Surnames: Kowalk, Luchterhand, Hoff, Schmidt, Hildensperger, Quist, Hoffmann, Tesmer, Heppner, Stieber, Pech, Meyer, Paxton, Allmann, Foster, Rannow, Baumgart, Wolf, Augustine, Strathmann, Hederer, Lamont, Lukowicz, Dietrich, Vorland, Mossing, Frome, Hemmy, Goeltz, Kademan, Hafeman, Schjoneman, Strathman, Fischer, Beecroft, Frenstad, Raube, Eurehner, Nielsen, Nelson, Huggins

----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 07/07/1949

Kowalk, Glendon G. (19 Jan. 1928 - 4 July 1949)

Glendon G. Kowalk, age 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Kowalk of Unity, route 1, died under the cab of a whey truck where he was pinned after the truck ran off the road and hit a culvert and telephone pole at about 6:30 a.m. Monday. The accident occurred on Highway 13, about four miles south of Spencer as the empty truck was proceeding northwest. It is believed that Kowalk either dozed at the wheel or lost control of the truck, owned by Norman Luchterhand of Loyal.

From the time it left the road, the truck traveled for a distance of 70 paces before it struck a concrete culvert that could not be seen because of tall grass. The culvert was, however, marked by two white posts.

After striking the culvert, the truck jumped a distance of 12 paces with the tank part of the semi-truck swinging around, breaking a telephone pole with 40 strands of wire on it. The cab part of the vehicle continued straight in the ditch with the undercarriage all but buried in the dirt.

When the vehicle came to rest Kowalk’s feet were in the cab and the rest of his body pinned under it. He was apparently thrown from the cab when it struck the culvert.

John Hoff and his father, Albert, who were at work in their barn near the scene of the accident, heard the crash and went to investigate. They were joined by George Schmidt, who also resided nearby, and the three men attempted to jack the cab up in order to free the imprisoned driver.

They were unsuccessful and sent for a wrecker and notified authorities at Marshfield. The men reported that Kowalk was alive at the time but unconscious. They said he died within 10 minutes after the crash.

Marathon county traffic officers and Coroner John Hildensperger, of Wausau, who investigated the accident, said that Kowalk died of internal injuries resulting from a crushed chest. No inquest will be held.

Glendon was a veteran of World War II and served with the Naval Air Cadets, based most of the time at Pensacola, Fla. He was discharged from service Dec. 30, 1947.

Glendon was born in Detroit, Mich., and came to Marathon county with his parents in 1931. Surviving are his parents, one sister, Betty Jane, at home, and his grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Quist.

Funeral services will be held from the Lulloff Funeral Home Thursday, July 7th, and at the Zion Lutheran church, Rev. O. Hoffmann officiating, and internment will be made in the Colby (Colby, Clark Co. Wis.) Cemetery.

----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 07/14/1949

Funeral services for Glendon Kowalk, whose death was reported last week, were held Thursday afternoon at the Zion Lutheran church, Rev. O. Hoffmann officiating, and internment was made in the Colby (Colby, Clark Co. Wis.) Cemetery.

Pall bearers were Junior Tesmer, David Stieber, Joe Pech, Russell Meyer, Robert Heppner and Stewart Paxton. The firing squad in charge of Charles Allmann, included Edward Allmann, James Foster, Howard Rannow, Arvill Baymgart, Norbert Wolf, Elroy Augustine, Arnold Strathmann, Herbert Hederer. V.F.W. color bearers were Angus Lamont, Leo Luckowicz, Mike Stieber and Norbert Dietrich and Pearl Vorland was V.F.W. Auxiliary color bearer. Everett Mossing was bugler. Legion members taking part were Edwin Frome, H. P. Mossing, Bud Hemmy and Frank Goeltz, Jr.

Flowers were in charge of Mrs. Harold Kademan, Mrs. Milford Frome, Mrs. Junior Tesmer, Mrs. Elroy Augustine, Mrs. Orville Baumgart, Mrs. Hugo Hafeman, Mrs. Carl Borchert, Mrs. Edwin Frome, Mrs. Merlin Schjoneman, Mrs. Norbert Dietrich, Mrs. Edward Strathman, Mrs. Angus Lamont, Jr., Mrs. Joe Pech, Jr., and Mrs. Carl Fischer.

Out of town people here for the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Quist, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Baumgart, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Kowalk and Duane Baumgart of Owen, Earl Quist of Duluth, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Donald Schultz and Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Luchterhand of Loyal, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Beecroft of Almena, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Frenstad, Mrs. Louis Frenstad, Mrs. Celia Raube and Mrs. Elena Eurehner of St. Paul, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Neilson of Lake Elmo, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. N. T. Nelson of Stillwater and Mr. and Mrs. Owen Hughes of Marshfield.