ROBERT OWEN

(1898 • 1936)

Trucker Is Victim of Road Crash

Robert Owen Killed, Five Others Injured When Car And Truck Collide

A Manitowoc WPA worker was killed and five persons injured, two seriously, in a truck-automobile collision early Wednesday evening at the junction of Highways 10 and 55, five miles south of Kaukauna.

Robert Owen, 38, of 819 Chicago street, driver of a truck for the Bahr construct-ion company, Manitowoc, was almost instantly killed when the truck he was driving struck a car driven by Arthur Lange, 6400 West Greenfield street, West Allis. Owen died before arrival of an ambulance.

Two in Hospital

Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Murdock, 722 South Story street, Appleton, passengers in the automobile, are in an Appleton hospital in a serious condition. Mr. Murdock has a broken right shoulder, brain concussion, fractured ribs and severe lacerations. His wife has a severe back injury and lacerations.

Lange, a brother-in-law of Mr. Murdock, who was driving the latter's newly purchased car to Appleton from Manitowoc, was badly shaken up but not seriously injured. Miss Edna Belle Murdock, 16, and Richard Eichhoff, 8, both of Appleton, passengers in the car, sustained cuts and bruises.

The accident happened at what motorists term "one of the most dangerous intersections in northeaster Wisconsin." The Murdock car was enroute west on Highway 10 while Owen had just come out of Highway 55 from the north on his way to Manitowoc from Little Chute. It was Owen's second trip there yesterday with a load of supplies for the Bahr company.

Thrown From Cab of Truck

According to reports of the accident from Calumet county today, the force of the impact threw Owen from the cab of the truck and 30 feet down the pavement. He sustained a crushed skull, broken shoulder and sprained arms. The top portion of his body was severely lacerated.

According to one witness the truck driven by Owen passed another machine that stopped for the arterial at the junction of the two highways and came out on Highway 10 just as the Murdock car was driven west.

A coroner's jury was drawn and Chilton authorities today said an inquest will probably be held in an effort to fix blame for the accident.

The body of Mr. Owen at first brought to the hospital here, was later moved to the Wattawa, Urbanek and Schlei funeral home.

Funeral Saturday

Funeral services for Mr. Owen will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Wattawa, Urbanek and Schlei funeral home. They will be in charge of the Rev. Paul Blaufuss of the St. John's Evangelical church. Interment will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body may be viewed at...

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TRUCKER IS VICTIM OF HIGHWAY CRASH

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…the funeral home after Friday noon.

Mr. Owen, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Owen, Detroit, was born in that city in 1898. He moved to Chicago when a young man and for a number of years was employed by motor coach companies in that city as a driver. He married Ella Cerull in Detroit, April 23, 1922.

In February, 1928, the family moved to this city where Mr. Owen was employed as a truck driver for a number of contracting firms

Survivors are his widow; six small children, Robert, Donald, Harvey, Glenn, Norman and Shirley, ranging in age from seven years to six months; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Owen, Detroit; two brothers, John and Edward, city; and two sisters, Mrs. John Gates, and Mrs. John Daetz, both of Two Rivers.

Manitowoc Herald Times, Wis., July 16, 1936 pp. 1-2

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buried 7-18-1936

cause: skull fracture

buried on August Cerall lot

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