HALFWASSEN, Peter P. 1857-1916

HALFWASSEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/26/2017 at 12:48:36

Old Man Suicides In Beaver Township

Peter Halfwassen Shoots Self Through the Heart

Was Dead About Two Days When Found

Peter Halfwassen, a man sixty-five years old committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. His body was found about six o'clock last Thursday evening. The deed was committed at Fred Stahl's place in Beaver township. Johnnie Stahl, a son of Fred Stahl who was looking for eggs found the body lying in the hay mow.

County Coroner Dr. Gaffey was at once notified and he and Deputy Sheriff Benz went up. The coroner empanneled a jury composed of F. Hayes, O. J. Engelkes and E. W. Doeden. The jury's verdict was that the man committed suicide by shooting himself, the bullet passing through the heart.

The deceased had been making his home part of the time with his daughter, Mrs. Fred Stahl. He was quite irregular in his habits and he usually left home without saying where he was going and would be gone for several weeks.

Halfwassen wrote a letter at Dike on the 9th of September and mailed it to his son-in-law, Fred Stahl, on the same day. In this letter he speaks about money due him at Pipestone, Minn., and that he was going to shoot himself at a place about four miles west of Dike. The rifle which was used was bought at John Frerichs store at Dike the day the letter was written there.

Funeral services were held at the home Saturday and the remains were laid in the Beaver cemetery.

Peter Halfwassen was sixty-five years old. He resided in this county most of the time during the past twenty years. His wife died twenty years ago. He is survived by four children. The children are John and George Halfwassen, Mrs. Fred Stahl and Mrs. Harm Buskohl.

--The Grundy Democrat (Grundy Center, Iowa), 21 September 1916, pg 1

Correction by Mr. Klosterboer: Mrs. Harm Buskohl should be stated as Mrs. John Buskohl