Obit: Reyer, William (1884 - 1932)

Contact:  Stan

Surnames: REYER ALLMANN ANDRESKI KRUEGER ONCKEN DISTELHORST BLISH

----Sources: COLBY PHONOGRAPH (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 19 May 1932

Reyer, William (1884 - 15 May 1932)

Searchers recovered the body of William Reyer, age forty-seven, of Colby, from the Eau Pleine river at Cherokee Monday morning at eleven o’clock after a hunt since Sunday afternoon.

Mr. William Reyer and brother, Hugo, are associated in business with Arthur Anderson & Company of New York City and had been in Chicago on business. William came to Colby Saturday to spend the week-end fishing, to look over his farm, formerly the Adam Reyer farm, and to spend the week-end with his parents. He left his parents’ home Sunday morning at 5:30 - according to his watch at 6:30, Chicago time, that city having one hour daylight saving time - and went to the home of his brother, Richard, where he secured the latter’s car and went to Cherokee to have breakfast with his brother, Carl, and do a little fishing in the Eau Pleine. As Richard had planned on putting the window screens on the windows that morning and which he had not started as yet, he did not go along. At about 2:30 p.m., Richard thought he would join his brothers at Cherokee and induced Lloyd Allmann to auto him to Cherokee. Arriving at the home of Carl Reyer, Richard naturally inquired about William, and, as Carl had not seen him all day, they began to search for him. The first trace was a Robert Burns cigar band found near the bridge, William’s favorite cigar, and a supply of which he purchased in Colby Saturday. A search was then instigated and nearly 200 persons joined the hunt by late in the evening. No further trace of the man was found all day Sunday and his fishing tackle disappeared from his car, owned by his brother, Richard, in the Cherokee park where it was noticed throughout the day but no one was seen near it.

Marathon county authorities were notified and early Monday morning Joseph Andreski, deputy sheriff, went to the scene to help in the search. After Reyer’s hat and fishing pole were found near the big hole, about three-fourths of a mile upstream, Andreski, with the help of local searchers, employing a grappling hook, pulled the body from the river while dragging the bottom of the river from a boat.

Coroner G. W. Krueger of Wausau was notified and he reached a verdict of "accidental drowning." As a big bump was found on the back of the victim’s head, which, when opened, showed blood clots, it is believed by all who saw the body that the unfortunate man, slipped while casting from a big rock, bumped his head and fell into the river. His eyes and mouth were both closed and it is thought he was unconscious before he hit the water. His watch stopped at 8:08 - which would be 7:08, our time - and, as a watch will stop in less than twenty minutes after it is submerged in water, it is believed the sad accident occurred at about 7:00 a.m. His fishing line was found caught in some weeds so it is also believed that by jerking the line, in an endeavor to free it, he may have lost his balance.

The deceased was born in the town of Hull and was a graduate of the Colby, Wis. High School and University of Wisconsin, He leaves his wife, a twelve year old son in New York City, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Reyer, Colby; six brothers and three sisters: Hugo, New York City; Otis and Edward, Columbus, Ohio; Carl, Cherokee; Richard, Colby; Harold, Madison; Mrs. Henry Oncken, Billingham, Minnesota; Mrs. Fred Distelhorst, Madison; Miss Madeline Reyer, Madison.

Funeral services were held at the M. E. church in Colby Wednesday afternoon, Rev. F. M. Blish officiating, and internment was made in the Colby cemetery. All the brothers acted as pall bearers.