Bio: Urlaub, Bennie (Home Fire - 1960)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Urlaub

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) January 7, 1960

Urlaub, Bennie (Home Fire - 4 January 1960)

The farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Urlaub and family, located in the Town of York about nine miles northeast of Neillsville, was seriously damaged by fire Monday afternoon.

Cause of the blaze originally was thought to have been a faulty chimney; but a neighbor later said she had seen sparks outside the house in the area where the service entered.  Both chimney and service entrance are in the same general area.

The kitchen and bedroom above were badly damaged by fire; but smoke and water damage also were added in other portions of the brick veneer house.

The Urlaubs discovered the fire when they returned home from Neillsville.  Mrs. Urlaub suffered a  scalded hand when she attempted to throw hot water from a tea kettle onto the blaze in the kitchen.  Mr. Urlaub tried to suppress it with a couple of buckets of water in the upstairs bedroom; but the fire had gained too much start.

Rural fire departments located at both Granton and Neillsville answered the call. Their work was hampered by sub-zero weather.

Neighbors and others who gathered there took furniture from the burning house.  It has been stored with neighbors.  

Mr. and Mrs. Urlaub are staying for the present with his parents, about a half mile away.

The farm is owned by a Chicago man.