Groenhagen, Fred 1910-1932

GROENHAGEN, SIEBENS

Posted By: Linda Mohning, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/22/2013 at 11:37:11

Young Farmer Uses Bullet to Kill Self. Fred Groenhagen Found dying on Roadside Friday Morning; Lives One Hour.
Sifting its way through the United States mails today is a letter bound for Emden, Germany, and destined to crush the hearts of an aged father and mother when its pages unfold the story of the tragic death of their son, Fred Groenhagen, who ended his life by shooting, last Friday morning on a country roadside southeast of Remsen.
Fred Groenhagen, 21 years old and a resident of this community for but six years, was found dead at 2 o’clock Friday morning, lying aside the road at the entrance to the Frank Hewicker farm yard, with a bullet hole in his left temple and as .22 calibre rifle beside him. Every form of evidence at hand pointed conclusively to the fact that Fred had taken his own life.
In company with two friends, Lester Sanow and Alfred Hansen, the young man attended a neighborhood barn dance Thursday evening. All day while at work on the Hewicker farm and throughout the hours of the dance his companions noticed no perceptible change in his attitude toward life; he hinted at no form of personal trouble or ill health save that at times he was extremely homesick, in fact his employer state he noticed on this particular day the youth was more than usually active and of good cheer.
Returning from the dance with the same companions in addition to two young ladies, Fred asked to be the first to be left off at his home. In this he was accommodated although it caused additional mileage to the other young people. He stepped out of the car at the entrance to the Hewicker farm. The hour struck two, and Mr. Hewicker’s mother, Mrs. Ottilie Hewicker, occupying a room overlooking the farmyard, awakened. Gazing out of the window she saw Fred run for a small shed nearby. He remained there about 10 minutes but during that time came repeatedly to the door apparently scanned the road in the direction from which his companion were bound soon to return on their way home. Next he was seen walking hastily back to the end of the entrance lane and at that moment the glare of the headlights appeared at the top of the hill a quarter mile away, and when his companions arrived a minute later they were halted by the grewsome spectacle of their dying companion. Life was not extinct, but the lad was unconscious.
His hasty retreat into the woodshed, the several appearances at the door, his hasty return to the road just as the car lights hove in sight, lead to the positive belief that Fred had planned his act carefully with the aim of having his body discovered by his recent associates. His reason for this, of course, can never be determined. His two brothers in this vicinity, his employer, and none of his friends are able to supply the slightest clue as to what caused him to end his life. He was subject to periods of depression because of homesickness, but his brothers decline to attribute his act to this since his thrifty habits and the assistance proferred by his brothers could easily have satisfied his desire of returning to his parental home.
Mr. Hewicker was awakened and Fred Steffen, a neighbor, soon appeared upon the scene and in the latter’s car a quick trip was made to the Le Mars hospital. The party arrived there at 3 o’clock and ten minutes later Fred Groenhagen was pronounced dead.
The dead boy was a native of Emden, Ost Friesland, Germany, where he was born September 18, 1910, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Groenhagen. He and his brother Evart came to this country six years ago, accompanying their uncle, Ben Siebens of Le Mars, who had gone there for a visit. Here they joined their brother Henry, who had come three years previously. Henry is working on a farm near Cherokee and Evart is employed on the Fred Steffen farm. The boys are industrious and likeable, and during their few years of residence here all have gained a wide circle of friends who hold them in highest esteem.
Fred was considered an especially upright, hard working boy, painstaking and trustworthy in his work, with the highest moral traits and a general favorite among the many young friends he had learned to know. His various employers found him an ideal helper, and Mr. Hewicker speaks of him in the highest terms.
Besides the two brothers living here, there are two brothers and three sisters at the parental home in Germany.
The body was taken to the Luken undertaking establishment in Le Mars and the funeral was held Monday afternoon, with the Rev. Geo. M. Ruff of St. Paul’s Lutheran church in charge. – Remsen Bell-Enterprise, June 23, 1932, page 1, column 4 and page 6, column 3.