Obit: Johnson, Robert L. (? - 1972)

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

Surnames: Johnson, Lulloff, Immerfall, Seidl, Woods, Bertz, Vollrath, McGordan, Ennis, Kolbo, Gundarsgaard, Logue

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/15/1973

Johnson, Robert L. (? - 27 October 1972)

Apparently the victim of a suicide, a 24 year old Greenwood man’s remains were located Monday (12 Nov 1973) morning just north of Neillsville, near the Black River, by sheriff’s department personnel and the Clark County Coroner Robert Lulloff.

The man, Robert L. Johnson, whose address had been listed as Greenwood and California, disappeared on October 27, 1972, from his Greenwood home.

Lulloff stated that Ronald Immerfall, rural Marshfield, had been in the area of the decomposed body on Sunday while scouting for possible deer hunting areas north of Neillsville when he spotted the remains.

Later, Immerfall and his friend pondered the sighting and were unable to determine if the bones were human or animal, according to Lulloff. Late Sunday evening Immerfall contacted a personal friend in Marshfield, Jerry Seidl, a state highway patrolman, and told him of the incident, who then contacted Clark County Sheriff’s Dept. personnel.

The remains were found on the east side of the river, on a stone ledge near the river but above the high water mark, and located just north of the Little Eddy area above Neillsville on the Black River.

Lulloff stated that Immerfall took officers to the approximate area of the body and that he and Tom Woods, an undersheriff, were first to come upon the remains.

A 32 caliber handgun was found beneath the remains, which Lulloff states was a gun belonging to Johnson’s brother and which Johnson had borrowed just prior to his disappearance last year.

Identification of the body was made through a billfold of the victim which was found near the remains.

Lulloff reported that the self-inflicted gun wound had entered the right side of the skull and that Johnson had probably died instantly.

Bloodhounds were used in searching for Johnson last year, according to Sheriff Bertz but no physical leads developed in the case at that time.

The body of Johnson was taken to the Georgas Funeral Home with later transfer to the Hill Funeral Home in Greenwood with services slated for 2:00 p.m. Thursday, and interment in the Greenwood Cemetery, the Rev. David Logue, pastor of the Zion United Church of Christ, officiating.

Surviving are his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Vollrath of Greenwood; his father, Edward Johnson, Alhambra, California; three sisters: Mrs. Gary (Patricia) McGordan of Wausaukee, Mrs. Peter (Connie) Ennis of Oakfield, and Mrs. Gene (Shirley) Kolbo of Eau Claire. Also listed as surviving g relatives are two brothers, Lyle of Sheboygan and Richard of Neillsville; maternal grandmother, Mrs. Vilie Gundarsgaard of River Falls and step grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Vollrath.