Obit: Gutowski, Jean C. (? - 1968)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Gutowski, Schultze, Bertz, Schock, Higgins, Okray, Patey, Lulloff

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 8/15/1968

Gutowski, Jean C. (? - 12 August 1968)

A bride of three months, Mrs. Leonard (Jean) Gutowski, 23, of Rt. 2 Thorp, was killed about 6:40 a.m. Monday when her car crashed into the side of a Soo Line freight engine at the Sterling crossing, about four miles east of Thorp.

Mrs. Gutowski, the former Jean C. Schultze of rural Stanley, was thrown about 20 feet from her car, which was twirled completely around and came to a rest in the deep ditch, 20 yards west of the crossing. The car engine was torn from the car and was thrown onto the edge of a cornfield, about 20 yards from where the car came to rest.

Sheriff David R. Bertz and other Clark County officers were puzzled over the cause of the accident, for which they could find no reason. Mrs. Gutowski was enroute to her work at the Stanley Corporation from her farm home, about a mile north of the intersection. Vision of the railroad tracks to the east was unimpaired; and the engineer and firemen both maintained in statements taken by Officer Frank Sarafin of Thorp that the headlights of the diesel were flashing and the horn was blowing.

Sarafin noted as the wrecked car stood in the ditch that the windows were fogged, and expressed the belief that this might have contributed to the accident.

Engineer was R. C. Schock of Whiting; fireman, Myron Higgins of Stevens Point; and conductor, Chester Okray, also of Stevens Point.

The Gutowski car hit the second unit of the freight, according to the statement of Fireman Higgins.

Tire skid marks extended on the gravel roadway from a point about 20 yards north of the intersection.

Assisting in the investigation were Deputy Dan Patey and Coroner Robert Lulloff, both of Neillsville.