Burrell said. “Many
of us are so used to being in a vehicle that we feel safe and forget
about the terrible destruction that can occur from just a moment’s
Anderson * ' a Seyffer
inattention, but we must do better.”
Wisconsin businesses, organizations, schools, communities,
1931-2021
Algot Anderson, age 90,
of Beldenville, Wisconsin,
TRAIN
died Sunday, October 17,
2021 at United Hospital in
St. Paul, due to complica­
From Page 1 tions of COVID.
Algot Hieler Anderson
was bom March 15, 1931 in
endure any serious injuries while on their way to spend the
River Falls, Wisconsin, the
weekend with family in Glacier National Park.
The father-daughter duo decided to go on a last-minute trip only son of John H. and
Anna Johanna (Jorgenson)
to meet some family and thought the train ride would be a new
Anderson. He was baptized
adventure for them, as it was the first time either of them had
in the Martell Lutheran
ridden on a passenger train.
Church and was confirmed
“My brother and sister-in-law have a timeshare out by Gla­
at Ezekiel Lutheran Church
cier National Park, and my nephew was going to spend the
in River Falls and was
week with them and he decided to take the train and they asked
if we would like to go as well and it was really last minute and presently a member of Our
we thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity with the Savior’s Lutheran Church in
scenery and we had never been on a train before,” said Brent Beldenville.
Place. Algot attended Clay Cor­
The trio was heading to meet Steve and Sherry Marson, who ner Rural School and River
were already at their timeshare. Falls High School. He dairy
ly
With just seven hours remaining in the trip, the train derailed farmed with his father and
on flat land in rural Montana (near Joplin) and it quickly be­ worked with the Pierce
came a trip they would never forget.
County Sheriff’s Depart­
on
“I was sitting on the right side and my dad was in the seat
ment for a number of years.
right in front of me and a few minutes before the crash, I closed
Algot was one of Pierce
my eyes for a minute and all of a sudden, I opened my eyes and
County’s first two jailers.
the train was tipping and it felt like we were flying and we were
us l,
After farming, Algot worked
scraping against the gravel,” said Jasmine Place.
for the River Falls Public
The train had made a stop about an hour before the crash and
al a
Schools until retiring.
e
the two remember the calm before the storm very clearly.
Algot loved traveling,
“We were in the second from the back car, the last three de­
visiting many states and all
ci on
tached and we were in the middle car that detached and tipped,”
the Canadian Provinces. He
Brent Place said. “I had just finished watching a movie and I
also made numerous trips to
was just leaning against the window and we started going
around a gentle curve and then I saw that the middle of the train Europe to sight-see and visit
started to tip and by the time I even finished my thought we relatives. He had a love of
er rs
were on our side scraping against the gravel on the window.” history and family lineage.
They remarked that because the train wasn’t full of people One of his favorite pastimes
and where they were sitting may have been a factor in escaping was taking care of his flower
serious injury. The two commended the local communities for
m e
the quick and helpful volunteers who came to the aid of the pas­
sengers. Joplin is located about 200 miles north of Helena.
m rp
“The aftermath is what stood out to me the most,” Jasmine
Place said. “We were sent to a nearby school where they pro­ Kenneth
vided help for all of us. They were taking really good care of
us. The school was amazing and they had everyone from the
surrounding communities coming in and giving us food, clean­
Blodgett
1938-2021
co Fo
ing us up and they were all so welcoming.”
Although traveling by train is one of the safest easy to travel,
derailments can be considered common in some circumstances. Kenneth William “Ken­
According to an article in the Washington Post in 2015, train ny” Blodgett, age 83 of
derailments averaged about 35 per year tracking back to 1976.
Most of the accidents were harmless, but the cause is usually
Maiden Rock died unex­
pectedly October 13, 2021
the tracks and not the trains.
Amtrak is still investigating the cause of the accident; a total
at his residence of a sudden
cardiac arrest. Kenny was
of eight train cars derailed out of the ten passenger cars com­
bom on April 27, 1938 in
prising the Empire Builder train, resulting in three deaths and
Trimbelle Township; the son
more than 50 people injured. About 141 passengers and 16 crew
of Albert and Joyce (Whip­
members were on board. There has not been any official state­
ment about the cause. ple) Blodgett. He was raised
n-
Amtrak Chief Executive Officer William J. Flynn said in a in rural Ellsworth where he
previous statement, “We share the sense of urgency to under­ attended school. On June 4,
stand why the accident happened; however, until the investiga­ 1960, he was united in mar­
tion is complete, we will not further comment on the accident riage to Joan Frances Cook at
no
itself.” the English Lutheran Church
Although an official cause of the accident has not been de­ in Ellsworth. This union
termined, the Places feel that the tracks quite literally just gave would be blessed with three
out. children.
