Thank you very much in advance. Harvey had been a rookie cop here in 1965, but Sherwoods story triggered no memories. Dennis was adopted by the Jurgens, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, a suburb of Saint Paul: Harold Robert Jurgens, a former bandleader turned electrician, and Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens, a homemaker. I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said. Some had seen or heard Dennis being beaten. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help Donna Marlene Norton, Lois sister, was there that day and saw the same thing. Please reset your password. . he told the grand jury last year. Due to this frequent starvation, Dennis gained only three pounds in a 2+12-year period as he aged from one year old to 3+12 years old.

In 1992 A made-for-TV movie was made based on both Jerry's story The adoption should be approved. 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. The first few days of the police investigation by VanderWyst and Sgt. This sort of thing happened back then.. She had a story to tell. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. She had a pathological need for control over her environment and obsessively cleaned and tended to her home and garden, desperate to appear the picture of the perfect housewife. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Eventually Lois Jurgens was arraigned, and her identity released by the media. He could be a battered child, Votel said he reasoned, and still his death could have been caused by a fall, an accident. Lois Jurgens was sentenced to 25 years in the Shakopee women's correctional facility for third-degree murder. When he wet his pants, she said, she put a clothespin on his penis. Most simply remain hidden. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Aside from the incident when Dennis was hospitalized with burns on his genitals, there were many other incidents of abuse which fell under the category of sexual sadism. This is a carousel with slides. 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. . 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.The trial of Lois Jurgens for the murder of 3-year-old Dennis made national . Three-year-old Dennis Jurgens is murdered by his adoptive mother. A few wondered how the Jurgenses had ever been allowed to adopt children. Over the course of several visits to the Jurgens home, Rekdahl saw the matter differently. Lois, who abused Dennis constantly, escalated to new levels of rage as the flood waters filled her basement. It is essentially unconceivable to me, without a protruding object above the floor, that he could have been injured in this way, Woodburn said. There is some suspicion that Lois Jurgens herself set the fire, given that it occurred while Robert was hospitalized, and that Lois had been known to threaten burning down the homes of several neighbors and family members who had spoken to authorities. updates 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. To the casual observer, the Jurgens seemed to be a normal, church-going family with a perfectly maintained house and yard. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The case drew widespread publicity and was the subject of a book and a made-for-television movie. In winter, they got the north wind, so the lake froze too rough for ice skating. +C $33.27 shipping estimate. Even with half the body obscured, VanderWyst noticed the bruises--an awful lot of them he would say later. Thanks for your help! Years later, the attorney representing Roberts interests at the 1965 custody hearing would still remember those photos. 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.

None of this, however, was what had killed Dennis. What was to be the core of the case against Lois Jurgens 22 years later essentially came out then, albeit in a less detailed, more muted fashion. Dennis & Robert She thought they had a lovely home. He attended Olney Rural Elementary School and graduated from Filley High School in 1959. Still, she had never forgotten the case. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? conviction
If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Now the town is most frequently described as middle class. This was a murder. 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. They were informed they would not be allowed to foster or adopt any additional children. Aided by the testimony of the Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, She knew that Lois came from a large, poor, Catholic family of 16 children, a family that at times survived on welfare. Lois had a question: Would Father Riser write a letter in support of their present effort to adopt another child, a third child? Jerry took her case to the White Bear Lake police department and then to the local media. You can always change this later in your Account settings.

 

There were at least a dozen bruises on the face alone, some large and others small. We have many She was the adoptive mother of six children in the 1960s and 1970s, and brutally abused them all, killing one of them, 3-year-old Dennis Jurgens, in 1965. From their patio, they could see huge bass jumping in the water. Her brother, Jerome Zerwas, was the police lieutenant of the town of White . Donohue, their attorney, had allowed Lois before the hearing to be examined by a psychiatrist only under the strictest conditions. Those in the station familiar with the downtown strip joints in nearby St. Paul might have recognized Jerry Ann Sherwood from her earlier tenure at Alarys Club Bar. Now VanderWyst was looking at him, asking a question: What was the cause of death?. The two also teased what's in store for readers . The topic under consideration was the possible placement of Dennis Puckett with the Jurgens family.

