lois jurgens' death

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From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. Its easy today to say, Why didnt they prosecute? but it was a different time, a different time. By the second week, the investigation began to encounter obstacles. Jurgens was the only fatal victim of Lois Jurgens, his adoptive mother and a prolific child abuser, who abused a total of six adopted children from 1950 to 1970. . They covered the legs, the arms, the hands, the head, the shoulders, the back of the head, the buttocks, the small of the back, the middle of the back, the back of the left leg. Now the town is most frequently described as middle class. The process of adopting Dennis was completed. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens I found on Findagrave.com. Do I think this happened just here, just this one? Paul Lindholm, the assistant county attorney, considered it. Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood.

I would question him. Lois Jurgens had a reputation amongst her extended family and neighbors as an intense, angry woman with a short and volatile temper, but Dennis' arrival in her home provoked sadistic rages that targeted Dennis as he aged from one to three-and-a-half years of age. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. What was to be the core of the case against Lois Jurgens 22 years later essentially came out then, albeit in a less detailed, more muted fashion. She thought Dennis was sloppy fat. This particularly surprised Rekdahl. Basically, she thought that Lois was content and happy, especially with Robert. child abuse law.

Jurgens was one of 16 children. You see, Gingold said, I didnt have to go that far. In talking to the county attorney and the chief of police, we had gone as far as we could and we were told that was it, wed have to terminate the investigation.. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. None of this, however, was what had killed Dennis. I looked down. This treatment, along with the exertion as he struggled, sickened Dennis to the point of vomiting, which further enraged Jurgens, who then forced him to eat his vomit. Thank you very much in advance.

 

An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Two or three couples signed written statements. He could be a battered child, Votel said he reasoned, and still his death could have been caused by a fall, an accident. I felt we actually checked out the concerns quite carefully.. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Published by Bantam Books, 1990. Lois A. Jurgens (92) of Petersburg passed away September 25, 2019. undefined Notes ^ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/child43.htm. He has had all his baby shots. He had lived in this home since 1953, and it gave him much pleasure. Lois Jurgens was the infamous subject of one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota.She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, three-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965.. Jurgens was one of sixteen children. But how did such an infection occur in the first place? Her secret was revealed after Sherwood began searching for the son she gave up for adoption and learned in 1983 that he had died of a bowel injury. Obituary. Gladys and Dorothy talked frequently to each other about what they had seen, not unaware that theyd recommended the Jurgenses to the welfare department caseworker. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. That isnt an issue at all. The specter of homicide hovered, but would not land in this hearing room in 1965. When Dennis Jurgens died at the age of 3 in 1965, authorities here never ruled whether his death was an accident, a homicide or the result of natural causes. #dennisjurgens #jerrysherwood #truecrime Jerry Puckett's mother abandoned her when she was three, she was raised by her father and abused by two stepmothers.. In 2005, playwright Brian Vinero wrote a theatre piece, The Jurgens File, which was developed at New York City's 78th Street Theatre Lab; it told the story from the perspective of the community. My deputy reassured me from time to time. One day, Zerwas walked into the squad room and found the two officers investigating Dennis death.
Years later, Dr. Lynn Solem, the present director of the burn center at St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital, would explain that though this type of burn is now regarded as a sign of child abuse, in 1963 it would have been accepted as accidental. He was an outgoing child, as happy and adjusted as could be expected under the circumstances. Most simply remain hidden. He had read the early articles that by then had been published. Others promised that they would do so. He eats well. and this case
There is a lot to be known about the science of this whole darn subject, he said. 1 Bakgrunn; 2 Innhold; . Rekdahl was developing real doubts about this placement, but the Jurgenses decided to go see Dennis that afternoon. There is in the Scott County records a description of Dennis in the foster home where he lived his first year: He is solidly built, with blue eyes and blond hair. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at two. She had talked about this with the whole family, but not with the authorities. We have set your language to He attended Olney Rural Elementary School and graduated from Filley High School in 1959. From the bench, he said he hoped that they could find something to explain the mistreatment of Dennis. What had happened--and how--and why? The case drew widespread publicity and was the subject of a book and a made-for-television movie. Problems arose within the police department as well. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below.
As he read, he stiffened in his chair. On January 13, 2000, she was initially suspected of poisoning her husband, Harold. And her release from the states prison for women in Shakopee only angered the biological mother whose search for her child led to the discovery of the crime. Testimony from neighbors and family members told of young Dennis showing up to public events wearing sunglasses at the age of two to hide his frequent black eyes. In fact, they remain strangely forgotten. So Robert, on a temporary but semiannually renewed basis, remained in county custody, living in foster homes. Zerwas wouldnt let the rest of his family view the body. The White Bear Lake police log for the morning of April 11, 1965--Palm Sunday--included the sort of events to be expected in such a town. The autopsy report mentioned bruises head to toe. When Dennis messed his bed, she said, she forced the boy to eat his feces. He was born on September 29, 1941 in rural Adams, and was later baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church of rural Pickrell.

