Obit: Laack, Gilbert (1906 - 1942)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: Laack, Van Dreel, Stahler, Pribnow, Mathewson, Stock, Tennis, Mandel, Binning, Lindau, Hoffman, Brandt, Yanke, Hinke, Beisner, Hrunek, Hoeft, Gosse, Heise, Cota, Steffen, Pelter, Beahr, Dake, Lemke, Matz, Thies, Leichtnam, Goldamer, Daelenbach

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 10/22/1942

Laack, Gilbert (5 Mar. 1906 - 15 Oct. 1942)

Gilbert Laack, age 36, who moved onto the Van Dreel farm near Cherokee in the town of Hull, Wis., several weeks ago, was instantly killed last Thursday evening at about 7:00 o’clock when the automobile he was driving east on Highway 29, struck the south abutment of a large concrete culvert three miles west of Abbotsford, Wis. His neck, jaw and several teeth were broken.

After striking the culvert, the car swung across the highway into the line of traffic just as John Pribnow of Loyal approached from the west and collided with it. Pribnow suffered injuries to his chest and was taken to Colby for medical attention.

L. G. Stahler of Medford was traveling west on the highway and approached the scene just in time to see Pribnow’s car collide with the Laack coach. According to Stahler, Laack’s body had been hanging out of the open door of the coach just before the second collision. A pool of blood on the pavement designated the spot where the car swung across the road.

Kenneth Mathewson of Owen, a Clark county traffic officer who reached the scene after the dual accident, interviewed Stahler, who said he was a farm security administration supervisor at Medford but was being transferred to another FSA office. According to Stahler, Laack’s body fell out of the car when the Pribnow auto pushed it approximately 25 feet across and beyond the culvert. The Pribnow car ran off the road northeast of the culvert. According to Stahler, Pribnow had not been traveling at a high rate of speed.

In addition to a quantity of potatoes, the car contained some shotgun shells, Clark county officials reported. It was believed that Laack was homeward bound.

According to the Clark county traffic officer and the coroner, Laack was believed to have been killed instantly when his car struck the culvert. Both he and Pribnow were traveling alone in their cars. Laack’s car was a total wreck and Pribnow’s was badly damaged.

The deceased was born in Dorchester on March 5, 1906. He had moved three weeks ago from a farm near Dorchester onto the Van Dreel farm.

Laack is survived by his widow and four children - Daniel, age 9, Lawrence, 8, Galen, 7, and Nancy, 5. Also his mother, Mrs. Gust Laack of Abbotsford, Wis., and one brother and six sisters - Arnold Laack and Mrs. Edward Stock of Abbotsford, Mrs. Melvin Tennis, Mrs. Harry Mandel and Mrs. Floyd Binning of Unity, Mrs. Albert Lindau and Mrs. Max Hoffman of Dorchester, Wis.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Lulloff Funeral Home in Colby, Wis., and at St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran church at Dorchester, Rev. J. J. Brandt officiating, and internment was made in the Dorchester cemetery. Pall bearers were Wm. Yanke, Alfred Hinke, Albert Beisner, Jim Hrunek, Walter Beisner and Gust Yanke. Those in charge of the flowers were Jean Laack, Julaine Mandel, JoAnne Tennis, Pearl Hoeft, Lois Stock, Ila May Hoffman, Evelyn Gosse and Wanita Gosse.

Out of town people who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Heise of Chicago, Mrs. Alvina Cota and Mrs. Gust Steffen of Minneapolis, Mrs. Harry Pelter of Westboro, Charles Laack of Rib Lake, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Beahr and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Dake of Milan, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lemke of Marathon, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Matz and Mrs. Theresa Thies of Wausau, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Beisner of Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Gorman Leichtnam, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Goldamer and Mr. and Mrs. Emil Daelenbach of Abbotsford, Wis.