Obit: Tormey, Paul (1895 - 1939)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Tormey, Parks, Broeren, Mockross

----Sources: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 08/03/1939

Tormey, Paul (14 SEP 1895 - 26 JUL 1939)

Paul Tormey of New Holstein, a former Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.) boy, was fatally injured Wednesday morning, July 26th, 1939 in an accidental collision of automobiles at the intersection of highways H and G near Marytown, Wis., about fourteen miles west of New Holstein. The accident occurred about 6:30 while on his way to Oshkosh to attend summer school at the State Teachers’ College where he was working toward his bachelor degree. He died shortly afterward at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, having reached the age of 43 years, 10 months and 12 days.

Paul Earl Tormey was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tormey of Thorp and was born in Stanley, Wis., on Sept. 14th, 1895. He attended the grade schools at Stanley and graduated from the Thorp High School in 1915. Mr. Tormey chose the teaching profession as his life’s work and entered the Oshkosh Teachers’ College to continue his studies. He taught in a rural school in 1917-18 and the following year returned to Oshkosh Teachers’ College to graduate from that institution in 1919 completing a course in Manual Arts. He taught in that capacity in the schools of Viroqua, Neillsville, Chippewa Falls and Thorp, and went to New Holstein in 1929 where he has been a member of the high school faculty ever since. He had charge of the manual arts department and also taught civics and for several years served as athletic coach.

Mr. Tormey was united in marriage with Miss Violet Parks of Thorp in November 1920. She and two children survive, Paul Jr., 17, who graduated from high school last Spring, and Katherine, 13 years of age.

Quiet and retiring by nature, Mr. Tormey enjoyed the friendship and respect of those who worked with him. Conscientious in his work and wishing to improve himself he attended summer school in Oshkosh since June. Mr. Tormey did not belong to many organizations. However he was a loyal member of the Men’s Brotherhood of St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church, New Holstein.

Surviving him are, besides the widow and the children whom we have already mentioned, his mother, Mrs. Loretta Tormey of this village; and two sisters, Mrs. Ben Broeren, Bloomer, and Mrs. Harry Mockross, Ironwood, Mich. An only brother, Cecil, died in France during the World War.

Funeral services were held at the funeral home at New Holstein at nine o’clock Saturday morning, Rev. Smith officiating, and the remains were brought to Thorp for burial in the East Thorp Cemetery. The service at the grave was conducted by Rev. James Irish.