Kathryn Ann (Givan) Schrader (1950)
GIVAN, HAYMOND, MARTIN, SCHRADER
Posted By: Linda Brittain
Date: 2/15/2006 at 12:47:53
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, January 24, 1950
Page 1Moved to Adair County in 1944
Former Kathryn Ann Givan Graduated From W. H. S. in 1942
Mrs. Kathryn Ann Schrader, young Adair county mother of two small children, who was shot to death at her farm home northeast of Greenfield last Friday, was a Madison county girl and a graduate of the Winterset high school.
She was the former Kathryn Ann Givan, daughter of Lloyd Givan of Winterset and Mrs. Rose Givan of Stanzel. She was born and reared on a farm in Webster township. She attended the Winterset high school, graduating in the class of 1942.
Mrs. Schrader was shot to death at her farm home in Adair county last Friday, by Max B. Martin, aged 28, in one of the most vicious and utterly senseless crimes to occur in this part of Iowa in recent years.
Martin lived on a farm in the same general neighborhood. He is a former convict, with a long record of vicious crimes and violence. After his arrest, his only excuse for killing Mrs. Schrader was "because she wouldn't give me any gasoline for my car."
Later Martin admitted having stopped at another farm home earlier that day, ransacking it for valuables, when he found no one home. Authorities now think he may have stopped at the Schrader home also with robbery in mind.
Mrs. Schrader was alone in her home with her two small daughters Friday afternoon when the tragedy occurred. The children were in adjoining rooms and did not witness the shooting. The older child, Anita Jane, aged 4 years, had just been brought home from the hospital following an appendicitis operation, and was confined to her bed. The baby, Cynthia, is but 4 months old.
Mrs. Schrader's husband, Glenn Schrader, had spent the afternoon shelling corn at the neighboring farm of his father, and then went to the home of a brother-in-law. He discovered his wife's body in the dining room of their home when he returned there about 4 p.m. Time of death has been fairly well established at shortly after 2:30 p.m. when her telphone conversation with a friend was interrupted twice by "a man at the door."
Mrs. Schrader was born in Webster township of Madison county on April 25, 1925, and her early life was spent in that community. In 1944, she moved with her parents to Adair county. She was married to Glenn Schrader of Greenfield on Jan. 20, 1946. She was 25 years old at the time of her death. She and her husband were planning to observe the fifth anniversary of their wedding the next day.
In addition to her parents and the two small daughters, Mrs. Schrader is survived by one sister, Mrs. Rosalie Haymond of Winterset; and five brothers, John Givan of Ames, Robert Givan of Macksburg, Lyle Givan of Dallas, Tex., Louis Givan of the U. S. navy, and David Givan of Stanzel.
Funeral services were held Monday from the Lutheran church at Greenfield, in charge of the Rev. Mr. Vogle. Burial was made in the Greenfield cemetery.
Meanwhile, Martin is being held in the Adair county jail at Greenfield on an open charge of murder. He has waived to the grand jury, and is being held without bond.
________________________The Creston News Advertiser
Creston, Iowa
Saturday, January 20, 1951
Page 1, Column 8
Page 2, Columns 3 & 4Greenfield Farm Wife is Slain
Mother of Two Children Shot To Death in Home
Shot Twice with .22 Caliber Shells Friday Afternoon
GREENFIELD—Mrs. Kathryn Ann Schrader, pretty 25-year-old Adair county farm housewife, was shot to death in the dining room of her home, five miles northeast of Greenfield, Friday afternoon.
The body of the young farm wife, who would have celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary today, was found by her husband, Glenn, 28, when he returned to the farm about 4 p. m. after helping shell corn at his father’s farm.
Mrs. Schrader had been shot with a .22 caliber gun. She had been shot once in the abdomen and once above the left breast. The .22 caliber shell cases were found at her feet and one bullet was taken from a wall near her body.
Children Napping
Her two children, Janie, 3½, and Cynthia, nine months were napping in an adjoining bedroom when Schrader found the body of his wife.
