Surnames: Lentz, Hotchkiss, Gehrke, McVey, Piotowski

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark Co., Wis.) 02/26/1942

Lentz, Jacob (1878? - 24 FEB 1942)

Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. Wesley Hotchkiss at two p.m., Saturday, Feb. 28, from the Griebenow funeral parlors, for Jacob Lentz, 64, who was the victim of suicide, hanging himself last Tuesday night. Interment will be made in the Riverside cemetery.

Lentz was found in the woods one-half mile from the Julius Gehrke farm in Taylor county by searchers who had gone out looking for him when he failed to show up at his home late in the evening.

Lentz and his son, Sidmund, had been together throughout the day until late in the afternoon when the son returned to the farm to do chores.

About five o’clock in the late afternoon Lentz appeared at the farm of Julius Gehrke and after visiting for several minutes asked if he could borrow a piece of rope to lead a heifer home that his son had purchased from Mac McVey, a neighboring farmer. Mr. Gehrke obliged by giving him a seven-eighths inch hay rope and he departed.

It was not until some time later, when Mr. Gehrke was on an errand, that he stopped at the Lentz farm to get some water for his car, when the son asked if his father was with him. Gehrke told of his father’s visit and his request for a rope to lead a heifer.

The son told Gehrke that he had not purchased a heifer and that his father had no need for a rope, which caused considerable alarm and a search was planned.

By this time it was late at night, but the search was started from the Gehrke farm. Shortly after midnight Lentz was spotted hanging from a tree by Jack Piotrowski, a neighboring farmer who was with Gehrke.

The coroner of Taylor county was notified and verdict was death by suicide.