 

Jurgens would make his debut as a comic book writer with Sun Devils he began scripting from Conway's plots with #8 and fully took over the writing duties on the title with #10. Certain neighbors and family members knew there were problems with Lois' treatment of Dennis but did nothing to prevent it. We would like to have done something, but it was none of our business. Pitera would take photos later that day. Lois E. Jurgens, 82, passed away on Friday, September 7, 2012 at Lakeland Health Care Center Elkhorn, WI. Oops, we were unable to send the email. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. They had only two requests. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. While visiting one Thanksgiving, she saw Lois force-feed Dennis, in a highchair, by shoving a fork full of food into his mouth.
Lets not build up some fiction that now we have done everything we should do.. Well, I do, he replied. Several told of having seen Dennis bruised and battered. He had one great friend, his world's Lois, but she died and now he sees another version of her still alive and pregnant. conviction
It just made me sick. It did not occur to him to question Robert. On the other hand, he could not bring himself to embrace the notion that Lois Jurgens was a murderer. Though the specific cause of that fatal blow is not known, it is known that it was Lois who had given it to Dennis. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. They had seen Lois yank Dennis violently by the ears. To him, that was close to frightening. Drag images here or select from your computer for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens memorial. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at 2. remarkable Beverly D'Angelo as Jerry Sherwood
After Dennis' death, an older adopted son, Robert, was removed from the Jurgens home. Did the doctor remember his thoughts on why this child died, his inner feelings that day? Lois had talked to them all about her toilet training methods. To the casual observer, the Jurgens seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. I was not trained in mental illness. He never wanted to say a bad word about anyone. When it froze, hed hang lights on the seven surrounding elm trees, put out snow sculptures of bears and seals tinted with food coloring, and invite all the neighborhood kids to join his own two children in skating and hockey games. Nine months earlier, on Dec. 6, 1961, Dennis Craig Puckett, 8 1/2 pounds, had been born at St. Michaels Hospital in Sauk Centre, in nearby Scott County. She had a pathological need for control over her environment and obsessively cleaned and tended to her home and garden, desperate to appear the picture of the perfect housewife. Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates). In the early 1980s, Dennis' birth mother, Jerry Sherwood, looked for Dennis, only to find out he had died in 1965. She thought they had a lovely home. Lois Jean Jurgens, the daughter of Lawrence A. and Marjorie V. (Johnson) Jones, was born on May 26, 1929 in Malvern, Iowa.

 

In the minute she was gone, she said, he turned on the hot water. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Our kids have fallen down steps and not died. But neither the judge nor anyone else was willing to face the implications of such findings. She was a good dozen years younger than the Jurgenses. They felt sad, and also naggingly disturbed. You do consider social attitudes. Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? This drove Lois further into madness, as she felt she needed children to complete the "perfect picture" of her life. It was not his job to do anything other than pronounce the boy dead. The policemen were led to understand that an attorney representing the Jurgenses had visited them and threatened them with civil lawsuits if they spoke out. This is a carousel with slides. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. There is a problem with your email/password. The adoption should be approved. Harold Jurgens died in 2000; at the time of his death, there was suspicion that Lois had poisoned him, but this was investigated and ruled out. They saw the hearse sitting in the Jurgenses driveway, and a big blue convertible, and the police car parked awkwardly, askew, as if the officer had been in a hurry. That was why the judge wanted Lois Jurgens to consent to a thorough, inpatient examination by a psychiatrist he knew and trusted. She grew up and attended school in Malvern, graduating in 1947.

Woman Tortures Adoptive Son To Death Lois Jurgens (40) was variously described as both short-tempered and vindictive by her neighbours and others who encountered her in the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and it was well known that she experienced bouts of severe depression and psychosis. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. How in the heck could that happen? We wanted to tell someone, she said. Verify and try again. In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. Dan Jurgens on how The Death of Superman has "withstood that test of time" By Grant DeArmitt published 27 July 2022 The creator best known for The Death of Superman explains its impact 30. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she lived at the time. Her features were still attractive, although the years had added a certain hardness and fleshiness. We have many She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965. . Oops, something didn't work. You dont know what to think, Donna Marlene said. Notes [ edit] ^ "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens". Judge Archie Gingold, in his findings at the close of the hearing, ruled that Dennis had been subjected to many incidences of cruel and severe abuse.

