DAVID LEE WILDA (d. 1945)
David Wilda, 3, Drowns in River Near Gas Plant (Picture on Page 1)
Three-year-old David Wilda, son of Pvt. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilda of 434 North
Tenth street was accidentally drowned Tuesday afternoon, when the boy fell into
the river off the dock at the gas plant of the Wisconsin Fuel and Light company,
foot of Chicago street.
It was the first drowning fatality of the year in Manitowoc.
Firemen and policemen worked over the child with an inhalator for about an hour
before he was finally pronounced dead by Coroner Theodore Teitgen. The coroner
said there would be no inquest.
Pvt. Wilda, who had just returned to Camp Wheeler, Ga., at the end of February
after spending a 10 day furlough at home, has been notified by the American Red
Cross of his son’s death and he is expected to return home.
Mrs. Wilda said today that she last noticed David playing with his tricycle between
the houses at about 2:30 p.m. About 3 o’clock, she said, he had disappeared and she
started searching the neighborhood for him.
Fell in With Big Rock
She went past the gas plant and met William O’Donnell, Manager of the company, and
he aided her in the search for David. He said that he had seen David in front of the
plant just a short while before, playing on his tricycle. They found the tricycle at
the dock behind the plant but David was not in sight.
Mrs. Wilda took the tricycle home with her when she was unable to locate her child
and asked a neighbor boy if he knew where David was. He could give her no information.
She learned later that David had been playing on the dock with this five year old boy
and they had been throwing stones in the water. The little fellow said that David
tried to pick up a stone that was too big and fell in the water. He showed little
concern because he didn’t fully realize what had actually happened to the child.
Found Floating in Water
Mr. O’Donnell said that he asked the men working on the Soo line bridge if they had
seen anything of the child but they could give no information. After Mrs. Wilda
returned home with her tricycle, Mr. O’Donnell and the foreman at the plant, Leo Kalin,
both went over to the edge of the dock behind the plant and looked into the water.
About 30 feet up the dock, Mr. O’Donnell saw the body floating in the water, face up.
He managed to slip down over the edge of the bank and retrieved the body. The inhalator
squad was called and the youth wrapped in blankets—but they worked to no avail.
Mrs. Wilda was notified and watched tearfully as the firemen and policemen worked to
try and revive her son.
David was born in this city in 1941 and was baptized by the Rev. Henry Letz of St.
Andrews church. He is survived by his parents; a sister, 15-month-old Carol Sue; maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wendorf, 1005 Clark street; paternal grandfather, Adolph
Wilda, 434 North 10th street.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart church, the Rev. Louis
Schorn officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body will lie in state from
7 p.m. today at the Pfeffer funeral home until time of services Friday.
Manitowoc Herald Times, April 11, 1945 P. 2
*******
[d. 04-10-1945/age 3 yrs./cause: accidental drowning/son of Kenneth Wilda/
bur. on Adolph Wilda lot-his grandfather]
David Wilda, 3, Drowns in River Near Gas Plant (Picture on Page 1)
Three-year-old David Wilda, son of Pvt. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilda of 434 North
Tenth street was accidentally drowned Tuesday afternoon, when the boy fell into
the river off the dock at the gas plant of the Wisconsin Fuel and Light company,
foot of Chicago street.
It was the first drowning fatality of the year in Manitowoc.
Firemen and policemen worked over the child with an inhalator for about an hour
before he was finally pronounced dead by Coroner Theodore Teitgen. The coroner
said there would be no inquest.
Pvt. Wilda, who had just returned to Camp Wheeler, Ga., at the end of February
after spending a 10 day furlough at home, has been notified by the American Red
Cross of his son’s death and he is expected to return home.
Mrs. Wilda said today that she last noticed David playing with his tricycle between
the houses at about 2:30 p.m. About 3 o’clock, she said, he had disappeared and she
started searching the neighborhood for him.
Fell in With Big Rock
She went past the gas plant and met William O’Donnell, Manager of the company, and
he aided her in the search for David. He said that he had seen David in front of the
plant just a short while before, playing on his tricycle. They found the tricycle at
the dock behind the plant but David was not in sight.
Mrs. Wilda took the tricycle home with her when she was unable to locate her child
and asked a neighbor boy if he knew where David was. He could give her no information.
She learned later that David had been playing on the dock with this five year old boy
and they had been throwing stones in the water. The little fellow said that David
tried to pick up a stone that was too big and fell in the water. He showed little
concern because he didn’t fully realize what had actually happened to the child.
Found Floating in Water
Mr. O’Donnell said that he asked the men working on the Soo line bridge if they had
seen anything of the child but they could give no information. After Mrs. Wilda
returned home with her tricycle, Mr. O’Donnell and the foreman at the plant, Leo Kalin,
both went over to the edge of the dock behind the plant and looked into the water.
About 30 feet up the dock, Mr. O’Donnell saw the body floating in the water, face up.
He managed to slip down over the edge of the bank and retrieved the body. The inhalator
squad was called and the youth wrapped in blankets—but they worked to no avail.
Mrs. Wilda was notified and watched tearfully as the firemen and policemen worked to
try and revive her son.
David was born in this city in 1941 and was baptized by the Rev. Henry Letz of St.
Andrews church. He is survived by his parents; a sister, 15-month-old Carol Sue; maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wendorf, 1005 Clark street; paternal grandfather, Adolph
Wilda, 434 North 10th street.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart church, the Rev. Louis
Schorn officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body will lie in state from
7 p.m. today at the Pfeffer funeral home until time of services Friday.
