Iowa
Old Press
Elgin Echo
Elgin, Fayette co. Iowa
Thursday, October 26, 1933
Grattan Convicted for Murder of Meade
Marvin T. Grattan, 85 year old Civil war veteran, of Decorah, was
convicted Saturday of shooting to death Claude Meade at the
Decorah fair grounds on July 21. The jury returned its verdict of
"guilty of first degree murder" Saturday morning and
their verdict also set Grattan's punishment as "at hard
labor in the penitentiary for the rest of his life." Grattan
will be sentenced today unless a new trial is granted by Judge
Goheen. The verdict of the jury came exactly three months from
the day that Grattan shot Meade at the fair grounds.
Grand Jury Investigates Murder Case
The present members of the grand jury have spent parts of three
days investigating the death of Minnie Renzehausen, 66, of
Monona, in the belief that she was murdered and her sister,
Martha, age about 68, is being held in the county jail at
Elkader, pending action of the grand jury. Peculiar circumstances
surrounding the death of the younger sister, whose body was found
several days after her death, have caused county officials to
take this course.
When a neighbor suspected that something was wrong in the
Renzehausen home last Friday, authorities went to the place and
found Minnie dead on a mattress on the floor of the living room.
She had been dead, apparently since the Sunday before. Death, it
is believed, was caused by a blow over the right temple,
according to the verdict of the coroner's jury at an inquest
conducted by Coroner Leslie Oelke of Elkader. The jury
recommended that martha Renzehausen be examined as they as well
as Coroner Oelke, believed she was mentally unbalanced. It was
impossible at the coroner's inquest to get much information from
the elder sister but she claimed that her sister's death was
caused by a fall. Martha had nothing to do with her neighbors the
last week and in answer to the inquiries said her sister had been
ill but was improving.
Coronor Oelke was unable to find the instrument which he believes
was used in the attack on the aged woman. He found bloodstains
about the house indicating that the dead woman had been struck
while in bed and that her body had been moved after that.
Neighbors reported hearing the women quarreling ten days to two
weeks ago. The county insane commission met at Elkader Monday
morning for an informal hearing of the case but decided to defer
action until after the grand jury had disposed of the case. -- Elkader
Register.
Former Resident Buried Here
The body of G.A. Miller of Cresco, was brought here Sunday
afternoon for burial in the Elgin cemetery. Funeral services had
been held in Cresco after which the funeral cortege proceeded to
Elgin for the burial services. Mr. Miller, who was aged about 74
years, was a former resident of this town. He followed the
buttermaker's trade and resided in the brick cottage located
where the State Bank now stands. His widow, who survives, is a
sister of Mrs. Pauline DeSart.
Local News
-Mrs. Fred R. Berg entertained the Priscilla Club at her home
last Wednesday afternoon.
-Frank Topp, who has been working in northern Minnesota, with his
uncle, Albert Topp, came home Saturday.
-"Best" Lee overall, $1.65 at Berg's.
-Mrs. LeRoy Dittmer and son and Mrs. Schmidt of Elkader, were
guests in the C.B. Schori home Sunday.
-Mr. and Mrs. Harry Johnson of Steamboat Rock, spent Sunday with
the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Krueger.
-Mr. and Mrs. Frank Briner of Dubuque, spent Sunday with Mrs.
Henry Topp and Otto. Mrs. Briner is a daughter of Otto Topp.
-Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lehman visited Sunday at the Oscar Frieden home
near Elkader. Mrs. Frieden, a sister of Mrs. Lehman, has been
quite ill and they found that she had not improved to any extent
at that time.
-John and Louis Sutter finished a hot water heating job of
considerable size at the St. Peter's Rectory at Clermont last
week.
-Mr. and Mrs. Hans Keiser returned home Friday after spending a
week in Chicago visiting their son Harry and family and attending
the Century of Progress.
-Mrs. Lillian Cavanaugh, formerly "Toots" Riddle, of
Elgin, was a brief business visitor in Elgin Saturday. Mrs.
Cavanaugh now makes her home with her parents at Spring Valley,
Minnesota.
Oak Grove News
-George Gilson of Epworth, and Dorothy Warren of West Union, were
callers Saturday evening in the H.B. Gilson home.
-Mr. and Mrs. Homer Dill spent Friday eveing in the Bert Allen
home.
-Mr. and Mrs. Ed Boyle and son Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kohls
and son Sheldon, and Margie Barker were guests in the sheldon
Boyle home Sunday.
-Mr. and Mrs. Will Cheeseman of Monona were guests in the Roy
Leuchtenmacher home Sunday.
-Nona Kerr spent the week end with her sister, Mrs. Ralph Shaffer
in Wadena.
Illyria Items
-Lester Wenger of Clermont spent Sunday with his grandmother,
Mrs. C. Wanger and family.
-Mr. and Mrs. Alton Sanders of Charles City, were callers Sunday
at the Elmer Frieden home.
-Thomas Shaffer arrived home Saturday after visiting with
relatives in Chicago and attending the Century of Progress.
Cheery Valley News
-Mr. and Mrs. Dan Sutter and family called at the Eliza
Friederich home Sunday afternoon.
-Harold, Ernestine and Leo Freiderich are absent from school now
with whooping cough.
-Mrs. Charlotte Medberry of Fayette, is spending a few days with
her daughter, Mrs. Jakie Yearous.
-Our school has an enrollment of thirty at present.
