Robbins, John W. SR 1882-1944

ROBBINS, PARSONS, SCHULDT, LANG

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 11/26/2013 at 18:18:06

Elkader, Ia. - Mrs. Linnie Robbins Thursday morning was still in a critical condition and physicians do not expect her to live as the result of gunshot wounds which sheriff's officers said were inflicted Wednesday by her husband, John A. Robbins, Sr., 62, who then hanged himself in a barn on his farm at Mederville, about two miles south of here.

Mrs. Robbins is in an Elkader hospital. She was shot in the head and bruises indicated she was severely beaten before the gun was turned upon her. Sheriff's officers said the double tragedy occurred following a quarrel. An inquest was held in the courthouse at Elkader Thursday.

Mr. and Mrs. Robbins had been married 35 years and have six sons and three daughters. Three sons are in the armed forces: Howard, somewhere in Italy, and Clarence and Harold in training in California; John, Jr., and Vernon of Strawberry Point, and Walter of Waterloo; two daughters, Mrs. Albert Schuldt, Volga City, and Mildred at home; two brothers, Robert of Dundee and Charles of Osborne.

The deceased was born at Osborne April 26, 1882, and was married in December of 1909. The body is at the Gill Funeral Home in Strawberry Point. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.

~Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Thursday evening edition, July 13, 194

~Several Iowa papers carried similar versions of the tragedy with the following additional info.: In addition to the brothers, Robbins was also survived by a sister, Mrs. Clara Lang of Osborne

~Note: his wife did survive, dying several years later, see also her obit on this board

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From Rita Nelson 9/11/2023:
John Robbins middle initial is "W" not, "A" per his gravestone in the Mederville cemetery and and the following, copied from a Manchester newspaper:

“Tuesday , July 18th, 1944
Last Week John Robbins Sr Shoots Wife and Then Hangs Self Clayton County Register
The possibility of attempted murder and suicide involving the death of John W. Robbins Sr , 62, of Mederville and the critical condition of his wife, Linnie, 55, who is in the Gehring hospital here suffering from head injuries, was being investigated Thursday by county authorities A coroner's inquest was being held Thursday morning to determine whether Mr. Robbins hung [himself] after shooting his wife at their farm one and one half miles south of Mederville Wednesday. The body of Mr. Robbins was, found hanging...”