George Edward Bravender 1885-1906

BRAVENDER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 7/1/2014 at 23:28:31

Overcome by Gas
Geo. Bravender of Armstrong Dies From Asphyxiation
Geo. Bravender, a well known young business man of Armstrong, was overcome by gas Monday night and died from the effects yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Bravender was sitting at his desk when discovered Tuesday morning and had evidently been at work. His head and arms resting on the desk and an open gas jet before him. He was still alive when discovered , but did not gain consciousness, and expired at about two o’clock.

Mr. Bravender was conducting a restaurant which he purchased a few months ago.

It is supposed that he sat down at the desk and fell asleep. How the gas came to be extinguished is a mystery. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, October 17, 1906)

Gas Asphyxiation
George E. [Edward] Bravender of Armstrong Found Dead Yesterday [October 16, 1906] Morning
One Gas Jet In Room Open
Deceased Was Twenty-Two Years of Age and Had Recently Engaged in Bakery and Restaurant Business
George E. Bravender, aged twenty-two, the proprietor of a bakery and restaurant at Armstrong, died at noon yesterday from gas asphyxiation.

He was discovered in his place of business about seven o’clock yesterday morning by W.O. Atkinson and was then apparently dead. Medical assistance was secured and an attempt made to revive him but he passed away about noon.

One gas jet was found open and when discovered the deceased was sitting in a chair by a table, with a book, pen and some money on the table.

He was the son of C.E. Bravender and was born in Kossuth county, east of Armstrong, was a graduate of the Cedar Rapids Business college and was bookkeeper in the State Bank of Armstrong until he purchased the restaurant and bakery business last summer. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, October 17, 1906)

Accidental Death at Armstrong
The town of Armstrong was stirred Tuesday morning by the findings of G.E. Bravender in his place of business in a dying condition. Bravender was a young man of about 22 years of age and was keeping a restaurant which he opened about three months ago. On Monday evening there was a show in town, and Mr. Bravender kept his place open after the show to catch what business that might come to him. The next morning early, as someone was passing he looked in and saw Bravender sitting at his desk and his body was resting on the desk. He rapped on the window, but Bravender made no response, and thinking that something might be wrong he went in, the door being unlocked, and laid his hand on Bravender’s shoulder and shook him, and to his amazement found his body rigid. He noticed the smell of gas, and rushed out and called help. There was soon a crowd there and among them two or three doctors. They took Bravender to the sidewalk and the doctors worked on him for two or three hours, and his heart being still beating they hoped to save his life. But in spite of all their efforts he died about noon.

It seems that the town of Armstrong is lighted by some kind of gas which is supplied by a gas plant. The plant shuts down at 12 o’clock each night and then the lights are supposed to be turned off. The plant starts off at 4 o’clock in the morning to generate a supply for the next night. The theory is that Bravender fell asleep at his desk before the lights went out, and the lamps not having been turned off, the gas filled the room when the works started again at 4 o’clock, and caused his death. Some thought it might have been a case of suicide. Mr. J. M. Cowan was in Armstrong that night and gave us the facts as stated. (Algona Courier, Algona, IA, October 19, 1906)