William H. (Billy)
Born: December 8, 1949
Died: December 14, 1966
Marinette County recorded its 13th traffic fatality Wednesday. William H. (Billy) Martens, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clare Martens of Pound, died in Marinette General Hospital 2 1/2 hours after he was struck at 7:30 p.m. by a car on County Highway Q. The scene was about one-tenth of a mile west of the Village of Pound.
According to the Marinette County traffic department, Martens was struck from behind by a car driven by Matthew E. Sokol, 20, also of Pound.
Richard Matty of Crivitz, coroner for Marinette County, said Martens died of severe skull lacerations, a crushed hip and lower abdominal injuries.
Matty and Traffic Officer Jack Paasch, who investigated the accident, said Martens, who was a friend of Sokol, left his home shortly before 7:30 and was walking west on the right side of the roadway to Sokol's home about one mile away, when Sokol, returning home from the Village of Pound, struck Martens with the right front fender of his vehicle. The mishap occurred about one block from the Sokol residence.
Officer Paasch reported that Martens was approximately 1 1/2 feet into the roadway at the time of the collision. The impact threw Martens 36 feet into a field off the roadway. There were 84 feet of skid marks from the point of impact, officers said.
Coroner Matty reported that Martens was wearing a black and white checkered jacket at the time of the accident.
The Coleman Rescue Squad was at the scene and removed Martens to Marinette General Hospital.
Martens was born December 8, 1949, at Marinette General Hospital and had resided in Pound all of his life. He was a sophomore at Coleman High School and a former member of a Pound Boy Scout troop.
Surviving with his parents are three brothers and three sisters. They are Gerald Martens of Green Bay, Donald Martens of Crivitiz, Lance Corp. Russell Martens of the Marine Corps in Vietnam, Mrs. Leonard Curtis of Porterfield, Joan and Dorothy Martens, at home.
] Also surviving are the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Martens of Pound, and the maternal grandfather, Clayton Harley of Crivitz.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, pending word from the brother in Vietnam and will be announced later by Rhodes funeral home at Coleman.
December 16, 1966
MARINETTE EAGLE-STAR Funerals
Martens - Services are set tentatively for 10:30 a.m. Monday at St.
Leo church in Pound for William H. (Billy) Martens, 17-year old son of Mr.
and Mrs. Clare Martens of Pound, who died Wednesday night of injuries sustained
when struck by an automobile.
The Rev. Arthur E. Hoell will intone the requiem high mass. Burial will be
in the church cemetery. The parish rosary is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m.
in the Rhodes Funeral home at coleman where friends may call after 2 p.m.
sunday and until 9:45 a.m. Monday.
