Derksen, William (1926-1972)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1972 Nov 23 p. 7

Birth date: 1926

text of obituary:

Butterfield, Minn. Man Dies When Hit by Car

Mt. Lake, Minn. — Funeral services for William Derksen, 46, victim of an accident near New Ulm on Friday evening, Nov. 10, were held Nov. 14 at the First Mennonite Church of Mt. Lake. Rev. Harold Thieszen, the pastor, officiated.

Mr. Derksen, a lifelong resident of the Butterfield community, apparently had run out of gas while driving a pickup truck two miles south of New Ulm. It is believed he had secured a can of gas from a nearby farm and was filling the truck tank when a car driven by a 17-year-old Ulm youth came over a hill and struck him. He was dragged about 100 feet.

Mr. Derksen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob J. Derksen of Butterfield, farmed for a number of years and since 1967 had been employed by the Harvestor-Hawke Co. of Worthington. He never married. Besides his parents he leaves a sister, Mrs. William Smit of Mt. Lake, and four brothers, Jacob W. of Butterfield, Frank J. of Crystal, David of New Ulm, and Peter J. of Sacramento, Calif.