Surnames: Dearth, Wanish, Schaller, Koch, Abel, Johnson, Feit, Schuett, Edblom, Langseth

----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark Co., Wis.) 16 Oct 1958

Dearth, Lonnie (5 Apr. 1943 - 13 Oct. 1958)

Lonnie Dearth, age 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dearth of ?, a sophomore in Colby High School, was killed instantly shortly after 6:00 Monday night when a car being driven by Vernon Wanish, age 21, seventh grade teacher at the Abbotsford school, struck the bicycle he was riding. Wanish makes his home at Unity with an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Schaller. Dr. J. W. Koch of Colby pronounced Dearth died of a broken neck.

Dan Abel, age 15, also of Unity, a companion of Dearth, trailing on another bicycle, was not hurt.

The accident happened on the east side of Highway 13, about a half mile north of Unity where Dearth was on his way to make his last two Marshfield newspaper deliveries of the day to the Johnson and Feit homes.

At the time, both boys were going north, with Dearth on the lead bicycle. Wanish, approaching from behind, told authorities he saw the Abel boy, as he appeared to emerge from a driveway toward the road, but did not se Dearth riding on the edge of the pavement.

William Schuett, Mararthon county traffic officer, who investigated the accident, reported the Dearth youth’s body was dragged and thrown to the side of the road about 125 feet from the point of impact. Speed of the Wanish car at the time was placed at about 50 miles an hour.

Funeral services will be held this Thursday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock in the Trinity Lutheran church at Unity, Wisconsin, Rev. Robert Langseth officiating, and burial will be made in the church cemetery.

Lonnie Dearth was born in Owen on April 5, 1943, and was three years of age when his parents moved to Unity, Wis. He had been active in basketball and football. His father is employed by Colby Milling, Inc.

Surviving are his parents, one sister, Betty, age 7, a third grade student at Colby Elementary School, his maternal grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Edblom, whose home adjoins that of the Dearths, and his paternal grand mother, Mrs. J. A. Dearth of Owen.

Lonnie’s death brought the 1958 highway traffic toll in Marathon county to 16.

Trinity Lutheran Church at Unity, Wisconsin