Forever' w/ the At 2 p.m. on that Palm Sunday, Dr. Robert Woodburn, the coroners chief pathologist, conducted the autopsy. Vachss uttalte at boken ikke forklarer begrunnelsen for at Harold er passiv, mens den har tilstrekkelig informasjon om Lois Jurgens. No prosecution was taken at that time. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head.
Donna Mae Zerwas, Lois sister-in-law, had seen all that and more. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Years later, Peterson would say much the same to the police who were reopening the case, but he did not do so in 1965. harold e bageant obituary visitation funeral information.

The victim

Opens in a new window or tab. VanderWyst was not close social friends with the Jurgenses, but he knew them well enough to greet them on the street. so its not unusual.. Three-year-old Dennis Craig (Puckett) Jurgens was tortured to death in the wee hours of April 11th, 1965. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota More Alchetron Topics References Lois Jurgens Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA Topics The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Toz (film) Steve McAnespie His intensely angry adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens, know for her short, volatile temper, murdered him. Petersons house sat precisely on the site of the old Wildwood Amusement Park. It was hard to believe that the Jurgenses had noticed nothing. Try again. . Its kind of hard to believe., ``How can you take a babys life like that and beat it for two years and then walk free? she said.

 

In addition, Lois took to tying Dennis' limbs to the bedposts to keep him in bed, and tied him to the toilet to force a bowel movement. He is extremely alert. ``There is no justice. The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national . ``If she had been convicted of this in 1965 she probably would have done about three years, Thomson said. Dennis was lying face up in his crib, his stiffened arms raised eight inches off the bed. On April 26, Korolchuk drafted an analysis of the information they had gathered.
cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head, and scarce chance that he had died from a fall on the flat basement floor. . The official cause of death was peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel wich even 1965 was treatable if he'd been brought to the hospital . Dan Jurgens, one of the chief minds at DC who spearheaded the Man of Steel's death and rebirth in the '90s, took to Twitter to share an unused design of Electric Superman -- sometimes called . ?Tadeusz: I never remember pretty women. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). This is the story of a small boys murder that went undeclared and unprosecuted for 22 years in a community full of people who knew what had happened. Free shipping for many products! She knew the agencys policy was not to place children with couples who were over 40, an age they were approaching. The sequel spins out of The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1, which transformed construction worker Lloyd Crayton into a new Doomsday-like villain for Superman: Doombreaker. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. . Much of the testimony related to Dennis, not Robert. Woodburn could find no subcutaneous fat at all, something everyone normally has in varying degrees. Lois jurgens, 93, of arvada, colorado, formerly of malvern and glenwood, iowa, passed away june 13, 2022. lois jean jurgens, the daughter of lawrence a. and marjorie v. (johnson) jones, was born on may 26, 1929 in malvern, iowa. To keep creating HH at the best online prices at eBay! Robert would remain in county custody for the time being. Lois thought that would be a good idea. VanderWyst climbed into his patrol car and backed down the Jurgens driveway at 11:48 A.M. VanderWysts departure did not go unnoticed. Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. from United States. They had seen Lois pull Dennis ears so hard that blood flowed. Of course, there was that one bad accident involving third-degree burns to Dennis penis and scrotum. He returned to the Jurgens home in time to meet the coroners investigator, Saveiro Pitera. Lois Jurgens. Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse that fell under the category of sexual sadism. . She would be a poor candidate for adopting a child at this time, the psychiatrist in 1955 had advised St. Pauls Bureau of Catholic Charities, where the Jurgenses for years had vainly sought children. The doctor did not want to be there. Votel could not take the first step. Why werent his hands burned--wouldnt he have instinctively reached down to protect himself? A dead boy, though, was something else. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? In 1987, Jurgens was convicted of third-degree murder of Dennis. Jurgens was the only fatal victim of Lois Jurgens, his adoptive mother and a prolific child abuser, who abused a total of six adopted children from 1960 to 1975. The word homicide remained unspoken. The question of Dennis Jurgens death next fell to the Ramsey County attorneys office. The first came now. As the laws were then interpreted, he believed that he would have to link a specific action taken by Lois Jurgens to the precise cause of death. To receive the type of severe burns he suffered, Dennis would have had to be exposed to steaming-hot water for a significant length of time. He does not sound very well behaved, she said. Published Jan 18, 2023. He would later learn much more, would attend seminars and organize a county task force on the problem, but it cannot be said that Gingold knew nothing in 1965 about the battered-child syndrome. The only part of him that I saw was his chest and his face. She demanded to know the truth about her son's death. She wanted assurances. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. Votel went through living hell, one local judge said. Donna Marlene had seen other things. What to make of Dennis Jurgens death now was passed into the hands of the Ramsey County coroner. Donna Marlene Norton, Lois sister, was there that day and saw the same thing. On Feb. 11, 1964, the commissioner of public welfare, as legal guardian for Dennis, consented to his formal adoption by Harold and Lois Jurgens. the prosecution saw Lois Jurgens
Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse which fell under the category of sexual sadism. He looks like a boy of 10. Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. From the death certificate she had learned that the coroner never ruled whether the death was an accident, a homicide or the result of natural causes. Jerry took her case to the White Bear Lake police department and then to the local media. Initial placement was with a licensed, unrelated foster family, but Robert was then moved to his paternal grandparents at his parents' request. . Peritonitis is a horribly painful illness involving shock, collapse of the blood vessel system, high fever and breathing difficulties. According to reports from family members who eventually testified at the murder trial, Dennis turned purple from being force-fed the bitter and spicy horseradish and also having his oxygen supply cut off when Jurgens covered his mouth and nose. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. Dennis Craig Jurgens (December 6, 1961 - April 11, 1965) was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. All I could do was shake my head.. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Lois Jurgens, know for her short, volatile temper, murdered him. C $186.13. According to reports from family members who eventually testified at the murder trial, Dennis turned purple from being force-fed the bitter and spicy horseradish and also having his oxygen supply cut off when Jurgens covered his mouth and nose. In the 1960s, the term child abuse had not yet been coined and no one, not even medical professionals and teachers, was required to report suspicions. There was a large, swollen scrape on the forehead. Family members immediately begin whispering "she killed him" , referring to his adoptive moth In fact, it appalled and amazed her because she herself thought the baby extremely appealing, very friendly, with very beautiful blue eyes and a very nice smile. He wrote deferred in the box where he was to specify the manner of death, and put the certificate aside. She knew he had high school and one year of college behind him, and that he was an only child with strong bonds to his mother. They owned a 1963 Chevrolet pickup and a 1960 Falcon station wagon. But in 1962, before the developers and high-speed roads came, this was more truly a small town, inbred and insular, with a population just reaching 15,000. The Jurgenses had wanted a younger child and Dennis was almost a year old. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. The Jurgenses were delighted. Two husbands and four children later, Sherwood had gone searching for her firstborn, only to learn that he had died years before, in 1965, at age 3. During this period, Lois was once again placed in a psychiatric facility. ``You have to understand this child is only 3 1/2 years old and virtually every day Lois Jurgens had him he was a victim of some kind of physical or mental abuse, and I dont think eight years was quite enough to compensate society for the act she committed, Robinson said.

