FUNERAL NOTICE.
THE Friends of William Koch (and family) are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of his late son Francis Eric, which will leave the residence of his aunt, Mrs Daniel, 83 Prince Albert road, South Dunedin, TO-MORROW (Friday), 24th inst., at 10 a.m., for the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery.
HUGH GOURLEY, Undertaker. -Evening Star, 23/12/1920.
Death of a Queenstown Lad.
ON RAILWAY AT DUNEDIN
A very sad fatality occurred at Dunedin on the 22nd inst, the victim being Francis Eric Koch, eldest son of Wm. H. Koch, of Otautau and grandson of Mrs Wm. Marshall of this town. The deceased young man was a little more than 20 years of age. He had been in the employ of the Railway Department for about six weeks as a cleaner, he having elected to qualify as a driver. On the night mentioned young Koch, according to the inquiry, was working on night shift. Between 2 and 2.30 a.m. the deceased, among other railway employees, had a spell for a meal. After this they went for a stroll not quite to the south end of the railway bridge over the Andersons Bay road. About half-way across the bridge, when returning, deceased stopped to light a cigarette, the others going on. One of his mates turned round to look and saw a dark flash disappearing. Retracing their steps and hurrying down the embankment they found deceased lying across the lower railway line. From what can be gathered he had tripped on one of the sleepers and sustained two scalp wounds — one at the temple and one at the back of the ear. He was quite unconscious. A medical man stated at the inquest that the condition of deceased was hopeless, and that death was due to shock following fracture of the base of the skull. The deceased left Queenstown several years ago and worked for various city firms but his inclination was for machinery, which induced him to join the railway service. Young Koch allowed great promise. The cutting off of the young life in the full vigor of manhood has dealt a very sad blow to his parents, sister and brother and his grandparents. The latter brought him up almost from infancy and educated him at the local Convent school. Whilst he lived in Queenstown Frank Koch was a general favourite with the boys and girls in his generation and during the time he was in Dunedin he made many friends. The short call of deceased came as a sudden blow to them all, but more particularly to his relatives who live here. We extend our sympathy to the bereaved in their sore trial. The funeral, which was a public one, took place in Dunedin on Friday last, 24th inst, the remains being followed to their last resting place in the Andersons Bay cemetery by a large number of friends. -Lake Wakatip Mail, 31/12/1920.
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