Mae Beth Magee
She was struck and killed by a drunk driver. She was playing with a
ball in the school yard of the one-room school on Rt. 29 outside of
Angelica and chased the ball onto the side of the road, where she was
struck by the car. No legal action was ever taken towards the driver.
Her parents never celebrated their anniversary afterwards, as she was
buried on that day.
From the Shawano Evening Leader, March 30, 1946: Angelica girl is killed during recess at school
The seventh fatality due to highway accidents in Shawano county came
Friday afternoon on Highway 29 near the Angelica school. The victim was
nine-year-old Mae Beth magee, only child of Kenneth and Mary Louise
Magee of Pulaski, route 1. According to witnesses
recess had just started for the school children and Mae Beth was
chasing a ball when she was struck. The car was
driven by Joseph Becker of route 3, Green Bay. He and another pasenger
were driving to Shawano. He stopped after the accident and helped take
the girl into the school house. Traffic Officer Victor Helestad was at the scene of the accident.
County Coroner Leonard Hartwig and District Attorney O.A.
Strossenreuther investigated the death for the county. An inquest has been called for 2 p.m. Monday afternoon at the Shawano county court house.
Mae Beth Magee lived with her mother and father on their farm a short
distance west of Angelica. She was born July 3, 1936, in the town of
Angelica. She attended the Angelica Graded school and went to Sunday school at the Angelica Methodist church.
Mae Beth is survived by her parents and grandparents. her maternal
grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wright of Tulsa, Okla. The paternal
grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Hugh magee of the town of Angelica.
Mae Beth’s body will be taken from the Wendt Funeral home in Bonduel to
the Magee home on Sunday morning. Funeral services will be at the home
at 1:30 and at the Angelica Methodist church at 2 o’clock Monday, April
1.
From the Shawano County Journal, April 4, 1946: Girl fatally injured while chasing ball
Running into the road to retrieve a ball that had been batted from the
school playground cost the life of nine-year-old Mae Beth Magee at the
Angelica school on Highway 29 early Friday afternoon.
The girl, only duaghter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Magee, Pulaski, route
1, ran into the side of a Buick car driven by Joseph W. Becher, Green
Bay. her skull was fractured, and it was assumed that she died almost
instantly, although an ambulance was called to rush her to a Green Bay
hospital. Becher told officers that he was
driving at about 35 miles per hour and that he did not see the girl in
time to stop. The school is situated just off a curve on Highway 29.
Many of the pupils witnessed the accident which occurred at about 2:30
during the afternoon recess. The body was taken
to the Wendt funeral parlors in Bonduel and was returned to the farm
residence Sunday morning. Rites were held at the home at 1:30 Monday
afternoon, and at the Angelica Methodist church at 2 o’clock. The Rev.
Joseph Cheek officiated and burial was in Resthaven cemetery, town of Angelica.
Mae Beth, who was in the fourth grade at the school is survived by her
parents and four grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wright, Tulsa, Okla.,
and Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Magee, town of Angelica.
Four cousins were active pallbearers at the funeral rites including
Douglas Zernicke and Elwood, Marshall and Curtis Magee. Honorary
pallbearers were Calvin Zernicke, Wallace Magee, Leslie Klaetsch and
Lloyd Hanstedt.