Mrs. Schrader’s body was fully clothed in blue jeans, a white blouse, bobby sox and loafer shoes. Her clothing was not disarranged.
Sheriff Don L. Foster of Adair county said today that officers worked through the night. Foster’s staff, state highway patrolmen and agents of the state bureau of investigation are at work on the case. They ordered an autopsy last night and summoned a pathologist from Des Moines to make a further examination of the body.
Sheriff Foster said “we have nothing new to report today.” He added that “we have hopes, though, and there is always the possibility of a break in the case.”
“Baffling”
At Des Moines, R. W. Nebergall, chief of the Iowa bureau of investigation, called the slaying “ a baffling proposition.”
A neighboring farm woman, Mrs. Robert Brown, said she had talked by telephone with Mrs. Schrader about 3:30 p. m. Friday. She said Mrs. Schrader interrupted their conversation, saying “wait a minute. Two men are coming to the house.” She said later that the men had come to the farm to inquire about puppies. She ended the conversation by saying she would call later, that the men were coming to the house.
The 3½ year old daughter, Janie who had just been returned home from the Adair county Memorial hospital here after an appendix operation, told her father that two men had come to the house. The child apparently was not able to tell more of what had taken place.
Found by Husband
Schrader found the body of his wife in the dining room of their five-room house, shortly after 4 p. m. Friday. He had returned home from the farm of his father, Carl Schrader, two miles away, where he had been helping shell corn. He told officers he had helped with the family washing during the morning. He said he saw nothing wrong at the house when he drove past his home to call at the Bowen farm. Leaving the Bowen farm about 4 p. m., he found his wife’s body when he reached home.
A dust mop was near Mrs. Schrader’s body. The body was about 10 feet from the telephone which Mrs. Schrader had been using. There were blood spots on a table cloth, indicating that the young mother had staggered there before she fell. Her head was a few inches from the door to the bathroom. No gun was found at the scene of the shooting.
Not Suicide
A .22 caliber bolt action rifle was found in the basement of the home, but apparently it had not been fired for some time. The officers ruled out the possibility of suicide because no gun was found and there were powder burns on Mr. Schrader’s body.
Sheriff Foster said today that “this snowstorm is handicapping our efforts.” He did not elaborate on this statement.
Authorities said they are not prepared to say whether Mrs. Schrader was killed by a stranger or by some one known to her. They said there were “virtually no” clues as to who committed the slaying or the motive.
Married 5 Years
Mr. and Mrs. Schrader were married Jan. 20, 1946. Schrader is a veteran of World war II and served with an army hospital unit in the south Pacific.
Mrs. Schrader was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Givan of Winterset, who survive. Also surviving are four brothers, David, attending school in Greenfield, Bob of Macksburg, Lyle of Dallas, Tex., and Louis, who is in the navy.
While the officers here continued their investigation, Page county authorities at Shenandoah speculated today as to a possible connection between Mrs. Schrader’s slaying and a shooting near here Tuesday night.
The Creston News Advertiser
Creston, Iowa
Wednesday, January 24, 1951
Page 1, Column 3Large Crowd at Rites for Victim Of Farm Slaying
GREENFIELD—A large crowd of relatives and friends attended funeral services at the Emanual Lutheran church here Monday afternoon for Mrs. Kathryn Ann Schrader, 25, a slaying victim at her farm home near here Friday afternoon.
Services were conducted by Rev. George Vogel with burial in the Greenfield cemetery.
Mrs. Schrader was shot to death by Max B. Martin, 28 year old farm hand, who admitted the slaying because Mrs. Schrader wouldn’t give him any gasoline for his car. Martin picked up Saturday, was charged in justice court at Greenfield Monday with murder and bound over to the district court without bail. The Adair county district court’s next session starts March 28. Prosecutor Clare H. Williamson said he had not decided yet whether to request a special session before that time to handle the murder case.
The slaying victim is survived by her husband and two children, Janie, 3½, and Cynthia, nine months.
Gravesite
Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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