Obit: Mitchell, Kenneth (1935 - 1955)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Mitchell, Thompson, Gohembieski, Pickera, Vorpagel, Klperich

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 05/12/1955

Mitchell, Kenneth (29 JAN 1935 - 8 MAY 1955)

Wisconsin’s worst traffic accident of 1955 killed five young people Sunday in a head on collision of two cars on a curve of Highway 50, three miles east of Lake Geneva.

Walworth County sheriff’s department said there were no witnesses to the auto crash but that at least one of the vehicles must have been traveling at a high rate of speed. 

All four occupants of one auto were killed and there was only one survivor from the other car.

The dead were identified as Carl G. Gohembieski, 24, of Waukegan, Ill., who died at a hospital Monday and Kenneth Mitchell, 20, of Withee (Clark Co., Wis.); Charles Thompson, 20, and Jerome Pickera, 19, both of Hurly, and Robert Vorpagel, 16, of Springfield, Ill.

The only survivor, Edward Schenk, 17, Lake Geneva, was in critical condition at an Elkhorn hospital.  The seriff’s office said Schenk was a passenger with Vorpagel while the other four victims were in a car driven by Pickera.

Kenneth Mitchell was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Mitchell, who live south of Withee.  For the past three years he was employed at the Johnson Outborad Motor Factory at Waukegan.

A brother, Norman, who lives at home, said the family was informed of Kenneth’s death shortly after 11 o’clock Sunday night by Emil Hansen, Withee storekeeper, who was contacted by the sheriff at Elkhorn

Kenneth was born at Withee Jan. 29. 1935 and was graduated in 1953 from Withee High School, where he was co-captain of the football team during his senior year.  Survivors, besides his parents are three brothers, Norman, Maynard and Sydney, all at home, his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Barbara Klaperich, living near Cadott, and his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Susan Mitchell, Stanley.