Schroeder, Ferdinand 1852 - 1901

SCHRADER, SCHROEDER, MILLER

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/29/2020 at 13:55:32

Elkader Register, Thur., 30 May 1901. Giard & Monona columns.

Giard column:

On Saturday, May 25th, 1901, Ferdinand Schroeder, a resident of Giard twp., suicided or was accidently killed by the discharge of a shot gun. Mr. Schroeder arose on Saturday morning as usual, and dressing himself went into the kitchen. A few minutes later Mrs. Schroeder heard a gun shot and on going out to the kitchen she found her husband dead in a pool of blood. The charge of shot had entered the left side of throat tearing away all flesh, the jaw bone and side of the head. Death was instantaneous. If suicide, no cause was known for the rash act, as Mr. Schroeder was a prosperous, well-to-do farmer. All indications point toward an accident for apparently the gun was discharged from the corner of the room where it was usually kept. One theory advanced is that Mr. Schroeder saw an owl or hawk in the yard and either in drawing the gun toward him or in putting it back, it was accidentally discharged. The exact facts will never be known as no member of the family were up at the time. The empty gun was found lying at his side. Ferdinand Schroeder was born June 28th, 1852, in Alirs Hagen Pommern, Germany, and at the time of his death he was nearly 49 years of age. In 1875 he was married to Fredericke Miller. In 1882 the family came to America locating in Clayton county, which has since been their home. He is survived by his wife and eight children. Funeral services were held at his late home Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Graening of Monona. Interment in the Lutheran cemetery at Monona. The sympathy of the entire community is with the bereaved family.

Monona column:

Ferd. Schrader, who owned the Tim Humphry farm east of Monona, met his death Saturday morning by the discharge of his Shot Gun. Whether this was accidental or by design will probably never be known. It seems that he was in the habit of rising early and trying to kill owls and hawks that troubled him. It is thought that this might have been his purpose but that in loading the gun it was accidentally discharged. This would be a more reasonable view of the unfortunate death than any other as Mr. Schrader was not known to have been despondent, had just finished paying for his farm and had very few other financial obligations. He leaves a wife and eight children. The interment took place at the Lutheran cemetery in Monona Monday.

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Added by Joy Moore 3/29/2020:

Source: Decorah Republican May 30, 1901 P 4 C 3

Well-to-Do Farmer's Suicide
Monona, May 27.—At an early hour Sunday morning Ferdinand Schroeder, a well-to-do German farmer, living three miles cast of town, blew out his brains in his dining room, with a double-barreled shotgun. He had a large family of children, some of them grown up and married. No cause is known at present to influence him to commit this fatal deed.