Forest Mishap Kills Sawyer; Man Aiding Dead Of Attack

      KAMIAH - An Orofino woods worker bled to death Saturday when struck by a falling tree trunk in the forest near here, and a Kamiah lumberman died of a heart attack soon after viewing the body.
      Dead were Asa B. Choate, 63year-old sawyer's helper, and Herman J. (Butch) Galles, 43, superintendent of the shipping division of Potlatch Forests, Inc., Twin Feather Mill at Kamiah.
      Choate was killed about 7:45 a., while his son, Asa Choate Jr. fell a tree in the Yakus Creek area about 20 miles east of here.
      Galles, who had gone to the accident scene to be of help, died within an hour after arriving. He had complained of nausea before the fatal attack.
      Witnesses gave this account of what happened:
      After sawing the tree through, Choate and his son stepped back to watch it fall. The heavy trunk struck a snag on the way down and the butt lurched toward Choate.
      It struck him in the right side, crushing his pelvis and cutting an artery in his thigh. Choate bled to death within a few minutes.
      The Choates had been working for D. C. Adams, Kamiah, a contractor for the mill.
      After arriving at the scene, Galles became ill, complaining of an upset stomach. He decided to return home in the company ambulance, in which he could lie down.
      About 4 miles from the death scene the party met the Idaho County coroner, Dr. Ralph M. Buttermore of Grangeville, who had been summoned.
      Dr. Buttermore examined Galles and found nothing apparently the matter with his heart and lungs. He gave him some pills and Galles got into Buttermore's car.
      Galles then resumed his journey in a company pickup truck, the ambulance following closely behind.
      A little later he asked the truck driver, Ben Fouther of Kamiah, to stop, saying he was ill again. Before the truck could stop he collapsed and died almost immediately.
      Dr. Buttermore, coming upon Galles on his return from the accident scene, pronounced him dead of a heart attack.
      Mr. Galles had been superintendent of the shipping department of the since Nov. 1, 1954, when he was transferred there by PFI.
      He had joined the company in 1934 as a lumber handler and grader at its Clearwater unit at East Lewiston. He rose steadily in the company's lumber division, serving as foreman in the unstacker and then as head grader.
      He was a member of the Kamiah Chamber of Commerce, Lewiston Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge and Kamiah Gun Club. He was a director of Kamiah Youth Recreation, Inc., a civic project to promote youth recreation in the community.
      He was a communicant of St. Catherine's Catholic Church of Kamiah. Born Jan. 31, 1914, at Haver, Mont., Mr. Galles came to Clarkston with his parents in 1929. He graduated from Clarkston High School in 1932 and attended Lewiston State Normal School for one and one-half years.
      He was married July 19, 1934, at Dayton, Wash., to Emily Kerr, who survives.
      Other survivors include two daughter, Mrs. Richard Meeham, Clarkston, and Mrs. Darrell Lynch, Kamiah; one granddaughter; three brothers, Clement F. Galles, Suison, Calif., George Raymond Galles, Seattle, and Edward G. Galles, with the armed forces in England; a half-brother, Richard Galles who is en route home after being discharged from the armed services; and three half-sisters, Mrs. George Mattoon, Lewiston, and Mrs. Vern Pelton, Clarkston.
      Mr. Galles' body was taken to the Robertson-Hansen Funeral Home at Kamiah and transferred later to Merchant's Funeral Home, Clarkston, where arrangements are pending.

      Mr. Choate was born Jan. 5, 1884, at Teakean, a community near Cavendish which no longer exists. His parents, the first settlers of Teakean, operated the post office and a general store there.
      Mr. Choate farmed in the Teakean area until 1946, when he moved to Lewiston. he worked at Lewiston as a carpenter four years and then moved to Orofino, where he worked as a trim saw operator and carpenter for Riverside Mill. He began working for his son about a month ago.
      Mr. Choate was married Oct. 11, 1916, at Spokane to Cecile Worthington, who survives him.
      Other survivors include two sons, Sherman Choate, Maldon, Wash., and Asa Jr of Orofino; five brothers, Fred Springfield, Ore., Edward, Lewiston, and Joseph, Orval and Cecil, all of Cavendish; two sisters, Mrs. Minnie Horne, Lewiston, and Mrs. Eva Scheizle, Port Angeles, Wash.; and one grandson.
      Funeral arrangements are pending at Gilbert's Funeral Home.
      Lewiston Morning Tribune - August 9, 1957 Funeral Services Held At Church For Asa Choate OROFINO - Funeral services for Asa Choate were held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the orofino Methodist Church, with the Rev. L. Marshall Campbell, pastor, officiating. Mrs. Leonard Danner sang, accompanied by Mrs. William Shields. Pallbearers were Clifford Worthington, Frank Worthington, Choate, Leo Choate, Vernon Choate and Charlie Horn. Honorary bearers were Howard Southwick, Jeter Candler, Earl Williams, George Kime, Frank LeBaron and Ralph McKeehan. Interment was in the Normal Hill Cemetery, Lewiston. Gilbert's Funeral Home, Orofino, was in charge of arrangements.

Lewiston Morning Tribune , August 4, 1957

Funeral Services Held At Church For Asa Choate

      OROFINO - Funeral services for Asa Choate were held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the orofino Methodist Church, with the Rev. L. Marshall Campbell, pastor, officiating.
      Mrs. Leonard Danner sang, accompanied by Mrs. William Shields. Pallbearers were Clifford Worthington, Frank Worthington, Choate, Leo Choate, Vernon Choate and Charlie Horn.
      Honorary bearers were Howard Southwick, Jeter Candler, Earl Williams, George Kime, Frank LeBaron and Ralph McKeehan. Interment was in the Normal Hill Cemetery, Lewiston. Gilbert's Funeral Home, Orofino, was in charge of arrangements.


Lewiston Morning Tribune , August 9, 1957





Transcribed by Jo Frederiksen, 2014