She talked about it all the time, in fact. Many years later, asked in court how this placement was approved, Rekdahl--by then a psychotherapist and psychiatric social worker in Napa, Calif., remarried and using the name Gerane Wharton-Park--said: We finally had really no exacting reasons why we could turn this family down. Korolchuk would never get the chance to answer such questions. 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. No one proposed handing the investigation to some other body--to, say, the county sheriffs office. She said she had set Dennis in the sink to wash him after he had wet his diaper, then had gone into another room to get a clean diaper. Soon after, Jerry Puckett dropped her plan to convert--but by then Dennis was already registered as Catholic on the adoption rolls. Several relatives now told the investigators they would not sign statements. She knew that Lois came from a large, poor, Catholic family of 16 children, a family that at times survived on welfare. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Retired now for several years, he suffers from angina and does not go out much, but he recalls the 1965 hearing. Is it quite customary to see a little boy with so many bruises, he was asked. He doesnt look like a tiny little kid, he thought. Please try again later. In 1992 A made-for-TV movie was made based on both Jerry's story and this case called, ' A Child Lost Forever ' w/ the remarkable Beverly D'Angelo as Jerry Sherwood and Judith Ivey as Lois Jurgens. They had just buried the body, and that was all. Prosecutors contended little Dennis died after numerous beatings and abuse, which including making the child eat food covered with horseradish and tying him spread-eagle in his crib. There was something wrong here. 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. Do I think this happened just here, just this one? In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. We came very close to trying to do something. Still, she had never forgotten the case. Dennis had died of peritonitis. 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. Years later, Peterson would say much the same to the police who were reopening the case, but he did not do so in 1965. .
Certain neighbors and family members knew there were problems with Lois' treatment of Dennis but did nothing to prevent it. This, coupled with the lack of a statute of limitations for a murder charge, could lead the way to a prosecution of Lois Jurgens. . Sherwood also told D'Angelo that Dana Ivey's interpretation of Lois Jurgens is eerily accurate. Thirty years later, writer and artist Dan Jurgens is revisiting the storyline that gripped the world. A common belief amongst witnesses and neighbors at the time of the murder, and among the investigators who eventually re-opened the case, is that he interfered with the investigation and destroyed incriminating evidence. ``There is no justice. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 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. To this end, she forced religious training on her young sons; reports had young Robert flawlessly reciting the Rosary at two. This is a story about respectable men and women of the middle class--doctors, lawyers, priests, social workers, policemen, neighbors and relatives--whose behavior, taken as a whole, led not to that milieus promised decency and justice but to a moral outrage, dark and hard to understand. Rekdahl expressed some concern. On bare skin, the heat just flashes off. 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.
After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. Harold (Harry) Jurgens, 76 of Filley passed away at Gold Crest Retirement Center in Adams on January 7, 2018. . conviction
Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. Peterson, a slender 6-footer, was a respected local doctor, a University of Minnesota medical graduate who had served in the Marines before opening a private practice in White Bear Lake in 1951. In 1965, it was a private general practitioner, Dr. Thomas Votel, who handled the coroners duties on a part-time basis for $6,300 a year. Korolchuk wondered: Why wasnt a doctor called to the home in the day before Dennis died, when he must have been extremely and obviously ill? Harold Jurgens, an electrical foreman, made $10,000 in 1962, and this placed his family a cut above many of their friends and neighbors. There was obviously going to be trouble, and he didnt want to get involved. None of us knew about child abuse. 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. The next day, Rekdahl phoned the Jurgenses family physician, Dr. Roy Peterson, who was treating Dennis. Jurgens was one of 16 children. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer[1] responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. Lois Jurgens (born 1925) is an American convicted murderer. One of Lois Jurgens responses was to call Father Riser, the priest who had so warmly recommended them to the county welfare worker. So Robert, on a temporary but semiannually renewed basis, remained in county custody, living in foster homes. memorial page for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (12 Aug 1925-7 May 2013), Find a Grave Memorial ID 134346102, citing Union Cemetery, Maplewood, Ramsey County . Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. Add to your scrapbook. Pitera stared at the body. Martin fritz obituary. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She was born February 25, 1927 to Leslie and Margaret Stowell in Cass County IL. 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.
There was testimony from other officers that he impeded the investigation into the child's death.
Thanks for your help! By this point, Lois' rage and mania had gone beyond her ability to maintain an appearance of normalcy, and she and Harold had relocated to rural Stillwater, Minnesota, possibly to escape the gossip of their former neighborhood where Dennis was killed. During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. Sadly, the mother-son reunion was not meant to be; Jerry's child had died just before his fourth birthday.
Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens to show support. Dennis had fallen and hit his head on the wet basement floor the day before, the Jurgenses said, and he also had been suffering from a bad cold. . Lois Jurgens had been sentenced to up to 25 years for the 1965 slaying of 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens. 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. 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. Man held is death of retarded foster child, Minneapolis Star, May 21, 1971. He could never forget how Lois Jurgens looked at those photos stoically, showing no emotion. By all accounts, Lois was obsessed with abusing Dennis, and she wanted the world to know he was a "bad child," and made no apologies about the inappropriate way she was disciplining him. . This had required at least two hospitalizations at the Mayo Clinic and at a small psychiatric hospital called Crestview, where she had received electrical shock treatments. 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. . He was born on September 29, 1941 in rural Adams, and was later baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church of rural Pickrell. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Lois thought that would be a good idea. . No prosecution was taken at that time. Rekdahl decided to call on the Jurgenses. Building a general history of abusive conduct would not be sufficient. 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. And it was not my position to do anything other than to pronounce him dead.. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Novel and Adaptations: Barry Siegel's true-crime novel A Death in White Bear Lake recounts the story via extensive research and oral history. On or around the night of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. When she was 17 and living in a juvenile home, she said, she gave birth to a boy, Dennis, who was quickly taken from her and eventually adopted by a family named Jurgens who lived in White Bear Lake. The hearing would prove to be a curious affair. As the new adopted children were older, there were many first-hand histories (recounted to the media during the 1987 trial of Lois Jurgens) describing the severe abuse they suffered at their adoptive mother's hands. Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134346102/lois-germaine_josephine-jurgens.
By all accounts, Lois was obsessed with abusing Dennis, and she wanted the world to know he was a "bad child"; she made no apologies about the inappropriate way she was disciplining him. This post is sponsored by Open Road Media. Star Tribune photo by Donald Black. She was predeceased by : her parents, Leslie Stowell and Margaret Stowell. During his short life, Dennis . She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota.
She thought Dennis too aggressive, his wild behavior quite unlike Roberts. We have set your language to 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. Its so expensive.My friend, after twenty thousand years murder is still a business thats mainly in the hands of amateurs.Orson Welles (19151985), Its almost as if they were saying, You live your life, and well live ours.Richard Fielding, and Lee Sholem.
She was right. She also describes him as a clown, always laughing at himself or other people when they are around. A system error has occurred. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Lets not build up some fiction that now we have done everything we should do.. Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a two and a half-year period as he aged from one year old to three and a half years old.
It was harder to believe that Dennis had been awake and talking normally an hour and a half before he died. She saw Harold, then 40, as a tall, rather swarthy man of German and Norwegian extraction, with dark brown hair and eyes. They carried assorted life insurance polices worth $10,000. DENNIS JURGENS WAS ONLY 3-YEARS-0LD WHEN HIS LIFE ENDED AT THE CRUEL HANDS OF HIS MOTHER LOIS JURGENS AND SHE WOULD HAVE GOT AWAY WITH IT, BUT HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER JERRY SHERWOOD STARTED. This month is the 30th anniversary of the release of "A Death in White Bear Lake," a book by then-Los Angeles Times reporter Barry Siegel. There was a time when White Bear Lake was an exclusive watering hole for people from Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. To him, that was close to frightening. That isnt an issue at all. 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. . Harold Jurgens suggested that perhaps they should not go forward with the adoption of Dennis, but Lois refused out of concern that it would discourage the authorities from allowing them to adopt further children. There was a television movie broadcast in 1992 on NBC entitled A Child Lost Forever that told the story from the perspective of Jerry Sherwood (played by Beverly D'Angelo). Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. Drag images here or select from your computer for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens memorial. She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. Robert lived with other relatives, ultimately settling for two years with a distant cousin before he returned home. Failed to delete memorial. However, he was in failing health and his autopsy results did not indicate poisoning. | | Sherwood became suspicious and persuaded authorities to investigate. The author's ability to set the scene of a tranquil. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He returned to the Jurgens home in time to meet the coroners investigator, Saveiro Pitera. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Soon the word spread from house to housethered been a death, the younger Jurgens boy had died. They were independent of each other. VanderWyst, visiting him after the autopsy the night of Dennis death, told the family physician what Woodburn had found. She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. 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. Los Angeles, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; 1 arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. In her effort to make Dennis "right" in her eyes, Lois embarked on a series of sadistic and corporal punishments: Angered at Dennis for rejecting certain foods, she responded by placing horseradish on the food and then force-fed it to him. She grew up and attended school in Malvern, graduating in 1947. The victim updates They owed $6,000 on the house and $930 on the truck. Statements in the police logs were riddled with discrepancies. . They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. Within months of Dennis' arrival, he was rushed to the hospital with first and second-degree burns on his genitalia, which were reported and accepted as accidental. 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. Lois was accused of murdering and beating her adopted son Dennis Jurgens in 1965 but wasn't convicted until 1987 and only spent 8 years of her sentence before being paroled in 1995. ?Tadeusz: I never remember pretty women. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5.
In 1987, testifying 22 years later, Peterson was questioned again about the bruises. When the wind was up, Peterson would take out his sixteen-foot sailboat and glide toward Manitou Island and the town of White Bear. The childs death occurred before there were state-mandated sentencing guidelines, and Thomson argued that she should have served less time. However, he was in failing health and his autopsy results did not indicate poisoning. Harold was infertile and the Jurgenses desperately wanted to adopt another child. Now the town is most frequently described as middle class. 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. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. I felt we actually checked out the concerns quite carefully.. They just werent going to get any damaging information from him. It was not his job to do anything other than pronounce the boy dead. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. I was willing to wait. Votel was still waiting about two years later, when he retired from office. plans and enthusiasm She thought the postplacement period had been quite successful. The welfare department case work was very limited.