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- North Tonawanda NY Evening News - 6/15/1970
Two young North Tonawanda men
were killed early today when their
car went out of control on Walck
Road, near Erie Avenue, in North
Tonawanda and slammed into a building
at National Grinding Wheel Division
of Federal-Mogul Corp
Pronounced dead at the scene were:
Michael Zellner, 23, of 1005 Erie
Ave., driver of the car.
James Kohles, 22. of 156 Hagen Ave ,
a passenger.
° *4orth Tonawanda police said the
car, a 1961 convertible, was apparently
traveling at a high rate of speed on
Walck Road and went out of control as
(Another Photo, Page 9)
it crossed the railroad tracks near the
plant of Durez Plastics Division.
Hooker Chemical Corp.
After skidding sideways for about
285 feet, the car slammed into the
office building of National Grinding
Wheel, striking the lower half of the
building that houses the plant cafeteria.
Police said the force of the impact
was so great that the wheel of the
auto left its impression on the wall.
Inside the cafeteria, bottles were
broken when jarred from shelves and
a wall separating the kitchen from the
lunch room was severely cracked.
The accident was discovered about
3:20 a.m. by a plant guard who noticed
broken windows in the cafeteria
while on routine patrol He
notified police about the windows and
said it looked like an attempted
burglary.
Dr. Albert Montani, a Niagara County
coroner, pronounced both men dead
at the scene. He ordered autopsies
performed on both bodies.
Mr. Zellner was seriously injured
about a year ago in a motorcycle accident
on Erie Avenue, near Sherwood
Avenue, when the handlebars of the
motorcycle he was driving broke and
the cycle went out of control.
An Army veteran of the Vietnam
war, Mr. Kohles was wounded in action
in 1967. He was retired from the
Army as a disabled veteran after more
than 20 operations to correct a
shattered leg suffered in the war.
In 1969, Mr. Kohles was a line coach
for the Tigers Tyro football team
Funeral arrangements for Mr Zellner
are being handled by the Roth
Funeral Home, Morgan and Williams
Streets, Tonawanda,
Arrangements for Mr Kohles are
being made by Hamp Funeral Home,
Adams and Seymour Streets, Tona
wanda.
ALSO
North Tonawanda NY Evening News - 6/15/1970
ZELLNER - Michael D. Zel-
lner, 23, of 1005 Erie Ave.,
North Tonawanda, unexpectedly
Monday (June 15, 1970) at De-
Graff Memorial Hospital.
A native of North Tonawanda,
he was a 1964 graduate of North
Tonawanda High School. He
was the son of Franklin J.
Zellner, Sr. who died in 1967.
An Army veteran of the Viet-
nam war, he had been em-
ployed at Niagara Cutter Divi-
sion in North Tonawanda for
five years. He was a member
of St. Francis of Assisi Church
and Tonawandas Post 264
American Legion.
Survivors include his mother
Elaine V Zellner. his grand
father, Oscar Flanagan of Tona
wanda, eight sisters, Mrs
Claude Houston of Rochester,
mrs. Roland Thompson of Tona-
wanda, Mrs. Donald Hemmer-
ling of Buffalo, Mrs. William
Steuer, Mrs. Shyla Joyner,
Mrs. James Reed, Mrs.
George Stickney and Miss
Nancy Zellner, all of North Tona-
wanda; four brothers, Franklin
Jr., Richard, Thomas and
James Zellner, all of North
Tonawanda.
Friends may call front 2 to 4
and 7 to 9 p.m at John 0 Roth
Funeral Home, Morgan and
William Streets. Tonawanda.
where prayers will be said at
9 a m Wednesday followed by a
Requiem Mass at 9 30 a m in
St Francis of Assisi Church.
The Rt Rev Msgr Ralph M
Miller will officiate Burial in
White Chapel Cemetery
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