Fussell, Ida 1868 - 1896

FUSSELL, FUSSEL, BRAY

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 2/13/2014 at 23:01:11

Iowa Postal Card, Fayette, Iowa, 16 July 1896.

Mrs. Ida Bray Fussel, was born in the city of Madison, Wis., May 26th, 1868. Came with her parents to Fayette, Iowa, when 8 years old. Was married to Mr. Frank H. Fussel at the age of 18. She died in Sumner, Iowa, July 4th, 1896, at the age of 28. She leaves a daughter 8 years old.

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Elgin Echo, Thur., 16 July 1896. From the Argo.

Summer was not without a gruesome tragedy on the Fourth, Mrs. Ida Fussell shooting her 11 year old girl and putting a bullet into her own brain. Mrs. Fussell was head cook at the Tibbitts house. Her husband, Frank Fussell, died about a year ago since which time she has been more or less despondent. On the morning of the Fourth she got up and was about her work as usual and her friends noticed that she was more than ordinarily cheerful. About 10 o'clock she went to her room with her little girl to dress her for the parade, and she was not seen again for an hour or such a matter when someone went to her room to call her. Receiving no answer to repeated rappings the door was opened and a fearful sight presented itself to the horrified caller. On the bed lay Mrs. Fussell and Georgia, both covered with blood. She had shot her daughter back of the ear and had then put a bullet in her own brain. Dr. Stafford was hastily called. He probed for and found the bullet in the little girl's head and she will recover with good care, but Mrs. Fussell died soon after she was found. Mrs. Fussell was taken to Fayette for burial, where the funeral was held Sunday afternoon. – The Argo.

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NOTE: There were many articles in many different newspapers of the time across the state covering this tragedy. In the articles the surname was spelled either Fussel or Fussell, sometimes both ways in the same article. The age of Georgia Fussell is given in those articles as variously 7, 8, 9 or 11 years of age.

See the obits of Nancy Jane Bray 1848 - 1928 / Frank H. Fussell died 1894 / Georgia Miner 188? - 1953 on this obit board.

Submitter is not related.

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