Weets, son of Harm and Bertha Janssen Weets, was born November 6, 1938 in Westbrook, Minnesota. He attended schools in Sibley, Iowa and served in the U.S. Navy from 1955-1959. July 31, 1958 he was united in marriage to Helen Florendo, in the Philippines. After his discharge he moved to Sheldon, Iowa.

He entered the soybean processing business in 1960 in Sheldon, later becoming the assistant plant supervisor there. In 1971 he went to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, to head the plant crew of Canbra Foods. Weets came to Manning in January 1978, as plant superintendent of Manning's soybean processing plant, then operated as Continental Soya Corporation.

He is survived by his wife Helen, 3 children, Sam, Ralph and Carmen, by his parents, now of Heuitt, Minnesota, and the following brothers and sisters: Fred, Worthington, Minnesota; Jim, Eyota, Minnesota; Mrs. Warren (Fran) Mellema, Omaha; Harlan "Bill", Sheldon; Mrs. Ron (Betty) Teerink, Worthington, Minnesota; Mrs. Charles (Mary) Wark, Spring Lake Park, Minnesota; David, Anoka, Minnesota; Dennis, Grand View, Washington and Mrs. Mark (Bonnie) Halleen, Livonia, Michigan.

He was a member of the VFW and American Legion in Manning. While living in Canada, a member of the Eagle Lodge.

Only one employee was injured as the silo and meal crashed into the building. Dave Wurr, 24, was injured inside the preparation building, and co-worker Jerry Anthony helped him outside. Firemen first on the scene covered Wurr with a tarp to shade him until the ambulance crews arrived and took him to Manning General Hospital. His condition Tuesday was listed as "stable, while improving" with injuries to his right ear, a bruised shoulder and lacerated hand. There were no fractures.

The silo collapsed about 2:02 p.m., just as employees of the AGRI Industries processing plant were taking a break. At any other time, the preparation building would have been filled with workers.

The silo which fell was one of the three Harvestores erected when the plant first opened in 1978. The silo was located just north of the preparation building; Weets' office, in the northwest corner of the building, took the brunt of the spill.

Investigators from the AGRI Industries office, insurance adjusters, and Occupational, Safety and Health Act officials were at the plant Tuesday to try to piece together the cause of the accident.

Maurice Van Nostrand, Director of Market Research for AGRI Industries, said Monday night that it appeared that the silo ruptured with the meal "bridged."

In hot, humid weather like we've been having, air pockets can form inside a silo. It appears the meal suddenly dropped down, creating the power of an explosion. The air that was trapped inside the middle just blew the walls out," Van Nostrand said.

He added that this has been a problem within the soybean industry. AGRI Industries has had damage to several silos, none had previously collapsed, he said.

Witnesses said the silo twisted as it fell. "It sounded like a big blast," according to employee Jeff Karstens.

Tons of soybean meal buried the office area of the preparation building, leaving the rest of the building a mass of twisted beams and rubble. The preparation building is the core of the processing operation, where everything is done except for the extraction of oil and the drying processes.

AGRI officials estimate that it will take six months before production can be resumed. No dollar losses are yet available.

CREWS CALLED FROM OTHER TOWNS
About 25 Manning firemen worked from 2 until 5:40 to try to find Weets' body. He was found under a large beam and the tin roof of his office, and firemen spent more than an hour to cut and lift off the debris with the use of their "Jaws of Life".

Three vacuum-cleaner type machines called "vacuvators" were brought in from Harlan, Wall Lake & Breda to suck the meal from the office area. Rasmussen Lumber sent a caterpillar to be used to clear the area. Manning Heating & Sheet Metal provided a back hoe, Manning Agricultural Center brought a tractor to use with the vacuvator, & Glen Kusel and Milton Sinow used their trucks to haul out the meal as it was sucked from the search area.

"We had tremendous help from everyone," Fire Chief Merlyn Irlbeck said. "AGRI employees, construction crews working on the new concrete silo, and truck drivers all pitched in to help."

The rescue workers fought in over 100 degree heat, standing in piles of soft soybean meal, and by 5:30 Irlbeck found it necessary to call in crews from Manilla, Templeton, and Gray. "Our men were wearing out, and we thought we'd better get more manpower," he said.

Weets' body was finally freed at 7:10 p.m., and the firemen returned to the station about a half an hour later. The 25 to 30 men from the assisting crews cleaned all the equipment.

Sandwiches & lemonade were furnished throughout the afternoon by Piccadilly Circus Pizza, with manager Rick Grage and the Fire Sirens returning in the evening with refreshments for the workers.