Wednesday's Child - Goldrine DeGrave

It's always sad when a young person dies.  I don't know the relationship between Goldrine and the driver of the car, Orville Hermans, but I suspect that it was a close one.  He spent Christmas at her house and they were on the way to his house to spend the day after Christmas when the accident happened.  To lose a loved one and during the holidays.

I don't believe there are any DeGraves in my family tree's direct line, but we've got plenty of Hermans to go around.  Perhaps the article was clipped because it had to do with Orville and a dear friend (or girlfriend).

There was no date on the article apart from a handwritten "1949" at the bottom. Christmas in 1949 was on Sunday and the accident occurred on a Sunday.  Perhaps "Christmas night" actually meant Christmas Eve.

Either way, today we remember Goldrine DeGrave.  A beautiful young woman that was taken away from her loved ones at far too young and age.

"Goldrine DeGrave, above, 16-year-old Fairland girl, was killed in an automobile accident near Luxemburg Sunday morning.  She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William DeGrave.

Tire Blowout Fatal

A tire blowout at 6 o'clock Sunday morning apparently caused the death of Goldrine DeGrave, 16-year-old Fairland girl.  The driver of the car, Orville Hermans, 17, of Tonet, is in a serious condition in St. Vincent hospital in Green Bay.

Skid marks showed how the car left the road and crashed into a machine shed on County Trunk A about 2 1/2 miles north of Luxemburg in Kewaunee county.  Fred Cravillion is owner of the shed.

There were no witnesses to the accident.  The Cravillions were just getting out of bed and heard the crash, as did Mr. and Mrs. Henry Frisque across the road.  Mrs. Cravillion said that the girl was still conscious when she got there a few minutes later, but died by the time a doctor arrived.

The Hermans youth had spent Christmas night at the DeGrave home.  He and the girl left early so that he could take the girl to his own home in Tonet, where she planned to spend Sunday, before reporting for work at the Badger creamery in Luxemburg.

The body was taken to the McMahon Funeral home in Luxemburg, and was removed to the DeGrave residence today.  The rosary will be recited at 8 o'clock tonight and Tuesday night.  Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning in St. Louis Catholic church, Dyckesville, with the Rev. Ludolph Jacobs officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Goldrine DeGrave was born in the town of Red River, Kewaunee county, June 13, 1932.  Besides her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William DeGrave, she is survived by four brothers, Myron, Marvin, Melvin, and Milton, all at home; her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank DeGrave, town of Red River, and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Eli DuBoise, Fairland."

Wednesday's Child - Raymond Dart

Clippings like this always make me sad.  No parent should lose a child.  Raymond is my husband's 2nd cousin once removed.

"Infant Son of Darts Buried The Morning

Special to Press-Gazette

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - Funeral services for Raymond Dart, six-months-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Dart, Luxemburg, route 4, who died Saturday afternoon in a Green Bay hospital after an illness of one week, were held at 9 o'clock this morning in St. Martin church at Tonet.  Burial was in the church cemetery.  The McMahon Funeral home was in charge of the arrangements.

The infant, who was born Nov. 1, 1949, is survived by his parents; a sister, Darlene, age 2; his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Matheys, of Sugar Bush; and his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. August Dart of Luxemburg."

[Hand-written "died Apr 8 1950"]

Sunday's Obituary - Who in the World is Benjamin Koss?

Well, perhaps I should rephrase that as, "Who is Benjamin Koss to my family?"  None of the names in the obituary are in my family tree or even familiar to me.  I can only imagine that this article was clipped because of his position in the community in which my husband's ancestors lived.  A rather gruesome recounting of the death as well.

I don't know which paper it was published in (I'll add that to my list of things to check on!), but most of the articles that were passed on were from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.  This one is hand-dated October 31, 1956.  I have noticed that this usually refers to the date of death rather than of publication.

I won't completely rule out that this person may have a place in my family tree, but for now I'm thinking no. Perhaps the article will fit into another researcher's tree.

"Koss Killed In Accident With Sawmill

[Hand-dated Oct 31, 1956]

Town of Luxemburg Chairman; Funeral Rites Set Saturday

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - A portable sawmill accident Tuesday afternoon cost the life of Benjamin Koss, 45, of Luxemburg, Rt. 2.  He was chairman of the Town of Luxemburg and chairman of the Kewaunee County highway committee.

