Transcripts of three articles from the Vilas County News Review (1975) Scans available by request...
Missing for over a week
Man vanishes in Nicolet National Forest, sheriff suspects foul play in disappearance
by Herman Baumann
The mysterious disappearances of an elderly man in the Nicolet National Forest has triggered one of the largest manhunts the area has ever known. County sheriff John Scott has not ruled out the possibility of "foul play."
Charles Theis, 83, of Milwaukee was with his son, Floyd, who was bird hunting. The younger Theis parked his car with his father in it, on Military Road near the Anvil Lake fire tower around 4 p.m., about 5 miles from their recreational home on Spectacle Lake in the Town of Phelps. He told his father to wait in the car, and went into the weeds hunting. The elder Theis was missing when his son returned about an hour later.
Scott used bloodhounds to track Theis' trail after his disappearance. The trail covered about nine miles along Military Road, and suddenly disappeared without a trace at the corner of Deerskin and Military Roads. The trail was checked by the hounds three times with the same result.
Scott has a theory that somebody picked Theis up at the intersection. He said that someone could have been looking for an easy person to rob, or done it as a bad prank.
"There's also the possibility that he was picked up by somebody who wanted to help, but was unable to," Scott said.
"Theis is an old man who has a very bad speech impediment, is hard to understand, and probably didn't know where he was or where he lived," he explained.
Scott added, "Of course, if someone like that did pick him up, I don't know why they haven't contacted us."
Jerry Yelk of Wausau, owner...
Turn to MISSING MAN, Pg. 2
<Remainder of article unavailable>
Man missing in forest here, no new leads
No new leads have been uncovered in the case of Charles Theis, who mysteriously disappeared in the Nicolet National Forest near trhe Anvil Lake fire tower, despite one of the largest searches in the history of the area involving four-wheel [dirve] vehicles, helicopters, airplanes, and over 200 volunteers.
Theis, [and] 83 year-old retired Milwaukee fireman, was with his son, Floyd Theis, who was bird hunting when the two were separated. The younger Theis told his father to wait in the car, which was about five miles from their recreational home on Spectacle Lake, while he went hunting. When he returned about an hour later he found no trace of his father.
The search was continued over the weekend by volunteers from the Milwaukee Fire Department and the Eagle River area, and hunters. No sign of Theis was found according to Vilas County Sheriff... *** article missing portion of text - assumed text reads: John Scott. Bloodhounds were brought in *** article resumes *** to follow the older Theis's trail shortly after he disappeared. The trail covered about nine miles along Military Road and suddenly vanished at the corner of Military and Deerskin Roads.
Scott theorizes that Theis was picked up by somebody in a car where the trail ends, possibly by someone wishing him harm...
<Article ends>
Description circulated
Missing man search continued by son
by Pat Katisch
Although the sheriff's department has given up the search for Charles Theis, who mysteriously disappeared in the Nicolet National Forest near the Anvil Lake fire tower October 14, Theis's son Floyd has continued searching for his missing father and is circulating a picture and description of the 83-year-old retired Milwaukee fireman.
No new leads have been uncovered in the case, despite one of the largest searching in the history of the area involving four-wheel drive vehicles, helicopters, airplanes, bloodhounds, and over 200 volunteers. However, Floyd Theis is hoping that a friendly motorist may have picked up his father, who had been waiting in a parked car on Military Road while Floyd was bird hunting.
In addition to numerous local searchers, up to 30 members of the Milwaukee Fire Fighters have joined Floyd, who is himself a Milwaukee fireman, in a continued search for Charles Theis.
"We've covered the area about ten times over, inching-out a little bit more every day, and it seems now that he most logical explanation has to be that dad was probably picked up by someone," Theis said.
"He's quite friendly but tends to be a little incoherent and confused and it's possible someone could have even driven him back to Milwaukee."
"Dad is about 5' 7", weights 160 pounds, has snow *** article missing portion of text - assumed test reads: white hair. He wears *** article resumes *** glasses with an attached hearing aid and has no bottom plate. He was wearing an ID band on his right wrist which said "Milwaukee Fire Department" and his name "Charles Theis" and he was wearing a Masonic ring and a gold wedding band. He had on a brown corduroy jacket with wool lining, double knit brown pants, brown shoes, and a brown hat with thin yellow stripes."
Floyd realizes that as each day passes, the chances that his father is still alive become less probable.
"Dad had several heart attacks and a stroke in the past and he was used to taking two heart pills every day," he said. "Unfortunately, he didn't' have any of those pills on him when he disappeared."
Floyd has a cottage on Spectacle Lake, where his mother has been staying, waiting for news of her husband. Because Floyd's leave of absence from the Milwaukee Fire Department expires this week, he will have to return to Milwaukee.
However, he is hopeful that somewhere someone will recognize his missing father from the picture being circulated and will help bring about a reunion.
Offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the return of his father (dead or alive), Floyd has asked that anyone from this area who may have a lead should contact the Vilas County Sheriff's Department (715-479-4441)
<Article ends>
I will transcribe the 2002 Milwaukee Journal article for ya'll tomorrow!