“Just from my view and what I saw, I think the track just As a young man, he
gave out and I definitely don’t think it was the speed and the worked in South Saint Paul
track really just gave out,” said Brent Place. in packaging construc­
The two are very thankful to be safe and back home with tion. After a few years, he
their family. The Places were on board with relative Tyler Mar­ would find employment in
son, who was also uninjured and is back home safe with family. Red Wing where he worked
He declined to speak about the incident, during which he had for Conwed, which would
been in the observation car. The Places had been getting ready
eventually become USG In­
to join him in the observation car when the crash occurred.
teriors. He would work his
Rescuers from six counties responded to the scene while sur­
way through the ranks be­
vivors were taken to two separate sites.
fore retiring as foreman in
the mid-1990s. With his new
downtime, he furthered his
passion in woodworking. If
you were fortunate enough,
you may have received
one of his lawn ornaments
keepsakes. He also enjoyed
making wood toys for fami­
ly and friends. He loved the
outdoors and taking care of
his acreage and the family
farm which they purchased
in Maiden Rock in 1984.
He loved the fall deer hunts,
searching for the perfect
agate, and making sure his
lawn looked pristine! He has
buckets of agates and took
a lot of pleasure in creating
special jewelry treasures.
Earlier in life he enjoyed
trout fishing on local streams
and more recently appreciat­
ing when he was gifted some
fresh trout by his son. Later
Another photo taken after an Amtrak train derailed near
Joplin, Mont. on Sept. 25. About 141 passengers were on
board, including three Ellsworth residents who escaped seri­ More notices on Page B-10
ous injury. Photo courtesy of Jasmine and Brent Place
Page 9
tiful flowers, especially his
roses. He was faithful at
placing flowers on the pas­
tors’ graves at Our Savior’s.
Algot was a longtime mem­
ber of Our Savior’s Men in
Mission.
Algot was preceded in
death by his parents, uncles,
and aunts. He is survived by
numerous cousins in the
United States, Sweden, and
Norway as well as many
friends throughout the area.
A Memorial service will
be on Saturday, October 23,
2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Our
Savior’s Lutheran Church -
Beldenville, Wisconsin.
Burial will be in Martell
Lutheran Cemetery, Martell
Township.
Keehr Funeral Home,
(www.keehrfuneralhome .co
m) Spring Valley, is han­
dling arrangements.
i/¿¿tit it
in life, he had great memo­
ries of Joan and his travels to
the Black Hills or Montana
sightseeing.
Kenny will forever be
in the hearts of his wife
Joan; children Scott (Tom)
Blodgett, Waylon (Kelly)
Blodgett, Corey (Ashley)
Blodgett, grandchildren
Amber (Cole) Comer, Zach­
ary, Sadie, Katie, Brady,
Wyatt, Brock; great grand­
child Davina; Sister Patsy
(Cliff) Hudson; sister-in-
laws Yvonne Blodgett, Janis
Blodgett; and many nieces
and nephews. He is preceded
in death by his siblings Al­
berta Gibbs, Marlin (Betty)
Blodgett, Don Blodgett, Ron
Blodgett, Georgia Gjorvad,
Tracy (Wanda) Blodgett, Tim
Blodgett, LaVem Blodgett,
and Leland Blodgett.
Celebration of life for
Kenny Blodgett will
Sunday, October 17,2021
from 3 PM until 5 PM with
a prayer service to conclude
at 5 PM at the O’Connell
Family Funeral Home of
Ellsworth. Interment will be
private. Memorials are pre­
ferred to the discretion of the
family. Funeral and crema­
tion services entrusted to the
O’Connell Family Funeral
Home of Ellsworth.
O’CONNKLI.
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couraged to share a thumbs up/thumbs down photo on social
media using the hashtag #BuckleUpPhoneDown then challenge
friends, family and coworkers to do the same.
The Buckle Up Phone Down initiative originated in Missouri
in 2017. In the first two years, seat belt use in that state increased
by 6.3 percent after more than 10,000 businesses and individuals
accepted the challenge. Now, the initiative is underway in six
other states, including Wisconsin, with 12 more considering cam­
paigns.
