Obit: Behnke, Duane (1937 - 1954)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Behnke, Knoop, Aalto, Kapusta, Rozman, Hankey, Tjaden, Butterbrodt, Seehafer, Wagner, Karl, Rossow, Noeldner, Rottjer, Stutte, Bender, Boehnen, Roehl, Bartch, Degenhardt, Uhrig, Bauer, Denk, Pipkorn, Berry, Miller, Bertz

----Source: The Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark Co., WI.) October 21, 1954

Behnke, Duane (7 August 1937 - 15 October 1954)

Duane Behnke, 17, died soon after being admitted to Memorial Hospital Neillsville, Friday afternoon, Oct. 15, having been thrown from his motorcycle on Hwy. K, 1 ½ miles north of Granton.  He apparently lost control of the motorcycle while rounding a curve and was thrown into O’Neill Creek. The accident occurred at about 4:15 p.m.

Arthur Miller and sister of route 1, Granton, discovered the wrecked motorcycle and found the boy lying in the creek.  Arthur pulled him from the water and his sister drove to a nearby farm to telephone for an ambulance.  Head injuries were the apparent cause of his death.

Duane Behnke was born in the Town of Fremont, Clark Co. August 7, 1937.  His first schooling was received at Pine Circle School.  When, 12 years of age he moved with his parents to West Allis where he attended the Horace Mann School. In May, 1953, the family purchased the former Joseph Bertz farm south of Loyal, where they now reside.

Duane is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Behnke, Loyal, route 2, two sisters, Darlene and Velora, and one brother, Kenneth, all at home; and two grandmothers, Mrs. Gertrude Behnke, West Allis, and Mrs. Lettie Knoop, Tyler, Minn.

Funeral services were held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Loyal, with the Rev E. E. Aalto officiating.  The hymns, "Good night and Good Morning" and "The Old Rugged Cross" were sung by Mrs. Romaine Rossow and Mrs. Erwin Noeldner and Miss Margaret Ann Rottjer was organist.  Pallbearers were: Terry Stutte, Roger Bender, Ronald Boehnen, Lowell Roehl, Eldon Hankey, and Fred Bartch, Jr.

The flowers were carried by Nancy Degenhardt, Emily Uhrig, Margaret Bauer, Dianne Denk and Judy Pipkorn.

Classmates of the Loyal High School Sophomore Class and other school friends, with Principal Warner Berry attended rites in a body.

Burial was in the Lutheran Cemetery. Relatives from away who attended the services were: Mrs. Lettie Knoop, Tyler, Minn., Mrs. Gertrude Behnke, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kapusta, Ronald, Verlyn , and Douglas Rozman, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Behnke and daughters, Patricia and Cheryl, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Rozman and son, Jimmy, and Mrs. Lillian Hankey and children, Ernest and Dorothy, all of West Allis; George Tjaden, Hendricks, Minn.; Mrs. Clarence Butterbrodt, Juneau; Mrs. Ed Seehafer, Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. George Wagner and son, Billy, Granton; Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Karl, Neillsville; with many other relatives and friends from Marshfield, Granton, and Neillsville.