Obit: Englebretson, Ronald William #2 (? - 1960)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Englebretson, Ragatz, Lulloff, Lindahl, Hamm, Thorp, Peterson, Chamberlin, Christensen

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 21, 1960

Englebretson, Ronald (? - 17 July 1960)

Funeral services were scheduled here Wednesday afternoon for Ronald William Englebretson, 19, of Rt. 1, Owen, who drowned in Chapman Lake near Stanley Sunday night, 10 minutes after the life guard had gone off duty.

The Rev. Chester Christensen was to officiate, and burial was to be made in the Greenwood Cemetery.  The Hill Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A native of the Town of Eaton, Ronald was swimming with three other young folks from rural Owen.  Jack Ragatz, the lifeguard, told authorities he had called the four into safe water and told them he was going off duty.

Englebretson was with Dennis Lulloff, 17, Sandra Lindahl, 16, and Beverly Hamm, 17.  According to accounts pieced together after the tragedy, Lulloff swam out to the raft and Engelbretson decided he would too.  About half-way out he floundered and called for help.  The girls started up the road to get help and Lulloff swam to Englebretson.  In his efforts to help he was almost pulled under as the other youth panicked, and finally went down.

The girls were picked up by a passing motorist and authorities were notified.  Ragatz was assisted in the search for the body by Bill Thorp, Orville Peterson and George Chamberlin, a skin diver visiting here.  Chamberlin recovered the body in about 12 feet of water, Englebretson was taken to the hospital here and pronounced dead and then taken to a funeral home at Greenwood.

The youth was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Englebretson, Rt. 1, Owen.  Besides his parents, the youth is survived by two brothers, Gary and Bruce and two sisters, Nancy and Gayle.