[transcribed by S.F., December 2010]
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The Clermont Enterprise
Clermont, Fayette co. Iowa
Thursday, October 26, 1933
Mrs. Kathryn Killerlain Dies
Mrs. Kathryn Killerlain of Clermont, died early Monday morning at
the age of forty-six years. Her husband preceded her in death but
she is survived by her father, Ed Delaney, one daughter, mary,
aged eighteen, two brothers, Will and Walter Delaney and a
sister, Mrs. Harry F. Becker. Funeral services were held at St.
Peter's Catholic church at Clermont Wednesday morning at nine
o'clock and burial was made in the cemetery northeast of town. A
life sketch will be published next week. [column one]
The death of Mrs. Kathryn Killerlain occurred early Monday
morning following a lingering illness. Her body was broght here
to the home of her father, Ed Delaney, and the funeral was held
Wednesday morning at St. Peter's church with the Rev. J.F.
McCaffery officiating. She was the mother of Mary Kathryn
Killerlain. [column two]
Postville Physician Killed on Clermont Street
Dr. G.F. Kelleher of Postville, received fatal injuries at 8
o'clock Sunday evening when his car crashed into the David B.
Henderson monument which stands in the middle of Main street in
the north part of town. He had stopped in town and was driving
toward Postville when he hit the front corner of the statue. The
crash was heard several blocks away and many were at the scene of
the accident in a very short time. When he was removed from the
car his left leg was folded back over his knee and the steering
wheel with all the spokes broken out encircled his arm. The two
Clermont doctors examined him and found his leg broken in three
places. It was also cut and badly mangled. His nose was broken
and the whole upper part of his face crushed. He apparently was
rendered unconscious instantly and remained so. His death
occurred about 12:00 o'clock Monday morning.
He was taken to his hospital at Postville and was attended by
several doctors. The amputation of his leg was considered until
all hope of his recovery had been abandoned. He was a very well
known physician and surgeon and has had a hospital in Postville
for many years. He was 48 years of age and is survived by a widow
and three children. The statue which weights nearly 20 tons was
moved about one foot from its foundation which indicates that the
car must have been moving at a great rate of speed. The front of
the car, a Buick sedan, was badly crushed.
Local News
-A number of friends from Horbort, Okla., spent Saturday evening
in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Malvin Johnson.
-Ira Jones and son of Garnavillo, came Sunday to visit Mrs.
Jones, who has been staying in the E.L. Crowe home since her
removal from the hospital at Decorah. Mr. Jones is a brother of
Mrs. Crowe.
-Mr. and Mrs. Walter Delaney and Will Delaney of Waterloo,are
visiting in the Ed Delaney home. They were called here by the
death of their sister, Mrs. Kathryn Killerlain.
-Mrs. J.C. Matthews was removed from the West Union hospital to
the home of her sister, Mrs. Ed Wagner, Tuesday. She had been a
patient in the hospital for about a month and will now be cared
for by Mrs. Wagner.
-Mr. and Mrs. O. Tollefson and family of Decorah, Mr. and Mrs.
A.O. Wold and Mr. and Mrs. O.K. Houg and family of St. Olaf, and
Mrs. B. Nelson and daughter Tina, were guests Sunday in the
Harold Landsgard home.
-W.R. Blake plans to go to Des Moines Thursday to visit Mrs.
Blake, who is a patient in the Iowa Methodist hospital. According
to the latest report Mrs. Blake is gradually regaining her
strength and expects to leave the hospital the latter part of the
week. She will be taken to the home of her son, W.B. Blake, but
probably will not be able to return to her home here for at least
two weeks.
-Vergie Olson went to Cedar Rapids Sunday for a visit in the home
of her aunt, Mrs. Henry Walker.
-Eliza and Lloyd Nelson and Eva Olson went to Waterloo Saturday
to attend the funeral of Mrs. Karen Tobine Sorenson, the
grandmother of Eliza and Lloyd. Mrs. Sorenson was born at Black
Mountain, Norway, and died at her home in Waterloo Thursday, Oct.
19, at the age of [either 81 or 87] years.
-Mr. and Mrs. Ben Wedo and family are moving from the house owned
by Andine Vasby to the Trudo house recently vacated by the Fay
Harris family. The Ed Burt family will live in Miss Vasby's
house. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Halverson and family have moved from the
Oscar Houg house and are living in the rooms above the double
store. The Oscar Reierson family had been living there until a
short time ago when they moved into rooms over the Corn Belt
store.
Miller - Swenson
The home of Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Miller was the scene of a pretty
wedding which occurred Thursday evening, Oct. 18, when the
marriage of Beryl Miller and Carmen Swenson was solemnized. Rev.
G. Gunsten officiated using the single ring ceremony. The wedding
march was played by Anna Mae Anderson and a solo, "He
Leadeth Me," was sung by Mrs. G. Gunsten. The two attendants
were Alice Tatro and Elmer Leo Nelson. The bride wore a gown of
rust colored crepe and her attendant wore black trimmed in white.
The groom and best man were attired in blue. The bride is the
daughter of Wm. B. Miller and has always lived in this community.
She attended school here and graduated with the class of 1933.
She took a prominent part in most all school activities and was
graduated with honors. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Swen
Swenson and is also a member of last year's graduating class.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Swenson have a host of friends in this
community who wish them much happiness.
After the ceremony a three-course dinner was served by Mrs. Henry
Ostlie, Anna Mae Anderson and Lillian Anderson at the Miller
home. The guests seated at the table which was beautifully
decorated in colors of white and yellow were: Mr. and Mrs. Carmen
Swenson, Alice Tatro, Elmer Leo Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Miller
and Augusta and Willet, Mr. and Mrs. Swen Swenson, Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Torkelson, Rev. and Mrs. G.
Gunsten and Mr. and Mrs. Allen Habeger and son Gene.
[transcribed by S.F., December 2010]