----Source: Scrap Book of Phoebe Jane (Evenson) Purkis, Newspaper not known

========================= ACCIDENT REPORT =========================

MANY HOURS SPENT IN

RECOVERING BODY FROM LAKE __(Unity Correspondent) Relatives and friends of Wally Kops were greatly shocked Saturday evening at receiving word that he had drowned in Prairie Lake near Chetek where he and four companions had gone on a fishing trip Saturday afternoon. The accident ocurred about seven o'clock Saturday evening while he and Alvah Messer were fishing from a boat about one-half mile from shore.T heir other companions, Frank Purkis of Chicago, and his two nephews, Lorain and Floyd Purkis of this village ,who were in another boat,had just pulled in to shore and Mr. Messer, and Mr. Kops were just about to pull for shore when Mr. Messer,who was rowing the boat, saw Mr. Kops fall over the side of the boat and into the water. It happened so suddenly that Mr. Messer was unable to to do anything to save him.He called for help and watched for Mr. Kops to come to the surface again.

Just after word of the accident arrived here, Messers, Frank Bloczynski, Herman Wieland, Martin Evenson and Herb Miller left for there, followed by several other cars, and on Sunday a large number of Unity people were up there. Dragnets were used and an experienced diver employed, but Mr. Kops body was not recoverd until about four o'clock Sunday afternoon, about 15 feet from the place where he fell in.

Mr. Lulloff brought the body to his undertaking parlors at Colby the same evening, and on Tuesday it was brought to the Mads Larson home here in Unity ,where his wife who was formerly Miss Minnie Larson,has been prostrated from the shock of receiving the sad news Saturday night.From(scrap book of Phoebe Jane (Evenson) Purkis

Obit: follows.

============================= OBITUARY =============================

Wallace Hugo Kops, son of Mrs. Herman Kops of Unity ,was born in Unity May 7, 1905, and passed away at Prairie Lake, Chetek, Wis. about 7 o'clock p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 1935, death being due to drowning.

He was rasied here and recieved his education in the Unity Public Schools.

On June 30,1934, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Larson of this village ,who survives him.The marriage took place at Ironwood, Michigan, after which they made tier home on the Kops farm about a mile north of Unity.

Besides his wife he leaves to mourn his untimely demise his mother, Mrs. Herman Kops of this village; four sisters, Mrs.Roy Hudson, Mrs.Elsie Purkis and Mrs.Justus Johnson of Unity, and Mrs.Arthur Kurth of Granton; three brothers, Herman Jr. of Madison Lester of Granton and Norman at home. His father Herman Kops Sr., preceded him in death several years ago, as did also two brothers, Otto Kops, who was killed in the World War and for whom the local Legion Post is name, and Henry Kops who succumbed to an attack of pneumonia in 1925.

Wallace Kops has always lived at Unity with the exception of a couple years spent at Milwakee and Juneau , when attending barber school, and is therefore very well known to most people here and will be greatly missed for a long time.

***Site Administrator's Note:

Wallace Kops was born 7-May-1905 and died 21-Sep-1935. He is buried in the Colby Memorial Cemetery, Clark Co., WI.