Bernard Rinkert (1967)

RINKERT, WIEDMANN

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 12/27/2006 at 13:12:39

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
1967

Bernard Rinkert

The abandoned refrigerator deadly enemy of the small child, claimed another young life in Madison county last Thursday evening.

The tiny victim was Bernard Rinkert, 5-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Rinkert of Patterson. He was found suffocated in a refrigerator in a vacant house next door to the home in which he lived in Patterson.

The child had been playing with his two brothers in the house. They all left the house, and the two brothers went to the home of a neighbor, but Bernard apparently re-entered the vacant house alone.

The little boy was found about one and a half hours later, at about 7:15 p.m. by the two brothers. A Winterset physician was called, but the boy was dead when he arrived.

Investigating officers estimated that the boy had been inside the refrigerator from one to one and a half hours. Evidence indicated he had fought strenuously to get out. He had virtually clawed his way through plastic and fiber glass lining on the door, and had scratched at the metal wall. The boy had removed the shelving from the refrigerator in order to get into the box.

Bernard was a son of James and Rose Wiedmann Rinkert and was born at Winterset Dec. 11, 1961.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Rinkert of Marshall, Mo., and Mr. and Mrs. John Wiedmann of Winterset; and five brothers and sisters, Barbara, aged 10; James Edward, aged 9; David, aged 8; Patrick, aged 4; and Cindy, aged 1 year.

Rosary services for the little boy were held Saturday evening from the Collins Funeral home. A funeral Mass was recited Sunday afternoon from St. Joseph's Catholic church in Winterset by the pastor, the V. Rev. Msgr. John W. Higgins. Burial was made in the Winterset cemetery.