1 Feb 1942 – 14 Jan 1961
2nd-Great-Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Great-Grandson of Thomas B. Cardon and Lucy Smith
Grandson of Orson Guy Cardon and Ruby Leigh Nebeker
Son of Ruby Leith Cardon and William Hampton Marshall
GUY MARSHALL
Services for Guy Marshall, 18, of 1589 Fulham St., Falcon Heights, one of seven teenagers killed in a Roseville traffic accident Saturday, were held at 1:30 p. m. today in the Henry funeral home. 535 N., Snelling Ave.
Burial will await the arrival of his parents, Dr. and Mrs. William Marshall from New Zealand, the funeral director said.
Marshall enrolled at the University of Minnesota earlier this month on his return from New Zealand where his father, a university professor, is doing research in entomology.
-Published in the St. Paul Dispatch (St. Paul, MN), Tuesday, January 17, 1961, Page 22
Crash Victim
Memorial
Fund Set Up
A memorial fund was announced Thursday for Guy Marsahll, 18, University of Minnesota student who was one of seven teenagers killed last Saturday in a head-on auto crash on hwy. 36 near Rice St.
Guy who lived in Frontier hall, university men’s dormitory, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Marshall. The father, a noted entomologist and zoologist, left the University of Minnesota last year to study in New Zealand under a scholarship grant. Mrs. Marshall and Guy went along.
The youth returned home Christmas day and enrolled at the university where he planned to study political science.
Friends of the family said Thursday that the Rev. Edwin Johnson, pastor of St. Anthony Park Congregational church, St. Paul, will accept contributions to the Guy Marshall Memorial fund to be administered by the Marshall family.
It was explained that checks may be made to the Guy Marshall Memorial fund and sent to Rev. Mr. Johnson or the church, 2129 Commonwealth Ave., St. Paul, 8.
The accident victim’s parents are still in New Zealand.
-Published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) Friday, January 20, 1961, Page 7
Crash Fatal to 7 Turns Highway 36 into ‘Battlefield’
Two carloads of teenagers collided head on about 1 a. m. Saturday on hwy. 36 near Rice st. in Roseville in the worst auto accident in Ramsey county’s history.
Officers said the grinding smashup resulted in bloodshed reminiscent of a battlefield.
Six of the youths, one a girl, died instantly. The seventh died about 2 1/2 hours later in Ancker hospital. Their ages ranged fro 17 to 19.
One of the autos, driven by Thomas Irish, 17 of 2011 Fairmount ave., contained three other Central high school students. It was headed east on hwy. 36. The other auto was headed west on the four-lane thoroughfare.
Here is how Roseville police and Ramsey county sherriff’s deputies pieced together the collision:
The Irish car sped past turcks “at least 100 miles and hour.” Then the car seemed to “wiggle” and shoot into the westbound lane of the second auto carrying three University of Minnesota students, including the girl.
About 500 feet west of Rice st., on a straight, open stretch of raod, the cars smashed together in a loud explosion.
One engine was torn away and hurled 180 feet from the point of impact. One wheel was knocked off its bas and rolled 600 feet.
“The driver (Irish) just couldn’t hold it when he tried to swing back. The other driver didn’t have a chance, it happened so fast,” said a truck driver who watched it. “There was jus one big explosion and then darkness.”
-Published in the St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) Sunday, January 15, 1961, Page 1.
Coed Tells of Friends’ Last Date
By ROBERT WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
Sobbing, uncontrollably, an 18-year-old Maplewood girl Saturday afternoon told of the last hours of three University of Minnesota friends whose lives were snuffed out in a violent traffic accident only a few block from her home.
Judith Kalmen, 748 Roselawn ave., still could not fully believe that her companions of only a few hours before were dead.
Nor could she understand what strange twist of fate had Spared her from the nightmarish crash.
Five minutes before the 1 a. m. accident, Judith had been driven home by her date for the evening, Michael Swifka, 18, of 2233 Scudder st., and the couple with whom they had double-dated, Guy Marshall, 18 of 1589 Fulham ave. and Cynthia (Pam) Comstock, 18, of 1985 Roselawn ave., Roseville.