Jurgens, now 69, was convicted of third-degree murder in 1987 in what at the time was the oldest homicide to go to trial in Minnesota. The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation on Sunday, October 12, 1986. That will make you swallow, Lois had said. . There was a television movie broadcast in 1992 on NBC en*led A Child Lost Forever that told the story from the perspective of Jerry Sherwood (played by Beverly D'Angelo).

 

Other testimony and evidence was more troubling.

 

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Thirty years after the original Death of Superman storyline, the iconic tale's writer Dan Jurgens has confirmed which alternate Superman villains almost killed the hero. Lois Jurgens had a reputation amongst her extended family and neighbors as an intense, angry woman with a short and volatile temper, but Dennis' arrival in her home provoked sadistic rages that targeted Dennis as he aged from one to three-and-a-half years of age. The psychiatrist also observed that Lois had an obsession about order and cleanliness. The chief one involved the nature of the malady that killed Dennis. To all appearances, they were a normal midwestern family, but Jerry suspected that something sinister had happened in the Jurgens household. Clothing retains the heat. I dont know how to describe it, she said. How could the hot water splashing down on the baby have burned only his penis and scrotum? Rekdahl found her judgment confirmed by the Jurgenses priest. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lois Jurgens, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Adopted just after his first birthday, Dennis suffered years of abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens. She did not want this to influence their decision, but in all truthfulness, that was the reality. He couldnt push Votel on this. Rekdahl, who graduated from St. Pauls Hamline University in 1957 with a bachelors degree in social work, had been in adoption services for less than one year. . When he wouldnt have a bowel movement, she said, she pulled the feces from his rectum with her hands.

 

Rekdahl suggested that if she had negative feelings, it would be best for them not to take the child. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said.

Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965.

Lois and Harold Jurgens lived in a comfortable .

 

He would wait until the police investigation could resolve the matter. There was a time when White Bear Lake was an exclusive watering hole for people from Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. Lois considered herself a devout Catholic and believed she was doing "God's work" by making Dennis "perfect" in her eyes.

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