Obit: Opelt, Marie Louise (1947 - 1962)

 

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

 

Surnames: Opelt, Bertrand, Hediger

 

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 08/30/1962

 

Opelt, Marie Louise (25 JUL 1947 - 27 AUG 1962)

 

The 10th highway fatality of the year was recorded in Clark County when 15-year-old Marie Louis Opelt of Christie was killed at 7 p.m. Monday night.

 

The fatal injuries were sustained when she and the bicycle on which she was riding collided with a car diven by Samuel A. Bertrand of Detroit, Mich.

 

She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Opelt, Christie.

 

The injured girl was rushed to Memorial Hospital at Neillsville by ambulance following the accident, but was dead on arrival.  Authorities believe she died almost instantly.

 

Her injuries included a fractured back, chest and internal injuries, and multiple fractures and bruises.

 

Authorities said she was marking a left turn off Highway 73 onto a town road, about a mile south of Christie, when her bicycle was hit by a car driven by Samuel Bertrand of Detroit, Mich., who was visiting at Willard.  Both the bicycle and the car were headed south on the highway.

 

Bertrand told authorities he saw the girl riding her bike along the highway shoulder as he cleared the crest of a slight road incline.  He said he steered his car to the left side of the road but as he neared the intersection the girl crossed in front of his car.

 

Marie Louis would have enrolled this fall as a sophomore at Neillsville.  She is survived by her parents, a younger sister, and her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Opelt of Neillsville and Mr. and Mrs. Herman Hediger of Christie.

 

Sam Bertrand, driver of the car, is a former Owen resident, having lived here some 20 years ago when he was an office employee of the Northern States Power Co.

  

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE