George William Henry August BEASTERFELD

George W Beasterfeld tombstone

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Mr & Mrs. George Beasterfeld

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GEORGE BEASTERFELD BURNS TO DEATH

The body of George Beasterfeld was found last Thursday morning in the ashes of the barn at the farm home six miles east and north of Eskridge.

A hearing into the cause of death was held by Coroner W. C. Hasenbank Thursday with a finding Beasterfeld "burned to death". There was some indication he had taken his life by hanging before being burned and his body reduced to ashes. Identification was established by a cigarette case in which he carried his money, his eye glasses and other articles of personal property. The money was burned to a crisp by the heat and has been forwarded to the government for redemption.

It is not known how the fire originated. It was first discovered by a neighbor about 1:30, when he observed flames shooting through the roof of the barn. The Eskridge fire department made a run to the scene but the fire had gained too much headway to control and the barn and corn cribs burned to the ground. The barn continued about 200 bales of hay, 700 bushels of oats as well as machinery, also 6 cows, and 11 hogs, which perished in the blaze. The corn cribs contained about 3000 bushel of corn recently harvested. The corn was burned to ashes. Several pieces of machinery were also destroyed in the blaze.

Mr. Beasterfeld's wife sued him for divorce recently in District Court here and the case was pending. Efforts had been made to effect a reconciliation and Mr. Beasterfeld was much perturbed by the action. However, the day prior to the fire he was in Alma where he had purchased groceries and taken them to the home where his wife and small children were living in Alma. The was purchased about a year ago to enable his wife to live here and care for the children while they attended school.

It was learned that Mr. Beasterfeld and two sons, Chris 21 and Edward 18, had returned to the farm home after the trip to Alma Wednesday afternoon. The boys went to bed early in the evening leaving their father asleep in the chair downstairs, the last time he was seen alive. The were aroused by neighbors who found the outside doors wired from the outside, as well as the door leading up stairs to the boys bedroom. The doors were opened by neighbors, ans when the boys reached the outside the roof of the barn had burned through and caved in. They state their father had not gone to bed from the appearance of the bed-clothing.

Mr. Beasterfeld grew to manhood on his parents home north of Paxico and spent most of his life in that neighborhood,k moving to the Eskridge neighborhood about two years ago.

George Beasterfeld was born near Belvue, Kansas,k March 21, 1894, the son of Conrad and Karoline Beasterfeld. He was baptized May 14th, 1894 at the Wells Creek Evangelical church and was confirmed the April 12th, 1908.

He was married to Lydia Steege, April 11, 1928 in St. John's Lutheran church in Alma.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lydia Beasterfeld, four sons, Chris, 21, Edward 18, Charles, 12, Raymond 14, three daughters, Bernice, 16, Evelyn, 13 and Mary Anna, 10 four brothers, Willie, of Eskridge, Richard and Andy of north of Paxico and August, of Los Angeles, California, two sisters, Mrs. Laura Pageler and Mrs. Rise Reiners, also north of Paxico.

Graveside services were held at the Greenwood cemetery in Kaw Township, Saturday, with burial by the side of two children who had passed away previously

FARMER "UPSET" BEFORE DEATH IN BURNED BARN

Alma, Dec 15 - A hearing into the death of George Beasterfeld 56, farmer, brought only the conclusion"he burned to death," W. C. Hasenbank, Wabaunsee county coroner said Friday.

The body of Beasterfeld was found Thursday in the ruins of the barn at his farm home six miles east of Eskridge.

Hasenbank said the fire was discovered by a neighbor about 1:30 am but efforts by the Eskridge fire department to save the structure were to no avail since the barn was in flames when the department arrived.

Beasterfeld was the father of seven children. His wife and five of the children were in Alma and two sons were at the home. The coroner said the neighbors found the door to the bedroom wired shut so the sons could not get out and the house doors locked. Mrs. Beasterfeld recently filed for divorce.

Hasenbank said the hearing was conducted Thursday and there was no evidence on which to base conclusions as to how the fire originated.

E.W. Stuewe, county attorney, said Beasterfeld's wife sued him for divorce about a week ago and she with five children had been living at Alma.

The county attorney said Beasterfeld came to the courthouse and "wondered what to do." He seemed upset and finally decided to meet with Stuewe and others to arrange a property settlement. The conference was called for Wednesday afternoon, but he didn't show up. That night he died in the fire, Stuewe explained.

Stuewe said he investigated Thursday and learned Beasterfeld and the two boys, Chris 21 and Edward 18 were in the home Wednesday evening. Beasterfeld was reading the paper where the two sons went to bed.

From that time on, Stuewe explained, officials could only assume what happened. They reasoned Beasterfeld went to the room after the boys were asleep and wired the door. Then he locked the house doors and crawled out a window and went to the barn.

Stuewe said it appeared there hat to be two distinct fires. One in the barn about 250 feet from the house and in two corn cribs. Origin of the blaze could not be determined, and it is possible Beasterfeld took his life before he was burned, Stuewe said.

The attorney said the was told there was a block and tackle in the area where the dead man's bones wee discovered and he possibly could have hanged himself.

"I don't see how he could have stood the heat unless he killed himself first," Stuewe Observed.

As for the wiring and locking of the doors in the house, the county attorney reasoned the father hoped to delay the sons in reaching the barn if they discovered the blaze.

Also lost in the blaze were 12 hogs, sic head of cattle, a truck, hammermill, baler, 3200 bushels of corn and about 2,000 bales of hay.

Beasterfeld had made his home most of his life int he Paxico and McFarland communities. He rented the farm near Eskridge two years ago.

Besides the widow, Mrs. Lydia Beasterfeld and Chris and Edward, he is survived by two other sons, Raymond, 14, and Charles, 12; three daughters, Bernice, 16, Evelyn, 13, and Mary Anna, 10, all of the home.; four brothers, Willie of Paxico and August of Los Angeles; two sisters, Mrs. Laura Pageler and Mrs. Rose Riner of Paxico.

George W Beasterfeld tombstone

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=c5f88991-5aff-44e6-bbaf-70e6175d314a&tid=705601&pid=-819604404

Mr & Mrs. George Beasterfeld

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=a328ffea-d5e9-48bf-a961-5828b38db624&tid=705601&pid=-819604404

GEORGE BEASTERFELD BURNS TO DEATH

The body of George Beasterfeld was found last Thursday morning in the ashes of the barn at the farm home six miles east and north of Eskridge.

A hearing into the cause of death was held by Coroner W. C. Hasenbank Thursday with a finding Beasterfeld "burned to death". There was some indication he had taken his life by hanging before being burned and his body reduced to ashes. Identification was established by a cigarette case in which he carried his money, his eye glasses and other articles of personal property. The money was burned to a crisp by the heat and has been forwarded to the government for redemption.

It is not known how the fire originated. It was first discovered by a neighbor about 1:30, when he observed flames shooting through the roof of the barn. The Eskridge fire department made a run to the scene but the fire had gained too much headway to control and the barn and corn cribs burned to the ground. The barn continued about 200 bales of hay, 700 bushels of oats as well as machinery, also 6 cows, and 11 hogs, which perished in the blaze. The corn cribs contained about 3000 bushel of corn recently harvested. The corn was burned to ashes. Several pieces of machinery were also destroyed in the blaze.

Mr. Beasterfeld's wife sued him for divorce recently in District Court here and the case was pending. Efforts had been made to effect a reconciliation and Mr. Beasterfeld was much perturbed by the action. However, the day prior to the fire he was in Alma where he had purchased groceries and taken them to the home where his wife and small children were living in Alma. The was purchased about a year ago to enable his wife to live here and care for the children while they attended school.

It was learned that Mr. Beasterfeld and two sons, Chris 21 and Edward 18, had returned to the farm home after the trip to Alma Wednesday afternoon. The boys went to bed early in the evening leaving their father asleep in the chair downstairs, the last time he was seen alive. The were aroused by neighbors who found the outside doors wired from the outside, as well as the door leading up stairs to the boys bedroom. The doors were opened by neighbors, ans when the boys reached the outside the roof of the barn had burned through and caved in. They state their father had not gone to bed from the appearance of the bed-clothing.

