Surnames: Garbrecht, Olsen, Preller, Ellingson, Hessel, Koehn, Bauer, Hotvedt

----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) 05/18/1950

Garbrecht, George (29 Jan. 1922 - 12 May 1950)

The body of T/Sgt. George Garbrecht was taken at noon today, from the Zink Funeral Home, down the flag lined Main street of Abbotsford to the armory where it lay in state until 2:00 o’clock when funeral services were held, with the Rev. O. L. Olsen, pastor of New Hope Lutheran church, Portage county, officiating.

Military rites were conducted at the Abbotsford cemetery where internment was made.

Pallbearers were Richard Preller, Richard Ellingson, Lawrence Hessel, Abbotsford; Elmer and Orville Koehn and Al Bauer, Medford, personal friends of the deceased.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Hanson-Terrio Post No. 139, of the American Legion, of which Sgt. Garbrecht was a member.

The many beautiful floral offerings were carried by Mrs. Garbrecht’s troop of Girl Scouts.

Attending the funeral were the recruiting personnel of this area, as Sgt. Garbrecht was recruiting officer at Medford; the American Legion posts of Abbotsford and surrounding communities.

George Garbrecht was born in Abbotsford, Jan. 29, 1922. He received his education in the Abbotsford schools and was graduated from the Abbotsford high school with the class of 1939. On Sept. 24, 1940, he enlisted in the Air Force and has been in that branch of the service since that time. From 1941 to 1943 he was in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

On Aug. 24, 1946, he and Miss Mary Ann Hotvedt, of Nelsonville, were united in marriage at the New Hope Lutheran church, in Portage county. For a short time they made their home in Mt. Clemens, Mich., where he was stationed at Selfridge Field and then at Tucson, Arizona, at Davis Monthan Field.

In July, 1947, he was made recruiting officer with headquarters at Medford. T/Sgt. and Mrs. Garbrecht then made their home in Abbotsford with his mother.

The accident which caused his death occurred Friday afternoon about 5:15 as he was coming home from his work. A combination of the wind and wet black top caused his car to swerve on a curve about a mile south of Medford on Highway 13. The rear end of the car crashed into a telephone pole at which time he sustained severe injuries to his spine. He was taken by ambulance to the Medford Clinic and on Sunday morning was taken to St. Mary’s hospital, Wausau, for surgery in the afternoon, but death occurred about 12:30.

Surviving him are his widow, his mother, Mrs. William Garbrecht and three brothers, Major Harvey Garbrecht, Elgin Air Force Base, Florida; Arthur, Nasonville; and Fred, Abbotsford, Wis.

His father, William Garbrecht, preceded him in death in August, 1935.