Newspaper

HALSTEAD MAN MEETS SAD DEATH

Walter [sic Wilbert] Hearting Found Dead on his Ranch in Colorado.

Halstead and community were shocked Saturday, June 30 by the sad news of the sudden death of Wilbert Hearting, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willia [sic William] H. Hearting of that city, on a ranch near Walsh, Colo., early that morning. Death was caused by the accidental firing of a 22 calibre rifle.

Wilbert had the gun on the back of the seat of his Coupe and about 4 o'clock that morning he went to the garage to take the rifle into the house before going to the field to commence his day's work. It is supposed that as he reached for the gun it was accidentally discharged, the bullet entering his forehead causing instant death.

At first reports it was thought he took his own life but upon investigation by neighbors and his brothers Walter and Carl, who went to the scene of the tragedy after receiving the sad news, that theory was disproved by many events that transpired prior to the time of his death. Wilbert was in the best of spirits the day previous and had spent Friday evening with a friend who assisted him in the farm work. Wilbert was a friend of all in that community, enjoyed good health, was successful in his large farming operation and was well supplied with the world's goods for a young man that here is no question in the minds of all who know him, both in Walsh and in this vicinity where he spent practically all his life, but what his death was the result of the accidental discharge of the rifle in some manner as it was being taken from the car.

The door was left partly open when he entered the garage which indicates he intended to return to the house with the gun, eat his breakfast and then drive the car to the field, leaving the rifle in the house as he was never known to carry such a weapon in his car. From facts gathered by his brothers and those who visited the sense of the tragedy on the ranch there remains only one conclusion and that is it was the result of an accident.

The remains arrived form Colorado on Santa Fe train No. 6 and were taken to the Kinzer & Dreese Funeral Home until time for the funeral. Services were held from the late home Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock and at the Mennonite Church at 2:30. Rev. H. T. Unruh, the pastor, had charge of the services and a large number of friends of the deceased were present to pay a last tribute of respect to his memory. Rev. Unruh spoke feelingly of the many good qualities of the departed who was a friend of all who knew him.

Music was provided by a quartet composed of Mrs. Ruth Rose, Miss Elizabeth Huebert, Erich Penner and Adolph Unruh and the pallbearers were chosen from among his boyhood friends. There was a large number of floral offerings as tokens of the esteem in which Wilbert was held and as the casket was lowered into the grave at Garden cemetery, many a tear was shed when it was realized he had gone to his eternal reward. -  Halstead Independent.