Surnames: Phillips, Fritz, Kiviko, Bakke

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 05/08/1947

Phillips, Billy (4 OCT 1922 - 3 MAY 1947)

Residents of this community were shocked Sunday when they learned that on Saturday Lt. Billy Phillips, fighter pilot in the United States Marines, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Phillips, Curtiss (Clark Co., Wis.), had lost his life in a plane crash. Billy was flying in a squadron formation near Denver, Colo., when an apparent motor failure in his single placed fighter ship caused his crash. His remains were shipped to Owen, arriving here this morning, accompanied by a close friend, Lt. Thomas May, as the military honorary escort.

Lt. Phillips was known to all of his friends in this community as Billy. He was born on Oct. 4, 1922 at Curtiss and had spent all of his life in the community and attended the Owen and Curtiss schools. He graduated from the Owen High School with the class of 1940. While in high school he earned himself the reputation of a fine student, earning high scholastic attainments and excelled in sporting events, majoring in football. After his graduation from high school he continued his studying by attending college and then enlisted in the services during the war, with the United States Marines. Billy received his wings on Oct. 19, 1943, and was then transferred to Pensacola, Florida from Atlanta, Georgia, where he served as an instructor.

Mourning Billy’s untimely death are his wife and 10 month old son, Billy, Jr., his parents, three sisters, Mrs. Lorraine (Mary) Fritz, Owen, Mrs. Ed (Elizabeth) Kiviko, Mrs. Arnold (Jean) Bakke, Curtiss, and a brother, Albert Jr., Thorp.

Friends and relatives will pay their final respect to him tomorrow when funeral services will be conducted at two o’clock from the Congregational Church at Curtiss, with Rev. C. S. Matthews, Owen, conducting the service. Interment will be made at Riverside Cemetery, where the American Legion Post of Owen will conduct a military service.

Pallbearers will be all ex-servicemen and close friends of Billy, Clark Nisson, Arthur Petersen, Ray Durbin, Kenneth Herrick, Lt. Hubert Glenzer, of the United State Navy, and Lt. Thomas May of the United States Marines.