ELAINE SPENCER

5 Manitowoc Persons Die in Auto Crashes
Four Killed When Train Hits Automobile at Denmark Crossing; 83-Year-Old
Woman Victim When Car Overturns on Highway 141 Near St. Wendel
Five Manitowoc people lost their lives and a sixth person was seriously
injured in automobile accidents Sunday to bring the county's 1937 violent
death total to 29, three above the entire year of 1936.
Four of the five accident victims were killed early Sunday morning in the
village of Denmark when their car was hit by a train and the fifth was
killed when a car in which she was riding overturned north of St. Wendel
on Highway 141 last night.
List of Dead
The dead:
August Schaefer, 23, 1622 16th street, Two Rivers, instantly killed when
his car was hit by a North Western train at Denmark.
Marvin Roberts, 22, Manitowoc, formerly of Calumet, Mich., passenger in
the Schaefer car, instantly killed.
Irene Smith, 23, 307 North 5th street, passenger in the Schaefer car,
died on the operating table of a Green Bay hospital as doctors prepared
to amputate both legs two hours after the accident, suffered crushed legs
and a skull fracture.
Elaine Spencer, 20, 427 North 5th, passenger in the Schaefer car, died on
the way to the hospital; suffered a broken neck.
Mrs. Augusta Franke, 83, 1119 Columbus street, passenger in a car driven by
her son, A.H. Franke, 1334 South 15th street, killed by shock when car
overturned on Highway 141, 2 miles north of St. Wendel.
4 Killed at Crossing
Occupants of the Schaefer car were killed as they were returning to Manitowoc
from a dance at Green Bay at 2 o'clock Sunday morning. They were headed east
through the village of Denmark when they reached the railroad tracks just as
the southbound train of the Chicago and North Western railroad, No. 112, due
in Manitowoc at 2:20 a.m., was crossing the intersection. The train hit the
roadster next to the driver's seat and carried it over a quarter of a mile up
the track before it was able to stop. The car was taken from the front of the
train opposite the Pet Milk company condensery.
Schaefer was thrown out of the car onto the cow-catcher of the train, between
the car and the engine. The other three occupants of the roadster were jammed
inside the machine. Schaefer was crushed almost beyond recognition. The other
three were badly mangled. It took almost an hour to take Schaefer's body from
the cow-catcher of the train.
It was some time after the accident before the bodies were identified. Schaefer,
whose name was traced through the license number of the car, was the first to
be identified.
William Spencer, father of Elaine called Sheriff Norman Berdedal here early
Sunday morning when his daughter had not returned from the dance, and asked
if there had been any accidents in the county.
Continued on Page 9, Col. 2)
FIVE MANITOWOC PERSONS KILLED
(Continued from Page 1)
Sheriff Berkedal told him there had been no serious accidents. At about 8
o'clock Mr. Spencer heard that there had been an accident near Green Bay and
called Sheriff Berkedal again. The sheriff telephoned Green Bay, found that
the accident involved four young people, and then drove Mr. Spencer to Green
Bay to identify his daughter.
Two Rivers Notified
Green Bay authorities called the Two Rivers police when Schaefer had been
identified and officers there notified Schaefer's family. Mr. and Mrs. Edward
Bebeau, Roberts was identified through the Bebeau family as both he and Schaefer
were employed at the Hotel Manitowoc as bus boys.
The Schaefer car was damaged beyond repair. The entire left side of the car
was crushed in, the side was bent back over the roadster seat where it is
believed the four were riding. The rumble seat was bent all out of shape.
The car, pushed off the railroad tracks, was viewed by crowds of people
throughout the day.
.......article split for the various deaths and put with the obit....
Graduate of Lincoln High
Elaine Spencer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Spencer, 427 North Fifth
street, was born in this city, March 12, 1917. She attended the north side
schools and was graduated from Lincoln high school with the
class of 1935. She has been employed as a clerk in the grocery department
of Schuette Bros. company.
Miss Spencer's death was the second in the family in less than a month.
Charles Clauder, a brother of Mrs. Spencer who made his home with his sister,
died suddenly of a heart attack July 3.
Survivors are the parents, and a sister, Edith.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. from the Presbyterian church,
the Rev. C.H. Phipps officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The
body may be viewed tonight at the Shimek and Schwartz funeral home and will
be taken to the church Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Miss Spencer was a member of Job's Daughters, who will attend the funeral in
a body Tuesday.
Manitowoc Herald Times, Monday, August 2, 1937 P.1 & 9
*******
[bur. 08-03-1937/d. Denmark, WI/cause: skull fracture broken
neck and internal injuries/bur. on William C. Spenser lot]