Frederick Melvin Reitz (1893 - 1956)

Born 27 Aug 1893 in Sonora, Tuolumne, California, United States

Husband of Gladys Vilora (Dambacher) Reitz — married 2 Dec 1914 in Sonora, Tuolumne, California, United States

Died 1 Jun 1956 at age 62 in Standard, Tuolumne, California, United States

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Obituary

Railroader Run Over By Logging Train, Succumbs

McClatchy Newspapers Service

STANDARD CITY Tuolumne Co —

Reitz Frederick M (Dutch), 63, veteran railroader of Pickering Lumber Corporation’s logging trains, died about 9 o’clock last night [June 1, 1956] in a Sonora hospital after suffering multiple injuries when struck down and run over by an empty logging train of 10 cars at Long Siding, east of Twain Harte.

The accident occurred early yesterday afternoon.

Lumber company official are at a loss to explain how it occurred, but believe Reitz may have started on foot across the tracks at the siding to a telephone and became confused as to which track a diesel train was approaching on.

Not Hit By Wheels He was struck down and the entire train passed over him, but apparently he was not caught beneath any wheel.

Rushed to Sonora by ambulance, examination showed him to be suffering severe multiple injuries of the body and lacerations.

He died without regaining consciousness.

Reitz was a native of Rawhide, Tuolumne County, the grandson of a pioneer Tuolumne County family. He had spent all his life in Tuolumne County, making his home for many year at Standard City. He had served on the logging railroad during all of the 42 years he had worked for the Standard Lumber Company and later the Pickering Lumber Corporation.

Was Superintendent Reitz had advanced to the position of railroad superintendent for Pickering. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen of Standard City, and a member of Pine Tree Lodge 46, IOOF, of Tuolumne City.

Funeral services tentatively are set for Monday afternoon in the Terzich & Wilson Funeral Home in Sonora.

Reitz leaves his widow, Mrs. Gladys Reitz of Standard City; his mother Mrs. Ruby Katjen of Standard City, a daughter Mrs. Della Shore of Sonora, two sons, Melvin D. Reitz of Shaw Flat, Tuolumne County, and F. Vernon Reitz of Mono Highway, a sister, Mrs. Edith Brown of Standard City, and eight grandchildren.

^[1]

User ID

ID: E0AC095F19EAF343BC39C5AEBD5DD5E76B87

Data Changed

Changed:

10 Feb 2002

00:00:00

Prior to import, this record was last changed 00:00:00 10 Feb 2002.

Sources

<The Modesto Bee Modesto, California 02 Jun 1956, Sat  •  Page 6/>

1. ↑ The Modesto Bee Modesto, California 02 Jun 1956, Sat  •  Page 6

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Ed Poor for creating WikiTree profile Reitz-95 through the import of alma5.ged on May 5, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Ed and others.