Koss was feeding logs into the machine on the Allen Farm in the Town of Preble.  A slab of wood kicked back and struck him below the chin, severing his jugular vein.  He was dead on arrival at a Green Bay hospital.

The accident happened about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Owned Portable Mill

Mr. Koss, who operated a farm in the Town of Luxemburg, did custom sawing with a portable powered rig.

He was serving his third term as chairman of the Town of Luxemburg.  Previously he had served two terms as town treasurer.

Mr. Koss was a member of the Luxemburg Court of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Holy Name Society of St. Odile Church, Thiry Daems.

He was born May 18, 1911, in the Town of Lincoln, Kewaunee County.  In 1932 he married to Collette Junion in St. Odile Church.

Survived by Wife

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Karen, at home; four sons, Eben, Glen and Karl, all at home, and Gene, who is stationed with the U. S. Army at Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Wash.; one granddaughter, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Koss, Town of Lincoln.

Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Lee (Marie) Fett, and Mrs. Frank (Rita) Havel, both of the Town of Lincoln; and two brothers, John, Rio Creek, and Matt, Green Bay.

Funeral services will be held at 9:30 Saturday morning at St. Odile Church, Thiry Daems.  The Rev. Anthony J. Righino will officiate.

Friends may call at the Weisner-Massart Funeral Home, Casco, after 6 o'clock this evening.  The Rosary will be recited at the funeral home at 8 o'clock this evening and Friday evening and 8:45 on Thursday evening."

Wedding Wednesday - Did You Ever Get the Feeling You're Related...

Green Bay Press-Gazette

This is one of those obituaries that I have in my collection where I have no doubt the bride is related to my husband, but I have no idea what the relation is...yet!

I often refer back to the scrapbooks that my husband's paternal grandmother put together and that were passed on to me by his mother.  They are a treasure trove indeed (although rarely cited).  I see names that are in my husband's direct line, and I see other names in indirect lines.  So who's related?  Well, my husband's 3rd great grandparents were Charles and Josephe Hermans nee Landeck.

Now that's going pretty far back, but Charles is the last male Hermans I have...and I don't have any brothers or sisters for him, and I know of no children that he and his wife had apart from their daughter, Josephine.  There was obviously another Hermans there somewhere.  At least obvious to me.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  Just because someone shares a last name in my tree doesn't make them related and it's sloppy research to try to find records to fit someone in my husband's tree.  I'm not trying to do that though.  This clipping was cut and pasted into this scrapbook for a reason.  I just need to find out what that reason is.  In this case, with a surname in his line, I'm venturing that it's a distant cousin.  After all, I've been told all the Belgians in that part of Wisconsin were related!  An amusing generalization, but you get my point...

Lucille Hermans and Edward Rueckl were married on October 12, 1943 (as best as I can tell from my not-so-exhaustive-research).  Since there's no date on this clipping, I'm going to ensure I have the right date, by verifying it with the local microfilmed newspapers when I get back to Green Bay for the holidays.  We'll go on from there.  I can, of course, hope that someone will come across this post and be able to help me fill in some of the genealogical blanks and speed me on my way.  Isn't that one of the reasons for me, and many of you, to blog?  We want to find those connections.

On to the wedding announcement of this beautiful bride!

"Lucille Hermans Bride at Tonet

Special to Press-Gazette

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - In a ceremony performed by the Rev. L.A. Dobblesteen at Tonet last Tuesday morning, Miss Lucille Hermans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hermans of Luxemburg, became the bride of Norbert Rueckl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rueckl, also of Luxemburg.

The bride wore a gown of ivory satin with a long train, a V neckline with lace yolk, and long sleeves with V-points over the wrists.  Her fingertip veil was caught in a lace headpiece, and she carried a bouquet of Johanna Hill roses and white pompons.

Miss Hyacinth Rueckl was maid of honor, in blue brocaded satin, and Miss Marie Hermans and Iris Luedtke were bridesmaids.  Veronica Hermans was flower girl.  The best man was Linus Hermans, and the bridegroom's other attendants, Robert Colle and Orville Hermans.

Wedding dinner was served for 175 guests at the bridegroom's home.  He is a farmer, and they will live near Luxemburg."