Obit: Martens, William Martin (1886 - 1945)

Contact:  Stan

Surnames: MARTENS STRAUB CROELL GARBISCH WESTBERG BLADL TUCHSCHER ALLSOP ANDREW ZINTHEFER

----Sources: Marathon County Register (Unity, Clark Co. Wis.) 02/09/1945

Martens, William Martin (8 Feb. 1886 - 1 Feb. 1945)

A log rolling from a truck and striking William M. Martens, aged 48 years, whose address was route 2, Loyal, resulted in his death last Thursday afternoon, enroute to St. Joseph hospital at Marshfield. The accident took place a half hour earlier in a logging camp in the town of York, about five miles from Mr. Marten’s home, operated by the Kurtzweil, Lang and Niewelny Logging Co. of Edgar. Mr. Martens, who had been employed by the company since Nov. 1, was stooping to get a chain when the log rolled off the truck and crushed the left side of his head, shoulder and chest. Death occurred as he was being taken to Marshfield by Ben Straub, Edgar banker who was at the camp at the time of the accident.

William Martin Martens, who served in the U.S. Army for six months during World War I, was born in Appleton Feb. 8, 1886. When he was about a year and a half of age, he came with his parents to Chili and had resided in that community until he moved to Loyal seven years ago. The Martens family operates a 169-acre farm west of Spokeville. His marriage to Sophie Croell took place June 23, 1919, at St. Stephens Catholic church at Chili. Surviving besides his widow are 11 children, Mrs. Lee (Helen) Garbisch of Chili; Mrs. Erland (Dorothy) Westberg of Colby; William (Sonny) Martens of Colby; and Richard, Jean, Della, Mabel, Hilbert, Ted and Tim, twins, and Judy Martens, all at home. Also surviving are a granddaughter, Joyce Westberg and four sisters, Mrs. John Bladl of Plain, Mrs. John Tuchscher of Marshfield, Mrs. Walter Allsop of London, Ontario, Canada; and Mrs. Peter Andrew of Hilbert.

The Requiem High Mass was held Monday morning at St. Anthony Catholic church in Loyal with Rev. Aloys Zinthefer in charge and burial was made in the parish cemetery at Loyal. Military rites were conducted by the Loyal American Legion Post of which he was a member.