Obit: Wirkuty, Antonette Jane “Toni” (1952 - 1971)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
 
Surnames: Wirkuty, Freezy, Lueck, Blood, Kanieski, Jensen, Ziller, Barber, Bean, Stevens, Nielsen Kauffman, Hagen, Hart, Wagner, Mickelson

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 5/06/1971

Wirkuty, Antonette Jane “Toni” (28 December 1952 - 27 April 1971)

Funeral services for Antonette Jane “Toni” Wirkuty, 18, of Harrisburg, Ore., who died April 27, in a Springfield, Ore. Hospital, of aplastic anemia reportedly caused by exposure to pesticide sprays, were held Monday, May 3, at 1:30 p.m. from the Georgas Funeral Home here. The Rev. Conrad Mickelson of Loyal officiated and burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Antonette Wirkuty, the daughter of Walter and Maureen (Freezy) Wirkuty, was born December 28, 1952, in Neillsville. She attended the first and second grades in school here then moved to Harrisburg, Ore., with her family. She was a member of the Harrisburg High School class of 1971 and had been a homecoming queen, a rally girl, an athlete, and a prize-winning 4-H cattle exhibitor.

It is believed that the livestock activity led to Toni’s death, which was caused by aplastic anemia, a disease which crippled her blood producing system. It is an unusual but not a rare disease which impairs the body’s production of blood platelets. It is not leukemia, but is a serious form o anemia which does at times prove fatal. Cure of stabilization often depends upon the body’s ability to regain all or part of its blood producing capacity and ward off the effects of the chemicals.

Copyrighted stories in the Eugene (Ore.) “Register-Guard,” accredit the anemia to exposure to chemical sprays which Toni and other animal exhibitors used on 4-H display cattle. Doctors said she developed a susceptibility to pesticide sprays used on the animals.

The treatment, weekly transfusions, was expensive. In addition, Toni’s blood was a moderately rare O-negative type, found in about 6 percent of the population. She was expected to need up to eight pints per week until her condition was stabilized or a cure was attained.

A news story in the April 26 “Register-Guard”, the day before the teenager collapsed with a sudden brain hemorrhage, told of Toni’s battle with the disease and the appeal of the Lane Memorial Blood Bank administrator for a corps of volunteer donors to be available for the duration of her illness.

The response was tremendous; the Blood Bank opened early Tuesday to handle calls; walk-in donors flooded the office throughout the day and at one point were standing in a line that spilled onto the parking lot outside the building.

The Wirkuty family had a similar experience and was still receiving calls Wednesday from potential donors who were unaware of Toni’s death.

Toni developed severe heads pains early Tuesday morning, April 27. She collapsed and her parents took her to the hospital. She never fully regained consciousness. “The complication that we had been afraid of happened,” said Dr. John hart, Toni’s physician. He explained that Toni’s anemia, which decimated her blood’s platelet count, made hemorrhages likely at any time. The platelets are the body’s first line of defense in forming clots to stop internal bleeding, he said.

Toni’s illness began last fall, with increasing weakness and loss of physical stamina as the primary symptoms. By late October she was unable to walk a city block without her legs buckling. Transfusions and other treatments since January had restored much of Toni’s strength and made it possible for her to return to school. She filled a post as a school rally girl with the aid of other cheerleaders, who redesigned their yells that she could participate with minimum exertion.

The doctor said that the sprays which caused her disease are not normally dangerous for humans. But occasionally, for unexplained reason, some persons develop susceptibility which permits the chemical ingredients to affect the blood system.

According to the “Register-Guard” story, Dr. Hart said that prime suspects among the pesticides which could have caused the problem are lindane and toxophene.

The chemicals are chlorinated hydrocarbons with an ability to remain toxic for long periods of time. Both are ranked as “least dangerous” in the Oregon Control Handbook but special caution against exposure to skin and eyes is urged. Neither is now recommended for use on farm animals in Oregon, although toxophene was until this year. Both are knows to be use to control flies and lice on show animals at fairs and livestock events.

(According to Vic Wagner, Clark County farm management agent, use of the chlorinated hydrocarbons including lindane and toxophene is restricted in Wisconsin. They are used in extremely small amounts primarily as a seed treatment; about an ounce is sufficient to treat a bushel of seeds. Lindane, however, can also be used for mange control on hogs.)

Toni’s death stunned her classmates at Harrisburg High School, where a quiet memorial ceremony attended by the entire student body was held in a packed hallway last Wednesday morning.

“She knew full well what the score was all the time, but she didn’t like to have people fussing over her,” said one of Toni’s teachers. “She had all the spunk in the world.”

Survivors in addition to her parents, include her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Wirkuty of rural Granton and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lueck of Marshfield; and two brothers, Juston and Douglas Wirkuty, both at home.

Pallbearers were: Alvin, Harold and Leland Wirkuty, Henry L. Blood, Wilbur H. Blood, and Edward F. Kanieski.

Those from out-of-town who attended the services included Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wirkuty and sons, Juston and Douglas of Harrisburg, Ore.; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lueck, Lynie Lueck, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Freezy, Bradley Lueck, Walter Lueck, Jr., and Mrs. Mildred Kanieski, all of Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Leland Wirkuty and family of Racine; Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Wirkuty and Mrs. and Mrs. Harold Wirkuty of Waukesha; Mr. and Mrs. Al Jensen and Mr. and Mrs. Roger Ziller of Huntley, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Barber of Hinsdale, Ill.; Allen Freezy and Miss Del Bean of Elgin, Ill.; Dennis Freezy of Eau Claire; Mr. and Mrs. Ross Stevens of Spencer; Mrs. George Niesen and Glenn Nielsen of Pittsville; Mr. and Mrs. Everett Kauffman of Chili; and Theodore Hagen of Ontonagon, Mich.