Manitowoc Herald Times, April 11, 1945 P. 2
*******
[d. 04-10-1945/age 3 yrs./cause: accidental drowning/son of Kenneth Wilda/
bur. on Adolph Wilda lot-his grandfather]
DAVID LEE WILDA (d. 1945)
David Wilda, 3, Drowns in River Near Gas Plant (Picture on Page 1)
Three-year-old David Wilda, son of Pvt. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilda of 434 North
Tenth street was accidentally drowned Tuesday afternoon, when the boy fell into
the river off the dock at the gas plant of the Wisconsin Fuel and Light company,
foot of Chicago street.
It was the first drowning fatality of the year in Manitowoc.
Firemen and policemen worked over the child with an inhalator for about an hour
before he was finally pronounced dead by Coroner Theodore Teitgen. The coroner
said there would be no inquest.
Pvt. Wilda, who had just returned to Camp Wheeler, Ga., at the end of February
after spending a 10 day furlough at home, has been notified by the American Red
Cross of his son’s death and he is expected to return home.
Mrs. Wilda said today that she last noticed David playing with his tricycle between
the houses at about 2:30 p.m. About 3 o’clock, she said, he had disappeared and she
started searching the neighborhood for him.
Fell in With Big Rock
She went past the gas plant and met William O’Donnell, Manager of the company, and
he aided her in the search for David. He said that he had seen David in front of the
plant just a short while before, playing on his tricycle. They found the tricycle at
the dock behind the plant but David was not in sight.
Mrs. Wilda took the tricycle home with her when she was unable to locate her child
and asked a neighbor boy if he knew where David was. He could give her no information.
She learned later that David had been playing on the dock with this five year old boy
and they had been throwing stones in the water. The little fellow said that David
tried to pick up a stone that was too big and fell in the water. He showed little
concern because he didn’t fully realize what had actually happened to the child.
Found Floating in Water
Mr. O’Donnell said that he asked the men working on the Soo line bridge if they had
seen anything of the child but they could give no information. After Mrs. Wilda
returned home with her tricycle, Mr. O’Donnell and the foreman at the plant, Leo Kalin,
both went over to the edge of the dock behind the plant and looked into the water.
About 30 feet up the dock, Mr. O’Donnell saw the body floating in the water, face up.
He managed to slip down over the edge of the bank and retrieved the body. The inhalator
squad was called and the youth wrapped in blankets—but they worked to no avail.
Mrs. Wilda was notified and watched tearfully as the firemen and policemen worked to
try and revive her son.
David was born in this city in 1941 and was baptized by the Rev. Henry Letz of St.
Andrews church. He is survived by his parents; a sister, 15-month-old Carol Sue; maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wendorf, 1005 Clark street; paternal grandfather, Adolph
Wilda, 434 North 10th street.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart church, the Rev. Louis
Schorn officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body will lie in state from
7 p.m. today at the Pfeffer funeral home until time of services Friday.
Manitowoc Herald Times, April 11, 1945 P. 2
*******
[d. 04-10-1945/age 3 yrs./cause: accidental drowning/son of Kenneth Wilda/
bur. on Adolph Wilda lot-his grandfather]
David Wilda, 3, Drowns in River Near Gas Plant (Picture on Page 1)
Three-year-old David Wilda, son of Pvt. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilda of 434 North
Tenth street was accidentally drowned Tuesday afternoon, when the boy fell into
the river off the dock at the gas plant of the Wisconsin Fuel and Light company,
foot of Chicago street.
It was the first drowning fatality of the year in Manitowoc.
Firemen and policemen worked over the child with an inhalator for about an hour
before he was finally pronounced dead by Coroner Theodore Teitgen. The coroner
said there would be no inquest.
Pvt. Wilda, who had just returned to Camp Wheeler, Ga., at the end of February
after spending a 10 day furlough at home, has been notified by the American Red
Cross of his son’s death and he is expected to return home.
Mrs. Wilda said today that she last noticed David playing with his tricycle between
the houses at about 2:30 p.m. About 3 o’clock, she said, he had disappeared and she
started searching the neighborhood for him.
Fell in With Big Rock
She went past the gas plant and met William O’Donnell, Manager of the company, and
he aided her in the search for David. He said that he had seen David in front of the
plant just a short while before, playing on his tricycle. They found the tricycle at
the dock behind the plant but David was not in sight.
Mrs. Wilda took the tricycle home with her when she was unable to locate her child
and asked a neighbor boy if he knew where David was. He could give her no information.
She learned later that David had been playing on the dock with this five year old boy
and they had been throwing stones in the water. The little fellow said that David
tried to pick up a stone that was too big and fell in the water. He showed little
concern because he didn’t fully realize what had actually happened to the child.
Found Floating in Water
Mr. O’Donnell said that he asked the men working on the Soo line bridge if they had
seen anything of the child but they could give no information. After Mrs. Wilda
returned home with her tricycle, Mr. O’Donnell and the foreman at the plant, Leo Kalin,
both went over to the edge of the dock behind the plant and looked into the water.
About 30 feet up the dock, Mr. O’Donnell saw the body floating in the water, face up.
He managed to slip down over the edge of the bank and retrieved the body. The inhalator
squad was called and the youth wrapped in blankets—but they worked to no avail.
Mrs. Wilda was notified and watched tearfully as the firemen and policemen worked to
try and revive her son.
David was born in this city in 1941 and was baptized by the Rev. Henry Letz of St.
Andrews church. He is survived by his parents; a sister, 15-month-old Carol Sue; maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wendorf, 1005 Clark street; paternal grandfather, Adolph
Wilda, 434 North 10th street.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart church, the Rev. Louis
Schorn officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body will lie in state from
7 p.m. today at the Pfeffer funeral home until time of services Friday.
Manitowoc Herald Times, April 11, 1945 P. 2
*******
[d. 04-10-1945/age 3 yrs./cause: accidental drowning/son of Kenneth Wilda/
bur. on Adolph Wilda lot-his grandfather]
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