“Owner, cash found in recovered car” and “Thank you” from the 1978 Door County Advocate
[from March 28, 1978]
It took a lot of volunteer manpower to pull a car out of Lake Michigan onto the Northport dock last Thursday afternoon. Pictures show Jeff Weborg out in a boat, skindivers preparing to dive and a group of men holding down the front of the wrecker as it pulled the car onto the dock. The bodies of Joseph A. Eiche, 81, Slinger, and his pet dog and $10,000 were found the car.
—Photos by Lee Telfer
Owner, cash found in recovered car
The bodies of an 81-year-old widower and his sheltie (miniature collie) dog and $10,000 in cash were recovered when the man’s car was pulled in from Lake Michigan off the Northport ferry dock last Thursday afternoon.
Joseph A. Eiche, Slinger, who had been missing since Dec. 18, was found in the car along with his dog and the $10,000, some of it on his person and the rest in a black bag, according to Sheriff Hollis Bridenhagen.
The sheriff said he received a call from the Washington Island ferry at 2: 45 p.m. Thursday saying they had spotted a car on the bottom of Lake Michigan about 100 feet off the dock in water about 20 feet deep.
Sheriff Bridenhagen said it appeared the car, a 1972 Oldsmobile, had been driven off the dock and floated out the 100 feet before it sank to the bottom.
The damage to the top of the car was apparently caused by the ferry’s running over it before it was finally discovered.
The sheriff notified the Coast Guard and with the help of the Bay Fins divers, the Liberty Grove-Sister Bay fire department and commercial fishermen Marvin and Jeffrey Weborg the car was pulled in by a wrecker at 6 p.m.
Door County Coroner William Faller ruled death was caused by accidental drowning.
[from April 18, 1978]
THANK YOU
The family of Joseph A. Eiche wishes to thank everyone for their concern and great help in searching, recovering and loss of our Brother and Uncle.
A special thanks to the Door County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Hollis J. Bridenhagen, Chief Deputy Dan O’Hern, the United States National Coast Guard, Chief Petty Officer Hannshurger; the Washington Island Ferry, Nathaniel Gunnlaugson, Bay Fins divers, Arleigh Porter, Howard Phillips, the liberty Grove-Sister Bay Fire Department. The Commercial fishermen, Marvin and Jeffery Weborg, the Olson Brothers Wrecker Service, the Casperson Funeral Home; the Door County Coroner, Dr. William Faller, the Door County Advocate and staff.
Our thanks goes out to anyone else who helped us in anyway. Your kindness will always be remembered.
Thank you very much
A. & M. Eiche, R. Eiche
and H. Kraetsch
Both are courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive