Independent Enterprise
Thursday, January 01, 1942
Glenn H. Troyer, Railroad Guard, Found Dead
Railroad Guard Is Victim Of Accidental Death:
Found Early Friday Morning
Glenn H. Troyer, employed as a guard at the railroad bridge across the Payette river, was found dead last Friday morning at 7:45 a. m. when the relief guard, Henry Sheppard went to assume his shift. Troyer had been employed by the railroad company for the past eight days and he was on the shift guarding the bridge from midnight until eight o’clock in the morning. When Sheppard went to work he found Troyer’s lifeless body lying on the railroad grade just a few feet beyond the south end of the bridge.
Sheriff Vaughn and Coroner Edith Landon were immediately notified and an investigation showed that the deceased has a three inch skull wound which no doubt resulted in instant death. Mrs. Landon estimated that he had been dead for about two hours.
In reconstructing the story of the death local officers agree that Troyer in patrolling the bridge had evidently slipped and fell striking his head against a rivet in the superstructure of the bridge. Another theory which has gained some credence is that he may have been standing too close to the tracks when the Streamliner passed through and the suction pulled him into the train. There was no evidence of foul play and officers have agreed that the circumstances do not justify the calling of an inquest. Assisting Sheriff Vaughn and Mrs. Landon in the case were special railroad detectives, Lou Collins and W. Thibedeaux and Chief of Police, Cecil Rose.
Glenn Henry Troyer, son of Nicholas B. and Udella J. Troyer, was born February 4, 1905 at Calloway, Nebraska and met death at Payette, Idaho on December 26, 1941 at the age of 36 years, 10 months, and 22 days. He attended grade and high school in Calloway and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. On November 15, 1925, he was married to Ethel M. Westphal in Kansas City, Missouri. To this union were born three children, Neil Edward, 11; Rosaleen Mae, 6; and Martina Ann, 3. After coming to Payette he owned and operated the Veltex Service station at Third Avenue north and Main for two years and was a salesman for the Singer Sewing Machine company for the past three years. At the time of his death he was guarding the Union Pacific bridge over the Payette river just south of Payette. Prior to his arrival in Payette he was employed by the Safeway system for eight years in Missouri and Nebraska. He joined the I.O.O.F. lodge June 18, 1938, was a member in good standing of the Third Degree and had held two appointive offices. Besides his wife and three children, he is survived by his mother, Mrs. Udella J. Troyer, Payette; four brothers, Dillo E. of Ord, Nebraska, Jacob E. of Whitney, Nebraska, Maurice C. of Parma, Idaho and James Delevan of Los Angeles, California, and one sister, Mrs. Anna Nelson of Kearney, Nebraska. Services were held at the Landon Funeral chapel with F.S. Gwilliam, of the L.D.S. church in Weiser, in charge. Burial was in the Rosedale Memorial park.
