Obit: Englebretson, Ronald #3 (1941 - 1960)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Englebretson, Lulloff, Lindahl, Hamm

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 07/21/1960

Englebretson, Ronald #3 (1941 - 17 JUL 1960)

Ronald Englebretson, Owen (Clark Co., Wis.), drowned in Chapman Lake at Stanley Sunday night 10 minutes after the beach closed and the lifeguard left.

Four Owen youths were swimming at the beach when Jack Ragatz, lifeguard, went off duty.  He said he called them into safe water and repeated that 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 Englebretson decided he would too.  About halfway 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 nofitifed.  Ragatz was assisted in the search for the body by Bill Thorp, Orville Peterson, and George Chamberlin, a skin dive visiting, here Chamberlin recovered the boy in about 12 feet of water.  Englebretson was taken to the hospital at Stanley and pronounced dead and then taken to a funeral home in Greenwood.

The youth was the son of Mr.a nd Mrs. William Englebretson, route ?, Owen.

Besides his parents, the youth is survived by two brothers, Gary and Bruce, and two sisters, Nancy and Gayle.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. from Hill Funeral Home at Greenwood.