Busser, Richard, 1893-1935

BUSSER, WORKMAN, TALSMA, BURTON

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

From the Alton Democrat, January 3, 1936:

Dick Busser of Brewster Ends Life

Dick Busser, former Alton boy and a veteran of the World war, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at his home at Brewster, Minn., the last of last week, according to news reaching here. His body is at funeral parlors at Worthington.

Dick, according to report, had been in ill health for some time and it is thought that despondency caused him to become mentally unbalanced. After moving to Minnesota where he was section boss at Brewster and doing well, he married and was happy and contented, so far as his friends here know. Dick was a member of Floyd Post No. 200 at Alton for many years, sending the Post annually a shipment of coffee for the enjoyment of the members. The coffee Dick supplied usually lasted for many months.

The tragedy was learned of here with regret by his many friends of long years standing.

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From the Alton Democrat, January 10, 1936:

Funeral services for Dick Busser, section foreman at Brewster, Minnesota, were held last Tuesday at the Sacred Heart church at Brewster, according to a clipping from a Brewster newspaper. Members of the American Legion post attended in a body and Mr. Busser was given a military funeral. Survivors are his wife, the former Minnie Burton of St. Paul, to whom he was married on May 3, 1926, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Busser of Alton, and a brother, Claus Busser of Sutherland. He was 43 years of age.

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From the Worthington (Minnesota) Globe, December 31, 1935:

BREWSTER MAN TAKES OWN LIFE
Richard Busser Shoots Self Saturday—Had Been in Poor Health

Richard Busser, 43, of Brewster committed suicide Saturday evening about 6:30 by shooting himself through the head with a .38 calibre revolver. No definite cause is known for the act although he had been ill for several weeks and despondency over poor health is thought to have been a reason.

Busser was alone at home with his wife at the time. One shot was fired, the bullet entering behind the ear and passing out through the top of the skull. He died shortly after 8 o’clock that evening.

Busser was section boss on the Omaha railroad at Brewster.

Funeral services will be held at the home at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

He was born at Alton, Ia., April 21, 1893 and married Minnie Burton at St. Paul on May 3, 1926. They have no children. Survivors are his wife and his father.

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RESEARCH NOTES

No issues of the Brewster Tribune were available for this time period.

FindaGrave.com shows him as Richard Busser, born 21 April 1893, died 28 December 1935, buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Brewster, Nobles County, Minnesota, with a photo of his headstone that shows him as Corporal, Company A, 109th Engineers, World War 1. No additional information.

Minnesota death certificate no. 1935-MN-009659 shows him as Richard Busser, resident of Brewster, Nobles County, for 15 years; wife Minnie Busser; occupation, section foreman, railway, in this occupation 15 years; born April 21, 1893 at Alton, Iowa; father John Busser, born in Holland, mother’s name unknown to the informant, Mrs. Busser; died December 28, 1935, suicide by shooting [no reference to any underlying health problem]; buried in the Catholic cemetery, Brewster.

The Sioux County marriage register for 1916/1917 shows groom Dick Busser, age 24, residence Alton, a section foreman (Northwestern Railway Co.), born at Alton, parents John Busser and Alice Workman; bride Flora Talsma, age 19, resident of Sheldon, born at Alton, parents Edward Talsma and Nettie Drugger, married at Sheldon November 17, 1916. (Since he had taken out the marriage license in Sioux County, the wedding was performed at the Sheldon fair grounds, in Sioux County, instead of at the bride’s parents’ home: Hawarden Independent, 23 Nov. 1916.)

Flora (Florence) and Dick divorced in October 1917 (Hawarden Independent, 11 Oct 1917), probably around the time he was drafted and sent to Camp Dodge and then to the army training camp at Deming, New Mexico (Boyden Reporter, 22 Nov 1917, Hull news), and Florence remarried. There is an O’Brien County marriage register entry for Florence Talsma, age 20, resident of Sheldon, born in Alton, parents Ed Talsma and Nettie Druger, and Kryn John Lagendyk, age 52, married in Primghar on September 2, 1918 (the entry says her first marriage, his second).