Obit: Steiner, Vera (1906 - 1957)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: Steiner, Firnstahl, Stencil, Lambert, Pinion, Dohm, Miller, Thompson, Holtzhausen, Neuhaus, King, Klieforth, Steffen, Schoenfuss, Neitzel, Lamont, Becherer, Foster, Meyer, Chitwood, Beil, Ross, McKenzie, Keith, Hoard, Brown, Dyer, Hendricks, Gosby 
 

----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) 08/29/1957 
 

Steiner, Vera (29 Mar. 1906 - 24 Aug. 1957) 
 

Mrs. Louis Steiner, 51, Abbotsford and her daughter, Mrs. Emmanuel Firnstahl, 26, Route 1, Colby, and Mrs. Firnstahl’s two-year-old daughter, Kathleen, were killed in a two-car traffic collision at 4:05 Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Highway 97 and County Trunk N. 
 

Emmanuel, Jr., four-year-old son of the Firnstahl’s, a passenger in the Firnstahl car, and Duane J. Stencil, 18, Edgar, driver of the other car, both were taken to St. Mary’s hospital, Wausau. The little boy was reported as suffering only minor injuries and Mr. Stencil reportedly suffered skull injuries and facial and body bruises, but retained consciousness. 
 

Marathon county highway police said the Steiner car, traveling west, which was struck broadside by the Stencil car, going north on Highway 97, was pushed 64 feet, rolling across the ditch and into a field. The four occupants were thrown to the road. It is believed that Mrs. Firnstahl and her daughter were killed instantly. Mrs. Steiner, removed by ambulance to St. Mary’s hospital, was pronounced dead upon arrival. 
 

Mr. Stencil also was thrown from his car, which traveled about 35 feet and plunged into the ditch, after the crash. Police quoted him as saying he did not see the Steiner car until it entered the intersection. County Trunk N is the detour for Highway 29, now under construction, and is flanked on both sides by arterial stops. Highway 97 is the through route from Stratford going north. 
 

Marathon county Coroner Herbert Lambert said he intended to order an inquest. 
 

The bodies lay in state at the Zink Funeral Home where a rosary service, Monday evening, was conducted by the Rev. John Pinion, of St. Mary’s Catholic church, Colby, at 8:00 o’clock. A single requiem high mass was held in the Colby church at 9:30 Tuesday morning, after which internment was made. The bodies of Mrs. Firnstahl and her daughter were buried in the Colby cemetery and that of Mrs. Steiner was brought to Abbotsford. 
 

An angel high mass for little Kathy was sung at St. Mary’s church, Wednesday morning at 8:15. 
 

Pallbearers for Mrs. Steiner were Vera Dohm, John Miller, Ray Thompson, Al Holtzhausen, Herb Neuhaus, and Tony King. 
 

Pallbearers for Mrs. Firnstahl were Irve Klieforth, Bill Steffen, Frank Schoenfuss, Dick Schoenfuss, Bill Neitzel and Angus Lamont. 
 

David Becherer, Dick Foster, James and Charles Meyer were pallbearers for Kathleen. 
 

Mrs. Steiner was born Vera Chitwood on March 29, 1906, at Boscobel. She was educated at Miles City, Mont., where her marriage to Frank Beil took place in 1929. After their marriage they came to Abbotsford where they were engaged in the mercantile business. 
 

Mr. Beil lost his life in a traffic accident in 1941. 
 

Her second marriage took place at St. Bernard’s Catholic church, Abbotsford, June 4, 1946, to Louis Steiner, who survives her. They made their home in Abbotsford. 
 

Also surviving are her three children of her first marriage: Mrs. Keith (Patricia) Ross, of Ekalaka, Mont.; William and Benjamin, both of Billerica, Mass.; seven grand children and a sister, Mrs. Harry McKenzie, Fargo, N. Dak. 
 

Mrs. Steiner was a member of the Royal Neighbor Camp 3908, of Abbotsford. 
 

Mrs. Firnstahl, the former Genevieve Beil, was born at Abbotsford Jan. 21, 1931. She attended the Abbotsford schools and was graduated here from high school. Her marriage to Emmanuel Firnstahl took place at St. Bernard’s Catholic church, Abbotsford, Aug. 21, 1948. 
 

She is survived by her husband and three children: Connie 7, Mary Chris 6, and Emmanuel, Jr., 4, besides her sister and two brothers. Kathleen, who died in the crash, would have been two years old on Aug. 29. 
 

Many relatives and friends attended the last rites for the three victims. Among the close relatives here were Mr. and Mrs. Ross Keith, Ekalaka, Mont.; William and Benjamin Beil, Billerica, Mass.; Mr. and Mrs. Harry McKenzie, Fargo, N. Dak.; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hoard and family, Mosinee; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Brown, Miss Ruth Chitwood and Miss Martha Dyer, Boscobel; Mrs. Louise Hendricks and family, Milwaukee; Mrs. Ann Gosby and family, Medford; and John Steiner, Duluth, Minn.