Remembering Florence Breitkreutz
Florence Breitkreutz, 21, formerly of West Salem, WI, died in a military plane crash on Oct 31, 1954, over the Atlantic Ocean.
Florence was a 1952 graduate of West Salem High School and joined the US Navy in Nov 1953. Following basic training she was trained as a flight attendant with her first duty station at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland. On Oct 30,1954, she was assigned as a crew member on a US Navy Lockheed Super Constellation on a flight from Patuxent River NAS, MD, to Port Lyautey, Morocco, via Lajes AFB, Azores. Contact was lost with the aircraft 350 miles off the Maryland Coast. A four-day search provided no signs of wreckage or survivors. Forty-two passengers and crew members died.
Florence was born May 1, 1933, in Princeton, Green Lake County, WI to William and Ella (Zeatlow) Breitkreutz, the youngest of six children. While attending West Salem High School she lived with the Donald D. and Lois Ann Miller family in Barre Mills, WI, and also during that time had a special longtime mentorship with Rachel Gullickson of West Salem. Florence predeceased her parents and five siblings Ida, Fred, Adeline, Arnold, and Lawrence, who are now all deceased.
A military memorial marker will be dedicated in Florence's memory at Hamilton Cemetery, 850 W. Franklin, West Salem on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM. Pastor Jonathan Schmidt will officiate with military honors provided by the West Salem American Legion and the US Navy Funeral Honor Guard. Memorials may be addressed to the WS American Legion.
Restoration of the Palmer-Gullickson Octagon House is underway!
The porches are stabilized and their framing repaired and the NEW ROOF is ON!
Work on the porch flooring and ceilings
should finish in 2026!
Donations are always welcomed and appreciated!
Thank you for your past, present and future support!
Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!
Donations are always welcomed!
Donations are used to maintain our historical homes and further our promotion of West Salem history.
Taking Care of Business...The West Salem Way
Are you interested in learning more about the history of West Salem businesses, churches, schools, or other village activities? If so, Errol Kindschy's "Taking Care of Business....The West Salem Way" is the book for you! Volumes 1-5 cover the years of 1851-1959. Each book is filled with a wealth of information and photos detailing the events of days gone by. Is your name or the names of your relatives listed in these books? It's easy to find out, as each book has a detailed index. Books can be purchased for $15 each for Volumes 1-4 and $20 each for Volume 5 directly from author Errol Kindschy by calling him at 608-518-8566 or picked up in person at the West Salem Pharmacy or Le Coulee Cheese Castle (both located in West Salem). What a great way to learn about all the history that our village has known!