Submitted by WisDOT
1 Louetta WJr I
1934-2021
Louetta Louise Seyffer,
86, of rural Pepin, WI passed
away peacefully on Sunday,
October 10, 2021 at the Plum
City Care Center. Lou was
bom November 17, 1934
in Weston, WI to Grant and
Edna Thompson. She attend­
ed Ellsworth High School
Precious Moments Chap­
and worked at Production
el in Carthage, MO where
Credit in River Falls after
they often traveled with their
graduation.
niece Vonnie Hince and spe­
She met a blue-eyed young
cial friends Dawn and Rog­
man at the dance hall in Bay
er Schindler. Lou loved to
City and she and Vaughn
bake. Her bars and brownies
Seyffer were married on
could always be found on
May 7, 1957. Their marriage
the table at church and fam­
was blessed with two chil­
ily functions. Lou was also a
dren, Mark and Dawn. They
licensed amateur radio oper­
owned and operated Big Hill
ator, KD9QD, now a Silent
.
Farm in rural Pepin for over
Key.
50 years. Lou was a loving
Lou was preceded in
wife, mother, grandmother,
death by her parents, her sis­
sister, aunt, and friend. She
ter Donna, brothers Duke,
went out of her way to help
Emmett, Royce and Ronnie
others and she did it with
and her husband Vaughn.
love and kindness always.
She is survived by her son
Lou was an AVID Green
Mark (Kitty) Seyffer, daugh­
Bay Packer Fan. She had
ter Dawn (Brian) Caturia,
an extensive collection of
and grandchildren, Chris and
Packer memorabilia includ­
Megan Caturia, as well as
ing prized autographed pho­
her nieces and nephews and
tos with some of the Packer
loving friends. The family
greats. After 25 years on the
would like to thank the staff
waiting list, she finally got
at the Plum City Care Center
her season tickets in 2008.
for their good care of Lou
She enjoyed attending the
during the last two years of
games with her son Mark
her life.
’fit).mi, t.t until her health waned. She
Private services will be
kept the stats of every Green
held at Oakwood Cemetery
Bay game as well as all NFL
in Pepin on Thursday, Octo­
games for many, many years.
ber 14, 2021. Goodrich Fu­
After retirement, Lou and
neral Home in Durand, WI
Vaughn traveled extensively
is assisting the family. To
throughout the United States.
express on-line condolences,
One of their frequent and fa­
vorite destinations was the
visit obituaries at www.go-
odrichfh.com
Leon
Meixner
1946-2021
Leon Henry Meixner, age
75, of Ellsworth, WI passed
away peacefully Saturday
October 9, 2021, at Ells­
worth Care Center. Leon was
bom on July 10, 1946, in
Durand, WI to Leo and Clara
(Brunner) Meixner. Leo mar­
ried the love of his life Caro­
lyn Jacobson on October 10, cobson, and brother-in-law
1970, in Ellsworth, WI. Harry Jacobson and Hert
Leon was an honest Jacobson.
hard-working man. He en­ Funeral services were
joyed working on his broth­ held for Leon Meixner or
er’s farm and taking care of Thursday, October 14, 2021
calves. During his free time, at Bethel Covenant Churct
he was rather fond of fishing. in rural Ellsworth.
His favorite thing to do was A special thank you to the
spend time with Carolyn and Ellsworth EMTs, ambulance
their multiple beloved pets drivers, and to the wonderful
staff at the Ellsworth Healtl
over the years. He also en­
Care facility, and the hos­
joyed music and polka.
pice caregivers for taking
Leon was survived by his
wife of 51 years Carolyn, good care of Leon in his final
siblings: Micheál, Lorraine, months.
and Francis, brother-in-law: Arrangements are entrust­
Richard Jacobson and Bud ed to the O’Connell Famil)
be Rehder, and sisters-in-law: Funeral Home of Ellsworth
Adeline (Bemie) Schroed- www.oconnellfuneralser-
er and Elaine (Ron) Edlund vices.com
and many other relations. He
was preceded in death with
his parents, Leo and Clara
Meixner, In-Laws: Harold
and Elsie Jacobson, siblings:
Fredrick, George, Jerome,
Katheryn and Charles, sis­
ters-in-law: Kathy Jacobson,
Dorothy Rehder, Helen Ja-
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