Mr. Beasterfeld grew to manhood on his parents home north of Paxico and spent most of his life in that neighborhood,k moving to the Eskridge neighborhood about two years ago.

George Beasterfeld was born near Belvue, Kansas,k March 21, 1894, the son of Conrad and Karoline Beasterfeld. He was baptized May 14th, 1894 at the Wells Creek Evangelical church and was confirmed the April 12th, 1908.

He was married to Lydia Steege, April 11, 1928 in St. John's Lutheran church in Alma.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lydia Beasterfeld, four sons, Chris, 21, Edward 18, Charles, 12, Raymond 14, three daughters, Bernice, 16, Evelyn, 13 and Mary Anna, 10 four brothers, Willie, of Eskridge, Richard and Andy of north of Paxico and August, of Los Angeles, California, two sisters, Mrs. Laura Pageler and Mrs. Rise Reiners, also north of Paxico.

Graveside services were held at the Greenwood cemetery in Kaw Township, Saturday, with burial by the side of two children who had passed away previously

FARMER "UPSET" BEFORE DEATH IN BURNED BARN

Alma, Dec 15 - A hearing into the death of George Beasterfeld 56, farmer, brought only the conclusion"he burned to death," W. C. Hasenbank, Wabaunsee county coroner said Friday.

The body of Beasterfeld was found Thursday in the ruins of the barn at his farm home six miles east of Eskridge.

Hasenbank said the fire was discovered by a neighbor about 1:30 am but efforts by the Eskridge fire department to save the structure were to no avail since the barn was in flames when the department arrived.

Beasterfeld was the father of seven children. His wife and five of the children were in Alma and two sons were at the home. The coroner said the neighbors found the door to the bedroom wired shut so the sons could not get out and the house doors locked. Mrs. Beasterfeld recently filed for divorce.

Hasenbank said the hearing was conducted Thursday and there was no evidence on which to base conclusions as to how the fire originated.

E.W. Stuewe, county attorney, said Beasterfeld's wife sued him for divorce about a week ago and she with five children had been living at Alma.

The county attorney said Beasterfeld came to the courthouse and "wondered what to do." He seemed upset and finally decided to meet with Stuewe and others to arrange a property settlement. The conference was called for Wednesday afternoon, but he didn't show up. That night he died in the fire, Stuewe explained.

Stuewe said he investigated Thursday and learned Beasterfeld and the two boys, Chris 21 and Edward 18 were in the home Wednesday evening. Beasterfeld was reading the paper where the two sons went to bed.

From that time on, Stuewe explained, officials could only assume what happened. They reasoned Beasterfeld went to the room after the boys were asleep and wired the door. Then he locked the house doors and crawled out a window and went to the barn.

Stuewe said it appeared there hat to be two distinct fires. One in the barn about 250 feet from the house and in two corn cribs. Origin of the blaze could not be determined, and it is possible Beasterfeld took his life before he was burned, Stuewe said.

The attorney said the was told there was a block and tackle in the area where the dead man's bones wee discovered and he possibly could have hanged himself.

"I don't see how he could have stood the heat unless he killed himself first," Stuewe Observed.

As for the wiring and locking of the doors in the house, the county attorney reasoned the father hoped to delay the sons in reaching the barn if they discovered the blaze.

Also lost in the blaze were 12 hogs, sic head of cattle, a truck, hammermill, baler, 3200 bushels of corn and about 2,000 bales of hay.

Beasterfeld had made his home most of his life int he Paxico and McFarland communities. He rented the farm near Eskridge two years ago.

Besides the widow, Mrs. Lydia Beasterfeld and Chris and Edward, he is survived by two other sons, Raymond, 14, and Charles, 12; three daughters, Bernice, 16, Evelyn, 13, and Mary Anna, 10, all of the home.; four brothers, Willie of Paxico and August of Los Angeles; two sisters, Mrs. Laura Pageler and Mrs. Rose Riner of Paxico.

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