Obit: Rankel, Stanley P. (1955 - 1975)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Rankel, Stuart

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/11/1975

Rankel, Stanley P. (17 November 1955 – 6 September 1975)

Rankel, the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Rankel, was born November 17, 1955 and attended a parochial school in Colby prior to graduating from that community’s high school in 1974. Active in FFA and football with the Manitowoc Chiefs, a semi-pro team.

A member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Colby, Rankel’s relatives include his parents, three sisters, two brothers and his maternal grandmother.

Tractor Takes Life of Rural Colby Youth –

A rural Colby man was killed early Saturday morning in a traffic related accident near Colby.

Dead was Stanley P. Rankel, 19, who was fatally injured when trying to remove his ditched auto by using a family tractor. The tractor overturned in the procedure and pinned Rankel between a tire and the ground.

Rankel was taken to a Marshfield hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 3:12 a.m.

According to investigating officers’ reports, Rankel had lost control of his vehicle on a town road. William Stuart, a friend of Rankel, saw the car in the ditch and stopped to give assistance realizing that a wrecker would be needed.

Rankel reportedly then got a ride back to his farm home and borrowed his father’s tractor for the removal of the car from the ditch. As Rankel was backing the tractor off the roadway, the tractor rolled, pinning Rankel. Time of the accident was placed at approximately 2:45 a.m.