Obit: Smoke, Phyliss Marie (? - 1955)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Smoke, Pettibone, Stucki 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) September 29, 1955 
 

Smoke, Phyllis Marie (? - September 1955) 
 

Phyllis Smoke is killed instantly - Thrown to pavement in Night Drive - Had worked at Indian School, was to return— 
 

Phyliss Marie Smoke, once a pupil at the Indian school and later a governess there, was interred last Friday in the Indian Cemetery at Tomah.  She had been killed instantly in a car crash south of Portage. Her brother-in-law, driver of the car, was taken first to the hospital and was then placed under arrest. 
 

The accident happened at 3 o’clock in the morning. The story as understood here is that the Pettibone car was rounding a curve, and that upon that curve two trucks tried to pass at the same time. Leslie Pettibone, according to this version, took to the ditch and then tried to pull upon the pavement again; But his car, reaching the pavement, overturned, throwing Miss Smoke violently upon the concrete.  She was killed instantly.  As to the accuracy of this version of the accident the police are evidently upon inquiry. 
 

Miss Smoke and her brother-in-law had gone in the early evening from Madison to Portage. Their purpose was to visit in the hospital Mrs. Pettibone, Miss Smoke’s sister and Leslie Pettibone’s wife. She was there with a new baby.  After the hospital visit, they had called on relatives, which delayed their return. 
 

Miss Smoke was a member of a superior Indian family, one of the members of which has held the post as master of ceremonies at the Indian Ceremonial of Standing Rock, Wisconsin Dells.  She was a graduate of the high school at Black River Falls and had taken a course at Mission House. Just prior to her death she was employed in the state motor vehicle department.  Arrangements were in the making for her return to the staff of the Indian school here.  Four members of the school staff attended the funeral, led by the superintendent, the Rev. Ben Stucki.