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Note: 1. Copied from the 31 July, 1962 issue of The Russell Daily News: "--Bulletin-- A 19 year-old Russell youth, Douglas Roda, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Roda, 742 E. 4th, was electrocuted shortly after 2 p.m. today at the Mills Lease, one mile east, a mile south and 3/4 mile east of Gorham. A call for an ambulance was received at 2:35 p.m. Both Deines Bros. and Russell Mortuary ambulances made the run. The youth was brought to the hospital in the Deines ambulance and taken immediately to surgery where he was pronounced dead at about 3:30 p.m. Roda and R.C. Williams, Jr. were moving a unitized pumping unit onto the lease. Roda apparently reached up to brush back power lines to clear the unit and received the fatal shock." 2. Copied from The Russell Daily News, 1 Aug 1962. "Youth Electrocuted By Power Highline Funeral services have been announced by Deines Brothers Funeral Home for George Douglas Roda, 20-year-old Russell youth accidentally electrocuted in an oilfield mishap Tuesday afternoon. Rites will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 2 at the Deines Brothers Funeral Home with Rev. John P. Gorsuch, vicar of St. John's Episcopal Church in Great Bend, in charge. Burial will be in the Russell Cemetery. Roda, a mechanic for R.C. Williams, Inc., Russell, was helping to move a pumping unit on the Mills lease, about two miles east and one south of Gorham, when the accident happened. The unit was mounted on a truck driven by R.C. Williams Jr. and Roda was riding with the unit. When the truck passed under high tension lines, he apparently reached out to hold the lines up for the unit to pass and received the fatal charge. Roda was assisting Williams in moving the pumping unit owned by Icer Addis from the Farley Machine Works, Russell, to the lease. He rode the unit through town to assist clearing wires. At the road entering the lease Williams stopped the truck when it appeared the lowest of the three lines would hit the unit. Roda touched the center line, used as a ground, and called to Williams that it wasn't hot. Almost immediately, he fell from the unit to the ground. The other two wires carried 72,000 volts. The highline is owned by Central Kansas Power Co. Marks on one of the hot wires indicated Roda touched it with his head or chest. He landed on his face in the ditch. Williams, in the truck cab, blew several blasts on the large air horn to attract attention of men working nearby. Leland Anschutz and Harry Kennedy assisted in artificial resuscitation attempts. Roda and Williams had planned to back the truck away from wires and unload the unit. They intended to pull it under the wires with the wench line, before reloading it on the truck bed, Williams told Sheriff Milton Galyardt. The neutral or ground wire, the lowest of the three, was 19 feet from the ground. The other two wires are 21 1/2 feet above ground level, power company spokesmen said today. A call for an ambulance was received in Russell at 2:25 p.m. The youth arrived at the Russell City Hospital about 3 p.m. and was taken to surgery where attempts were made to restore his heartbeat. Doctors pronounced him dead at about 3:30 p.m. The son of George W. and Mary A. Roda of Russell, George Douglas was born July 23, 1942, at Hays. He was a graduate of Paradise High School and had attended Fort Hays State College and Washburn University. He was a member of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church of Russell. He had lived in Russell the last two years. In addition to his parents, he is survived by a brother, Larry Randall Roda." 3. Copied from the funeral service obituary: "George Douglas Roda Son of George and Mary Roda (nee Ellis) was born July 23, 1942 at St. Anthony's Hospital, Hays, Kansas. He departed this life on July 31, 1962 in Russell County Kansas. His age was 20 years and 8 days. Doug grew up on his father's farm at Paradise, Kansas, where he attended grade school and graduated from the Paradise High School. Like most boys of his age he sought and obtained employment wherever and when he could find it. At the time of his death he was employed as a mechanic by the R.C. Williams Trucking Co., of Russell, Kansas. His parents moved to Russell several years ago and Doug became a part of this town, taking an active interest in activities, boys of his age would be interested in. There is not much to say in this brief obituary on the life of this boy, only his parents, brother, and other relatives who knew "Doug" will remember, cherish and treasure his acts and deeds while he was among us. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Mary Roda; his father, George Roda; a brother, Larry Roda and many other relatives and friends."
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