John Lancaster

LANCASTER

Posted By: Volunteer - Rhonda Rankin Rowe
Date: 1/31/2002 at 09:39:03

John Morris Lancaster, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Lancaster, killed himself on Monday morning at the family home west of Mt. Sterling by shooting himself in the heart. No reason for the act is known. His age was eighteen years, six months and twenty-four days.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon at two o’clock with interment in the Harness cemetery.

Coroner H.A. Burnett of Keosauqua was called but he did not consider that an inquest was necessary.

The shooting was done with a thirty-two caliber revolver while laying in bed. He had slept with his brother, James, who had just gone down stairs when a shot was heard. He lived only a few moments after members of the family reached his bedside.

John had seemed in his usual health, had gone to church Sunday night and to the home of a neighbor after church where he and other friends listened to a radio program until about eleven o’clock. It is quite possible that the shooting may have been an accident.

Source; Iowa Rankin and Jenny Matheson newspaper clippings