Obit: Hamm, Rose (1887? - 1961)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Hamm, Calhoun, Ramminger

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 11/09/1961

Hamm, Rose (1887? - 8 NOV 1961)

A car-truck crash at the Intersection Highway 29 and Country Trunk E., at what is commonly known as the Curtiss Corners, claimed the life of one person and hospitalized another early yesterday afternoon.

The death of Mrs. George (Rose) Hamm Sr., 74 years, route 2, Owen (Clark Co., Wis.), is the sixth recorded in Clark County this year.

Officer Richard Needham of the Clark County traffic department said the accident occurred at 2:50 p.m.

Mrs. George "Brownie" Hamm was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield, in the City of Owen ambulance.  Dr. John Peden, Owen, was at the scene and said that she was pinned in the car and that his emergency examination showed that she was suffering from chest injuries.

Mrs. Hamm’s death was attributed to multiple body and leg injuries.  She was pinned in the back seat of the car.

The driver of the car, George "Brownie" Hamm, apparently escaped any serious injury and moments later left the scene of the accident, going to Marshfield to check on the condition of his wife.

Driver of the truck was James Calhoun, 19, of Brantwood, Wis.  He too, escaped injury.

Calhoun is an employee of Heikkinen Brothers, Prentice, who have the base course contract on the new roadway being built parallel to Highway 29.  He was driving a heavy duty gravel truck at the time of the crash.

In the report of the accident, as given to officer Needham and relayed by him to the Owen Enterprise, Calhoun was approaching the intersection from the east.  He said, the other car came from the west and when about 25 - 30 feet from him turned on his signal lights and made a left turn toward Curtiss.  I slammed on my brakes and skidded into the right side of the car."

Calhoun’s testimony was attested to by James W. Buss of Abbotsford.  Buss, an employee of Laabs Cheese, Curtiss, was enroute home and had stopped at the arterial at the intersection.  He saw the accident coming and quickly put his car in reverse and even then the front end of it received a slight bang by the skidding impact of Hamm’s car when it was struck by the truck.

Investigators at the scene were county traffic officers Richard Needham and David Bertz, Sheriff Ray Kutsche, County Coroner Robert Lulloff and District Attorney Everett Gorsegner.

Friends wishing to learn of particulars pertaining to funeral services for Mrs. Hamm may call the Hoeper and Kraut Funeral Home, Owen, where the body was taken.

Surviving the death of Mrs. Hamm are two children, a son, George "Brownie" Hamm of Owen, and Mrs. Henry Ramminger of Dorchester.