Obit: Lezotte, Gerald Francis (1942 - 1959)

 

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

 

Surnames: Lezotte, Holnbach, Hoesly, Peaslee, Schroeder, Lair, Anason, Neville, Dyer, Opelt, Schutte, Radke, Bergemann, Hainz, Hoeser, Kurasz, Pettit, Pagenkopf, Klundt, Dahlke, Davis, Kronberger, Messmer, Strunk, Kernz, Schultz, Merry, Kuhl, Larson, Fish, Nicks, Frischman, Warnzenski, Hetzel, Eisenmann

 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 23, 1959

 

Lezotte, Gerald Francis (24 October 1942 - 19 July 1959)

 

Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock this (Thursday) morning from St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Gerald Francis Lezotte, 16-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lezotte of Rt. 1 Neillsville.  He drowned in the waters of Black River while swimming here Sunday afternoon.

 

The services will be conducted by the Rev. Joseph Eisenmann, and burial will be made in the parish cemetery.

 

Young Lezotte, one of a family of 10 children, went under shortly before 3:30 p.m. in the river at the mouth of Wedge’s Creek.  He was swimming with a party of five other girls and boys. 

 

Two of them, Donald Schroeder, 16, Rt. 1, and Sandra Lair, 15, of Plymouth, Ia., had hold of him, but were not able to rescue him.  He went down in about 10 feet of water, approximately 150 feet from shore.

 

Swimming in the Town of Levis, young Lezotte had started to follow four other members of the party in a swim across the river. The other four made it; but Lezotte, only partially across became tired and shouted:

 

"I can’t make it!"

 

The four swam toward him, and Schroeder grabbed him, but he was exhausted and Lezotte started to take him down with him as he fought for life.  Schroeder said he had to let go.

 

Miss Lair said she grabbed his arm; but he fought free.

 

Others in the party included: Oliver Anason, 16, Rt. 1, Neillsville; Brenda Neville, 16, Rt. 3 Neillsville; and Dixie Dyer, 14, of Rt. 2.  Miss Lair is a cousin of Miss Dyer and was staying at her home.

 

The alarm was telephoned from the Carl Opelt farm house, approximately a mile north of the Wedge’s Creek mouth, and was received at the sheriff’s office at 3:30 p.m.

 

Mr. Opelt and Donald Schutte of Levis, who was visiting him, went to the location and tried to recover the body by diving.

 

When Wardens Louis Radke of Black River Falls and Arthur Schroeder of Neillsville arrived, two boats were pressed into service dragging the waters.  In one were the two wardens and John R. Bergemann of Neillsville. In the other, a boat belonging to Mr. Opelt, were Ronnie Hainz, William Neville and Schutte.

 

The body was recovered by the later boat at 4:55 p.m.

 

Gerald Lezotte was born October 24, 1942, in Neillsville.  He attended Washington School, and had finished St. Mary’s Catholic School here in May and was planning to enter Neillsville High School.

 

Surviving besides his parents are nine brothers and sisters: Alvin, stationed with the army in Korea; Virgil, LeRoy and Douglas, all of Neillsville; Mrs. Wayne (Joan) Holnbach, Wisconsin Rapids; Mrs. Clarence (Sandra) Hoesly, Neillsville; Donna, who is the secretary of Dist. Atty. Wayne W. Trimberger, Paulette and Marcia, all at home.  Also surviving is his maternal grandmother, Mrs. T. W. Peaslee of Granton.

 

Funeral arrangements were made by the Bergemann Funeral Home.

 

******************************

 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 30, 1959

 

A requiem high Mass was read last Thursday morning at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Gerald Lezotte, 16, who died by drowning. The Rev. Fr. Joseph Eisenmann officiated.

 

Burial was delayed until 3:30 p.m. that afternoon to allow his brother, Alvin Lezotte, stationed in Korea, time to arrive in Neillsville to attend the burial in the parish cemetery.  His plane was delayed by storms over the west coast area.

 

Pallbearers were: Oliver Anason, Phillip Hoeser, Stanley Kurasz, John Pettit, Raymond Pagenkopf and Donald Schroeder.

 

People from away here for the services were: Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Holnbach, Wisconsin Rapids; Sp. 4 Alvin Lezotte, Korea; Miss Grace Lezotte, Manitowoc; Mr. and Mrs. Anton Lezotte, Mrs. Edward Klundt, Agnes Lezotte, Mrs. John Dahlke, N. A. Lezotte, W. Lezotte, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Klundt and family, all of Neenah; Mrs. T. W. Peaslee, Mrs. Myrtie Davis and Warren Davis, Granton; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Peaslee, Gillingham; Mr. and Mrs. Herman Peaslee, Richland Center; Harley and Warren Peaslee, Winthrop Harbor, Ill.

 

Mrs. Ivan Kronberger, Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Messmer, Melvin Lezotte, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Strunk, Ft. Atkinson; Gordon Peaslee, Bristol; Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Peaslee, Lake Villa, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kernz, Mrs. Robert Schultz and Mary Ellen Schultz, Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Merry, Carroll and Arthur Merry, Oshkosh.

 

Mr. and Mrs. N. Kuhl, Menomonee Falls; Mrs. Albert Larson, Blair; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Peaslee, Pekin, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Lezotte, Jr., Stoughton; Mr. and Mrs. Troy Fish, Will Mills, and Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Nicks, Viroqua; Mr. and Mrs. Baltz Hoesly, Granton; Mrs. Paul Frischman, Ruth Warnzenski, Mrs. Ray Hetzel and Ronald Hetzel, all of Granton.

 

 


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