Obit: Borgenheimer, Walter Esra (1901 - 1938)

Contact: Janet

Surnames: Boettcher, Borgenheimer, Nelson, Anderson, West, Ton, Levin, McKay, Stevenson, Anderson, Croonquist, Marley, Noe, Smith, Olson, Gardner, Powell, Berg

----Source: Montana Standard January 12, 1938

Walter Esra Borgenheimer

Victim's Body Expected Here

Killed in Crash, Walter E. Borgenheimer Will Arrive Today.

The body of Walter E. Borgenheimer, Basin contractor, who died Monday night In the crash of a Northwest Airliner near Bowman, will arrive today from Bozeman and will be taken to White's mortuary. It is not known when or where funeral services will be held, but presumably he services will be at Basin.

Mr. Borgenheimer was enroute to Chippewa Fall's, Wis., to see his aged mother, who was reported dying. Shortly after news of the crash reached Butte an erroneous report gained circulation that his mother had died at about the same time that her son was killed. Word last night from Chippewa Falls was to the effect that the aged woman was still alive, although in serious condition. Members of her family are at her bedside.

When the Basin man came to Butte Monday, anxious to board a plane for the East, he was told that all available space on the ship had been taken. A short time later some one cancelled a reservation and Mr. Borgenheimer received a call from the airport to that effect, He left at once, accompanied by his wife, for the airfield, Within an hour he was dead. He is survived by his wife and four-month-old daughter.

----Source: Montana Standard January 11, 1938

Queer Quirk of Fate Cost Man's Life Walter E. Borgenheimer Got Passage on Ill-Fated Plane When Other Reservation Was Cancelled Waller E. Borgenheimer, Basin contractor, rode to his death on Ihe Northwest Airliner through a queer quirk of fate, it was learned last night. Summoned to the bedside of his 82-year-old mother, who lay near death in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Borgenheimer came to Butte and made arrangements for air passage eastward.

There were no vacancies on the early afternoon airliner and the contractor went to the home of his brother-in-law, George Howard, 66 West Aluminum street, to await a later plane.

While he was at the Howard home airline officials called him. There was a vacancy on the early plane, they said. Some one had decided not to go, he was told. So Borgenheimer, accompanied by his wife, went to the airport. In perhaps an hour his body lay in the smoking wreckage of the giant plane.

A little while later Mrs. Borgenheimer was handed a telegram advising of the death of her husband's mother In Chippewa Falls. Borgenheimer's wife, the former Eve LaTour, and a four-month old daughter survive him In Basin. In Wisconsin there are several brothers and sisters.

Borgenheimer was well known in Bntle, Basin and surrounding towns. Recently he had completed a paving job in Anaconda. He came here several years ago from Chippewa Falls.

ILL-FATED PLANE, FOUR VICTIMS
LATEST TYPE AIRLINER

----Source: Kalispell Daily Inter Lake January 13,  1938

All Victims of State Air Crash Are Identified

Gallatin County Coroner Testifies at Inquest That All Met Death Instantly — Bodies Are Released to Relatives

Bozeman, Mont., Jan. 13.— (AP)—The burned, broken bodies of 10 men killed Monday when a Northwest Airlines plane crashed into the Bridger mountains were released today to relatives, following conclusion of a coroner's investigation. A coroner's jury announced after an inquest last night the 10 persons "came to their deaths* * *as a result of injuries received when a Lockheed 14 H-type airplane crashed to earth approximately 17 miles northeast of Bozeman."  Two stopped watches, one found on a body and the other in the wreckage, placed the time of the crash at 3:07 p. m.

Evidence submitted at the inquest by witnesses of the disaster will be available for study by a Commerce department investigating board when it meets here Tuesday to inquire into the causes of the crash.

Coroner Howard Nelson testified at the inquest the eight passengers and two crew members were killed instantly.

"All the safety belts were snapped, apparently by the terrific impact when the plane struck, and in my opinion every one of the ten were dead before the plane burst into flames," Nelson, state.

All Bodies Identified.

Identification of all bodies through various article found in what remained of the victims' clothing was announced last night by Nelson 24 hours after the bodies were brought by bobsled and truck from the crash scene.

The coroner said all the bodies were horribly burned except that of the pilot, Nick Manner of Spokane, Wash. His body was identified through a Social Security card found in a wallet and cherons on a uniform sleeve.

The body of George A. Anderson, Spokane, was identified through the victim's habit of carrying reserve currency in his watch pocket. Carefully folded currency was found in a watch pocket on the body.

Nelson said the means of identifying the others were:

Co-Pilot Frederick W. West, Jr., Spokane, uniform coat buttons.

Walter R. Ton, St. Paul, lodge cards.  

Walter K. Borgenheimer, Basin, Montana, diamond ring.

Lloyd Levin, Detroit, fragments of clothing.

D. McKay, Winnipeg, Canada, braided leather thong on watch.

I. E. Stevenson, Seattle, hotel identification tag.

Ted Anderson, St. Paul, key ring name tag.

Al Croonquist, Billings, Mont., charred portion of hand-tooled leather belt recently given to him by friends.

Persons testifying at the inquest in addition to the coroner Included Deputy Sheriff T. H. Marley; J. C. Noe, airways mechanician for the Bureau of Air Commerce, Helena, Mont.; R. L. Smith, of Minneapolis, MN and Albert F. Olson of Seattle, Northwest Airlines pilots; George Gardner of Spokane, western division superintendent for the airline, and Dave Powell of Detroit, who was visiting at a ranch Bozeman.

----Source: Daily Telegram September 12, 1963

Visiting Nurse Is Friend, Confidant and Morale Builder, to Shut-in Patients

OLD FRIENDS -- Mrs. Ethel Borgenheimer prepares to administer a hypo to Mrs. Anna C. Berg, 1014 East Grand Avenue on her daily visit with the Scandinavian wido who is in her 70's. Mrs. Berg has received daily care from the Visting Nurse Association for the past nine years and welcomes the nurses with a friendly cup of coffee if they have time to pause. Mrs. Borgenheimer, a widow with one son, has been on the V.N.A., staff as a full time R. N. for 18 years. She covers the East and North sides, averaging 8 to 10 calls per day.

Social Security Records

Ethel Borgenheimer
Birth Date: 30 March 1907
Social Security Number: 399-22-5867
State: Wisconsin
Last Place of Residence: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Previous Residence Postal Code: 54703
Event Date: 2 November 2000
Age: 93

Montana Death Records

Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941

Walter E Borgenheimer
Cemetery Stone
Date: 10 Jan 1938
Event Place: Butte, Montana 

Wisconsin Birth Records

Walter Esra Borgenheimer
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 25 Sep 1901
Birthplace: La Fayette, Chippewa, Wisconsin
Race: White
Father's Name: George Borgenheimer
Father's Birthplace: Bayern, Germany
Mother's Name: Anna M. Boettcher
Mother's Birthplace: Preuszen, Germany
Record Number: 002559

Bio: Anne, Borgenheimer (1937)

Montana Birth Records

----Source: Montana Butte Standard March 24, 1937

GIRL IS BORN—Mr. and Mrs. Walter Borgenheimer of Basin are parents of a daughter (Anne), born at Murray hospital yesterday.

1920 Federal Census, Chippewa Falls Ward 9, Chippewa, Wisconsin, United States, District: 66, Household 160, Line 99

George Borgenheimer, white divorced male (father of Walter Esra Borgenheimer)
Gender: Male
Age: 70 (1849 - 1850)
Can Read and Write
Birthplace: Germany
Immigration Year: 1884
Father's Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Birthplace: Germany

1940 Federal Census, Basin, School District 5 Basin, Jefferson, Montana, United States, District: 22-4, Family 24, Line 69

Eva Borgenheimer, white widowed female
Last Place of Residence: Same House

Household Members
Head Eva Borgenheimer F 37 Montana
Daughter Ann Borgenheimer F 3 Montana