“I had been sitting in the front seat with Mike. When I got out of the car, Guy and Pam moved to the front with Mike. I waved goodby to them –” her voice trailed off.
As if by some prophecy, the group had been discussing life, and death and live after death.
“After the hockey game, we went to the Scholar, an espresso coffee house near the university,” she recalled. “We just sat and talked and drank apple cider. WE talked quite a bit about death. Michael was brilliant. He had an I. Q. of 155.
But the odd part of it was that he was of the idea that sometimes life wasn’t worth
living for. Pam believed very strongly in God and a here-after as I do, and Michael envied what he called ‘having such a strong faith.’
“Guy also wished he could believe as strongly as we did,” Judith said.
It was her first date with Swifka. The two were introduced only last week through Marshall, boyhood chum of Swifka’s who had been dating the Comstock girl since they attended alexander Ramsey high school.
“We made a date to attend the university hockey game at Williams arena Friday night,” Judith said.
“Mike left home about 6 p. m. He said he was going to pick Guy up at the university and they were going to eat together before picking up their date,” said Michael’s mother Mrs. Frank Swifka.
He borrowed the family car, a 1960 Dodge, “of which he was very proud and careful. He never got a traffic ticket in his life,” Mrs. Swifka said.
“At 1 a. m. I started to worry. I usually waited for Mike when he was out and when he came home we would sit and talk about his evening. He always called me when he was going to be late. Last night he didn’t call and when the phone finally rang at 3 a. m. I knew it was the police. I knew something had happened,” Mrs. Swifka said.
“Before leaving, Mike talked for awhile with us. We’re a very close family and we frequently sit down together and have family discussions.”
“Mike remarked how glad he was to be born into this family. We have another son, Anthony, 12, and a daughter, Susan, 10. And we have two sets of grandparents near us,” Mrs. Swifka said.
Her father, Dr. Arthur Hutchins, university professor of horticulture, and mother live just down the street. Mrs. Swifka’s parents share the duplex at 2233 Scudder st.
“The other children lived Mike. He was so considerate of them. He spent all day Thursday playing games with the,” she said.
Michael attended Gutterson grade school “but like so many gifted children he was not a stand-out student.”
Later, he went to University high school, from which he was graduated last June, and enrolled at the university in the fall.
“Mike always worked. He carried the Dispatch and Pioneer Press at one time and had other odd jobs. He had his own car for awhile but considered it an unnecessary expense and sold it,” Mrs. Swifka said.
“He was a good boy. He was rather quiet but he had many friends. We were very proud of him,” she said.
Swifka and Guy Marshall were boyhood friends in the St. Anthony park community of university faculty. Marshall’s father, William, a noted entomologist and zoologist, was a faculty associate of Swifka’s grandfather, and also of Cynthia Comstock’s father, Ralph, professor of animal husbandry.
Marshall’s parents went to New Zealand last year, where the father is studying under a scholarship grant. Guy went along and attended college there last fall. He came home Christmas day and enrolled at the university where he planned to study political science.
James Katila, Orr, Minn., was Marshall’s roommate in Frontier hall, university men’s dormitory.
“I just met Guy a few days ago, but he was very friendly.” Katila said. “He seemed rather quiet and studious at first but when you got to know him he really opened up and was actually a light-hearted person.
“He always talked about his travels and especially his trip to New zealand. He said he wanted to travel when he got out of school. He liked to read adventure stories. There’s some of James Michener’s books on his bookshelf now.
“Guy listened to the radio a lot and would start snapping his fingers when they played rock and roll music. He dressed well, but not fancy. The usual campus stuff; sweaters, slacks, a sports shirt and topcoat,” Katila said.
On Marschall’s desk sits a portrait of Cynthia Comstock.
“They weren’t officially engaged, but they were a pretty steady pair,” Katila said.
Guy and Cynthia had been a “steady pair” through most of their high school days at Alexander Ramsey.
“I didn’t know Cynthia, but I know Guy was crazy about her,” Mrs. Swifka said. ” Mike frequently told me what a nice girl she was.”
-Published in the St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN), Sunday, January 15, 1961, Pages 1 and 2.
Logan City cemetery, Logan, Cache County, Utah
