Janicke, William A. 1885-1965

JANICKE, ONKEN, RENTEL

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/25/2014 at 15:46:19

LeMars Daily Sentinel
February 16, 1965

William Janicke Found Dead in Burning House
Gasoline Explodes Stove
The Two-Room House is where William Janicke made his home alone. Furniture, tools and other household articles in deep snow around the house. (Photo provided with the news article.)

William Janicke, 78, longtime resident of Plymouth County, died of burns Monday afternoon when a pot-bellied stove exploded in his 2-room house.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Sherman Lindell, county medical examiner.

Mr. Janicke lived alone at 201 Seventh Ave. SW. A neighbor, W. E. Ebrecht, noticed smoke coming from the Janicke house and called firemen at 4:20 p.m.

When firemen arrived they found the badly burned body on top of a cob pile on the west side of the room. Smoke poured from broken windows.

Dr. Lindell said Mr. Janicke evidently was blown down by the explosion. Firemen reported the odor of gasoline soaked cobs.

Firemen extinguished the flames in the house.

Mr. Janicke was a partial cripple and in recent years drove a self-propelled lawn mower for transportation around town.

He was a friend of the Herman and Clarence Lang families for many years and ate his noon meal with the family almost every day, Clarence Lang said. He added Mr. Janicke drove his mower to the Lang farm last Sunday for his daily visit and left about 4 o’clock. Mr. Lang reported he didn’t come Monday.

Mr. Janicke, known as “Johnnycake” by many, was a LeMars legend. Back in the 1940s, he would visit taverns and entertain customers with his glass-eating. He would not actually swallow the glass, Mr. Lang said, but would chew it up and then let it flow back into the beverage as he put the full glass to his lips. Many thought he had actually swallowed the glass.

Several years ago Mr. Janicke sustained a hip injury and since then has suffered from arthritis. He got around on two crutches, and drove his little vehicle to grocery stores and to neighbors for visits.

Mr. Janicke was born April 20, 1885, in Sioux City. He married Marie Johanna Onken Dec. 20, 1906, in LeMars. They farmed in Grant township until 1915, when he moved to Crystal Lake where he lived until 1927. He moved back to Plymouth County and farmed until retiring to LeMars in 1946.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. at Mauer Funeral Home. Burial was in LeMars Memorial Cemetery. Rev. L. L. Belk and Rev. Robert Floy officiated.

Survivors are a son, John Janicke, Grove City, Minn.; a daughter, Elsie Janicke, LeMars; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three half-sisters, Mrs. Tony Meier, and Emma Jean Rentel, both of Sioux City, and Mrs. Earl Layson, Seattle, Wash.; a step-brother, Frank Rentel, Sioux City, and two step-sisters, Mrs. Pauline Svenosen and Mrs. Anna Howard, both of Sioux City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Richard; a half-sister, Marie Rentel, and a step-brother, Herman Rentel.