August Verch was Augusta Wollin's (Verch) brother. This is a younger picture of him and the only one I have. It was gained from his obituary newspaper report.According to the Weekly Valley Herald newspaper, at approximately 1:45am on Sunday September 24th August Verch was walking alone along Highway 101 just on the outskirts of the village of Chanhassen when he was hit and killed by a passing car. The driver never stopped and according to later newspaper reports when the driver finally came forward and said he didn't even realize they had hit anything. He was 57 years old at the time of the accident. 
Met Sudden Death Early Sunday Morning
Weekly Valley Herald - September 28, 1944
Battered Body of victim discovered near village limits of Chanhassen "Certainly the conscience must be bothering a hi-and-run driver who killed August Verch early Sunday morning at approximately 1:45, at the outskirts of the village of Chanhassen on trunk highway 101. His body badly battered and hurled a distance of 25 feet, was discovered by Donal Schaunessy of Hopkins, who found the corpse lying near the road. The victim was killed instantly because he received a double fracture of the back, broken neck, skull crushed and split open from his eyes to the back of his neck, his jaw fractured and his ribs broken. He couldn't possibly have lived more than a few moments after the mishap. August Verch spent the greater part of the evening with friends and acquantances at Chanhassen. He was emplyed as a hired hand on the farm of Joe Klingelhoetz and while walking home he met a tragic, painful, and sudden death. Sheriff Thul was summoned to investigate and arrived at the scene at 2:00 a. m. His theory is the Verch was hit from the rear, that he was either walking opposite of facing the traffic or he may have been on the wrong side of the highway. There were no indication that the hit-and-run driver might have applied the brakes of the car, neither were there any skid marks on the highway to indicate what happened. It seems the driver who hit and killed him made no attempt to stop and investigate. The shriff however has secured several clues which might lead to the solution of the accident. August Verch spent the greater part of his life in the vacinity of Chaska. He was 57 years of age and was the son of Mr. and Mr.s August Verch, for a number of years farmers of Laketown township and later residents of Chaska. Funeral services are being held today, Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. form the Eder & Zamjahn funeral chapel. The remains will be taken to the Benton Lutheran cemetery at Colgne for burial." 
Obituary for August Verch
Waconia Patriot September 28, 1944 "August Verch, 57, of Chanhassen, was killed when struck by a hit-run automobile on highway 101 north, a block out of Chanhassen village Sunday. Sheriff Thul reports that the hit-run accident must have occurred some time between 1:30 and two a.m. Sunday. Verch, employed on the Joseph Klingelhutz farm n Chanhassen township, and he was struck by a car while walking home. According to a staement of Sherif George Thul, Verch was thrown 25 to 28 feet. An autopsy by Coroner B. H. Simons revealed that Verch suffered a back fracture in two places, fracture of the neck, jaw and collarbone, chest and ribs crushed, skull crushed and cut open from the left eye to the bak of the neck. The car evidently hit him from the back and Verch was rolled under the car with two wheels passing over his body. According to Sheriff Thul, Verch appearenlty was struck by an old model car. Verch's mangled body was found by Donald Shaugnessy, Hopkins, a half hour after the victim of the hit-run car had left Chanhassen. Sheriff George Thul has launched a search for the driver of the hit-run car. He is checking with the Hennepin county sheriff's office and Minneapolis police in the matter. This was the fifth accident case in Carver county since September 1st, two of the accidents being fatal. Mr. Verch years ago lived on a farm in Waconia Township near the Lindner homestead. He was married to Anna Harms of Cologne. Surving are his wife and one daughter who resided in Hopkins. Mr. Verch was born near Mayer on March 26, 1887 a son of Mr. and Mrs. August Verch. He was employed in and about Marer for serveral years and later he found employment in other parts of the county. Mr. Verch was married to Anna Harms, who passed away serveral years ago. Funeral services were held at Chaska yesterday afternoon with the Rev. R. J. Mueller officiating at the services in the Eder-Zamjan funeral home. Surviving is one daughter, Mrs. William Gummow, of Hopkins. |