Daisy Irene Gruis

  General Notes:

Daisy Gruis, 9, was accidentally killed Saturday in the kitchen of the Gruis farm home three miles northwest of here when a gun by brother Donald, 14 pointed at her discharged. He did not realize it was loaded. The tragedy occurred about 5:45 o'clock in the afternoon. The bullet from a .22 caliber rifle went through her wrist and apparently hit the heart or the large vessels about the heart. At an inquest held Monday by Dr. H.B. Paulsen to endeavor to piece together the story of what happened a verdict of accidental death was returned. Members of the jury were Folkert Funk, Emil Braun and Hubert Feltz. According to the information gathered at the inquest Donald went into the house to get the .22 caliber rifle to shoot gophers with while getting the cows. In the kitchen at the time were Lois, 11; Daisy 8, and Gary, 14 months old. Donald picked the gun up from behind the living room door, aiming it in the direction of the children in the kitchen. He did not realize t was loaded and when he pointed it at the girls it fired. Daisy died in a few minutes before medical aid had time to reach the farm.
Daisy started to school in the grades at Ocheyedan township. In January 1940, she moved with her parents to a farm northwest of Sibley, where she continued in the rural school. In the summer of 1941, with her sisters, she attended the Vacation Bible school at the Baptist church and had been a member of the Sunday school since that time.