Gregor Ehmann voluntarily finds his death in the water.
Thursday morning between 9 and 10 o’clock Howard Watson and Clyde Ankney, who were fishing in the Maumee, discovered at the foot of Deatrick Street the body of Gregor Ehmann drifting on the water. They reported it at once to Policeman Hall, who pulled the corpse to the shore and immediately began the legally required postmortem investigation, after which the same (the body) was taken to Martin’s morgue and there prepared for burial.
There is hardly any doubt, that Gregor Ehmann, in a state of insanity committed suicide. In the preceding year he had had to be taken to the insane asylum in Toledo. His condition improved somewhat there, but he was never completely well. On last Wednesday evening, his behavior was such that his family were very worried about him and reported it to the police. Later that evening policemen Ansberry and Hubbard met Ehmann, to counsel him to go home. He therefore did that, but about 10:30 left his residence and was not seen alive after that. The verdict of the Coroner was that he had found his death by drowning in the Maumee.
Gregor Ehmann was born on the 27th of November 1857 in Landshausen, Eppingen district, Baden and came to this country more than 30 years ago. On the 5th of February 1880 he was married by the late Father J. B. Jung to Miss Pauline Pfister, who with three sons and three daughters survives him. He belonged to the A.G.D. Sickness Support Society from its founding. His remains were buried Saturday morning in the Riverside Cemetery, after a funeral service held by Father J. P. Gloden at 9 o’clock in the St. John’s Catholic Church. Besides the already mentioned relatives, the deceased leaves behind one sister Mrs. Louis Müller of here and a stepsister Mrs. Joseph Keller in Defiance Township.
[death: 07 Jun 1911 Defiance, Defiance Co., Ohio]
Joseph Bender
Through the cord Joseph Bender makes an end to his failed life.
In the kitchen partially destroyed by fire of his dwelling on Ottawa Street Joseph Bender committed suicide on Monday morning by climbing on a chair, fastening a barely finger-thick length of hemp cord to a ceiling beam, tying the end around his neck and kicking the chair from under his feet. He must have been in bitter earnest about leaving this world, because his toes could touch the floor; nevertheless, he succeeded in strangling himself. So he was found by someone, who had business with him, shortly before eight o’clock. The still-warm body was examined, but life had already flown. Coroner Chapman was informed and performed the usual inquest, after which the corpse was taken to the residence of the son-in-law of the deceased, John Compo, on East Second Street.
Joseph Bender was born on the 3rd of July 1850 in the Grand Duchy of Baden and thus was 60 years, 11 months and 9 days old. At the start of the ‘80s he came to Defiance and as resided here ever since. On the 22nd of December 1883 the late Johannes Deindörfer married him to Karoline Butsch, who preceded him in death a few years ago. Remaining behind are the daughters Mrs. Carrie Compo, Sophia and Rosa Bender and the son Otto. Joseph Bender was a competent wagonwright, but he was cursed with the demon of gluttony, to the point where he could hardly work anymore. The conflagration which had destroyed his residence a few weeks ago had robbed him of the last little bit of joy in life and made him [so] melancholy, that he finally took his own life.
His remains were buried Wednesday morning from the Compo residence to the Riverside Cemetery. Pastor L. H. Ziemer officiated.
[death: 12 Jun 1911 Defiance, Defiance Co., Ohio] [burial: 14 Jun 1911 Defiance, Defiance, Ohio]
The following does not seem to have anything to do with the Bender obituary:
This is the last week of assemblies in the Tabernacle. Throughout, the assemblies have been well attended and there supposedly have 500 conversions taken place. It is to be hoped that these improvements are of a lasting nature.
[? Newlin Tabernacle, South Clinton Street, Defiance, 0hio", from "Tabernacles and Chautauquas -- Various Venues for Oration" by Joseph M. Sanford]