Winnebago County, Illinois
Death Records and Notices

Reunion Massacre Shocks Small Town
Carlinville IL - December 19, 1968 Special to the Register-Republic
Residents of this small Central Illinois town were recovering today from the tragedy at the local welfare office in which four persons, including a former Rockford resident, were killed Wednesday by a distraught father who later killed himself. Among the victims was Mrs. Bonnie Lynn Albracht, 23, a welfare worker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Keith, 3211 Guilford Road, Rockford.
"It was a terrible shock," said Bernice Nixon, an office employee at the Carlinville Democrat, the weekly newspaper where Mrs. Albracht's husband, Edward Albracht Jr., works as a printer. "It is something hard to believe, but everyone is pulling things back together. He's (the killer) dead, but that's not going to bring back all the people."
The shooting spree occurred when Sherman Kline, 38, Brussells, Illinois, arrived at a Christmas party arranged as a reunion for him, his wife and seven of their 10 children.
In addition to Mrs. Albracht, those killed included Kline's wife, Lorraine, 33; Frank Wildgrube, 23, a caseworker who set up the reunion in the office of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Welfare, and Ann Keppler, 28, an office stenographer. Wildgrube was the first victim.
Mrs. Albracht's parents went to Carlinville today to make funeral arrangements. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Heinz Funeral Home here. The victim's father is chief inspector for the Goss Printing Press Co., Rofkford, Illinois.
Mrs. Albracht attended Lincoln Junior High School and graduated from East high School in June 1962. At East she was a member of the orchestra, symphonetta, German Club and Sports Club. She graduated from Blackburn College here in 1966. Miss Nixon, who described Mrs. Albracht as tall, attractive, with dark short hair, said she had been employed by the welfare agency for about two and a half years as a homemaker coordinator. (the rest of the article missing).. Submitted by Jessy Moyer

Goodhue, Dr. Josiah C, - resident of Chicago in 1843 - died, Rockford, Ill., Dec. 31, 1847

Kercheval, Louis Cass, - resident of Chicago in 1843 - died Hickory Creek, Ill Sept. 14 1846, a 52.

McGraw, Edward - resident of Chicago in 1843 - [died, Pecatonica, Ill., July 14, 1890]
McGuire, Michael - resident of Chicago in 1843, was a laborer, resided at North Water, bet Clark and Dearborn [died, Pecatonica, Ill., July 14, 1890]

Wellmaker, John, - resident of Chicago in 1843 - died Hickory Creek, Ill., first German in Chicago, (baker).
Wilder, Benjamin - resident of Chicago in 1843 - was a contractor, resided at Clark near and south of Twelfth [died, Rockford, Ill., March 13, 1877, aged 82]

©K. Torp
Genealogy Trails