Obit: Dearth, Lonnie Frank (1943 – 1958)
Contact: Stan

Surnames: Dearth, Wanish, Schaller, Abel, Langseth, Edblom, Feit, Stark, Wenzel, Luther, Messer, Johnson, Matson, Herzberg, Neilsen, Tauchen, Henry, Olson, Dallman, Felker, Egnoski, Alexander, Bombard, Mellenthin, Cramer, Oelrich, Bruesewitz, Korth, Ziemer

Source: Marathon County Register (Unity, Clark County, Wis.) Friday 10/17/1958

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

The entire community was deeply shocked early Monday evening to hear of the tragic accident which took the life of Lonnie Dearth, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dearth of this village.

Lonnie and a companion, Dan Abel were delivering newspapers at the north village limits near the Ed Feit home when the bicycle Lonnie was riding was struck by a car driven by Vernon Wanish, 21, a teacher in the Abbotsford School, who makes his home here with and uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Schaller.

Wanish told authorities he saw the Abel boy but did not see Lonnie until he had struck the bike. Lonnie died almost instantly of a broken neck.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. Robert Langseth officiating. Burial was made in the church cemetery. Prior to the service the body reposed at the Lulloff Funeral Home in Colby.

Lonnie was born at Owen April 5, 1943, and was 3 years of age when his parents moved here. He attended Unity elementary school and was a sophomore at the Colby High School at the time of his death. He was active in football and basketball at school.

He was a member of the Luther League of Trinity Lutheran Church and was a substitute paper boy the past year.

Surviving Lonnie are his parents, one sister, Betty, 7, a third grade student here; his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Edblom, Unity, and his paternal grandmother, Mrs. J. A. Dearth of Owen.

The father is employed at the Colby Milling Co., Colby.

Source: Marathon County Register (Unity, Clark County, Wis.) Friday 10/24/1958

Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon in Trinity Lutheran Church for Lonnie Frank Dearth, 15, who was killed in an auto accident last Monday. The Rev. Robert Langseth officiated and burial was made in the church cemetery.

Pallbearers were Robert Stark, Kenneth Dearth, Donald Dearth, Norman Dearth, Vernon Wenzel and Steve Luther.

Helen Dearth, Mrs. Vernon Wenzel, Edna Dearth, Beverly Dearth, Coline Edblom and Carol Edblom were in charge of the flowers.

The Trinity Lutheran choir sang “Beyond The Sunset” and “Children of the Heavenly Father” accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Ansel Messer.

Out-of-town people attending the funeral were Mrs. J. A. Dearth, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dearth, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Dearth and family, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Matson and Frieda, Mrs. Mary Herzberg, Owen; Mr. and Mrs. Neils Neilsen and family, Davis, Ill.; Mrs. Russell Dearth and family, Prentice; Mr. and Mrs. Martin Tauchen, Dorchester; Mrs. Beda Henry, Minneapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Olson and son, Thorp; Mrs. Victor Dallman, Colby; Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Felker, Mr. and Mrs. George Egnoski, Oshkosh; Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Alexander, Owen; Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Bombard, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Mellenthin, Mrs. Lizzie Cramer, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Oelrich, Mrs. Delmar Bruesewitz, Spencer; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Korth, Marshfield; Mrs. Ida Johnson, Stetsonville; Mrs. Herman Ziemer, Medford; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Dearth, Greenwood; Norman Dearth, Menomonie.

Source: Marathon County Register (Unity, Clark County, Wis.) Friday 01/01/1959

A beautiful lighted cross has been erected on the steeple of Trinity Lutheran Church in memory of Lonnie Dearth who was killed recently in an accident.