WEYAUWEGA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – “My wife will never be the same, but with God’s strength we will be good,” said Kurt Schilling.
He and his wife, Paulina, who is originally from Ecuador, are surrounded by family, mourning the loss of four of Paulina’s children who Kurt treated as his own. Paulina brought five children into the marriage, Kurt had four of his own kids too.
According to Kurt Schilling, “Our house was a true home. Very blessed by God and by being a very united family.”
Paulina’s boys, 25-year old Daniel Gonzalez and 23-year old Fabian Gonzalez loved music. She said, “They both spent a lot of time together because they worked together on the same schedule.”
Fourteen year old Lillian Gonzalez was a freshman at Weyauwega-Fremont High School. Her mom said, “Lillian wanted to be a teacher.”
And 9 year old Daniela Gonzalez was in the fourth grade. “She loved and really wanted to be a cheerleader,” added Paulina Schilling.
The four were killed when the SUV they were traveling in on HWY 10, in Waupaca County on Saturday night, was hit head-on by a truck driven by 47-year old Scott Farmer of Neenah. Farmer is facing four charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.
“All I would say is that he and all people who might drink for many bad reasons to excess, or other drugs, would be responsible and think of others because you really destroyed our lives,” said Kurt Schilling.
The Schillings said the four victims were only about three miles away from home when they were killed. They were coming back from their weekly adventures together. Kurt Schilling said, “The big brothers would always treat their sisters to Culvers and then drop them off here, go to bed, be in church in the morning, that kind of thing. It was the Saturday tradition.”
Two good Samaritans from Appleton who drove up on the crash scene Saturday night and helped the Gonzalez children, visited with the grieving family, hoping to offer comfort.
Shelby Strahl said, “Knowing that they were all siblings was just heart wrenching and we just wanted to hug everyone, offer our condolences and let them know that we were there holding their hands, whether they were helped or not.”
Her twin sister, Farah Krueger, added, “Their children were not alone and they were being given great praises and wake up and we were there.”
The Schillings say family, friends and their faith will help them move forward from this tragedy — knowing one day they’ll be reunited with their children. They plan to a hold funeral for the four here in Wisconsin before taking them back to their birth place of Ecuador to be buried.
In addition to a GoFundMe page set up to the help the family, other fundraisers are underway in the community.
JD’s Cafe at 316 N. Mill St. in Weyauwega is collecting monetary donations for the family.
And the holiday light show at 205 E. Parker Street, also in Weyauwega, plans donate all money collected at the display between now and the end of the year to the family of the victims.