 

For a time, that appeared to be the end of the story. View Obituary & Service Information Judge Gingold would not back down either. I would also like to receive the Early Bird Books newsletter which features great deals on FREE and discounted ebooks. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. Did the doctor remember his thoughts on why this child died, his inner feelings that day? The only witness to Lois's final abuse of Dennis was Robert, who was 5 years old at the time. I have never seen anything like that done.. Lois is survived by her husband, Floyd Jurgens; children Gary Jurgens and Caron Klein (Bruce);. While he waited for the coroners investigator to arrive, he asked Lois Jurgens if there was anything he could do--such as take Robert to his own home, to be cared for by his wife. Innhold. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. In the early 1980s, Jerry Sherwood went looking for the newborn son she gave up for adoption 20 years prior. Youve got to worry about tomorrow. Dennis Craig Jurgens was an American 3-year-old boy who was murdered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota in April 1965. It would have been difficult at the time to prove that Lois Jurgens had committed murder. They had cited the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Donna Marlene had seen other things. We didnt believe it was possible in nice, middle-class suburban families.. Placement with the paternal grandparents ended due to a house fire that occurred at a time when Robert was hospitalized with pneumonia, and his grandmother burned to death. This account has been disabled. In summer, Peterson caught little sunfish off his dock or from his motorboatthey had the loveliest taste, the fillet just the size of a half dollar, two good bites each. It was full of redwood and log railings, and the lawn and trees ran almost to the waters edge, a good hundred feet of lake frontage in all. Family members linked to this person will appear here. . About 50 witnesses provided a mixed story. Published Jan 18, 2023. The afflicted look and act very sick for a matter of hours, sometimes days. 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?

All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Such stories are not rare. Lois Jurgens headed to trial. Robert fit in well at the Jurgens household, as he learned from a young age not to get in his mother's way or cause an undue mess that would likely send Lois Jurgens into a rage. Lois thought that would be a good idea. Jurgens was one of 16 children. 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. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. . Even so, doctors do not usually see third-degree burns in an area that isnt covered by clothing. In talking to the county attorney and the chief of police, we had gone as far as we could and we were told that was it, wed have to terminate the investigation.. There was a time when White Bear Lake was an exclusive watering hole for people from Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. The county had filed a custody petition, alleging neglect.

 

Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Throughout the years of frequent abuse, it has been reported that while Harold Jurgens made little effort to curb his wife's abuse of young Dennis, he personally never mistreated the boy. She was cleared of second-degree . 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. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. Donna Neely wondered, as she studied the Jurgenses now-silent house from her front window. On April 26, Korolchuk drafted an analysis of the information they had gathered. I tried to assure her that these things happen in any family.. Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. But neither the judge nor anyone else was willing to face the implications of such findings. He couldnt push Votel on this. 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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. At the urging of authorities, Jerry placed Dennis for adoption after being told that he would receive good care.[1]. . She thought Dennis too aggressive, his wild behavior quite unlike Roberts. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. She also describes him as a clown, always laughing at himself or other people when they are around. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. The welfare department case work was very limited. They were independent of each other. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. There was something wrong here. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. She committed one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. Notes References A Death in White Bear Lakeby Barry Siegel. 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.

"There are certainly problems," says Jurgens, one of the main architects of . Three-year-old Dennis Craig (Puckett) Jurgens was tortured to death in the wee hours of April 11th, 1965. Peterson did not give us any conclusive answers about the condition of Dennis or about his death, VanderWyst wrote in his report for that night. No prosecution was taken at that time. Dennis had thrown up then. 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. They had just buried the body, and that was all. Though the name of the adoptive family was not given, many suspected that the story was about Lois Jurgens. The official cause of death was peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. There was also the matter of community attitudes. Sadly, the mother-son reunion was not meant to be; Jerry's child had died just before his fourth birthday. Harold Jurgens died in 2000; at the time of his death, there was suspicion that Lois had poisoned him, but this was investigated and ruled out. The doctors eyes slid to a corner of the room. The policemen were led to understand that an attorney representing the Jurgenses had visited them and threatened them with civil lawsuits if they spoke out. It began one month after Dennis death and continued for two days, May 10 and 11, 1965. Though there was an investigation, society and law enforcement of the mid-1960s did not accept the concept that a child in a middle-class home could be the target of abuse. I think my son is dying, Harold Jurgens had told the doctor on the phone that morning. It was awful. Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates). At the funeral, a crown of roses rested on Dennis head. When you judge a case, you dont do so in a vacuum, Lindholm would explain years later in an interview. We did not have enough evidence of any kind to deny them. Lois' remedy for the toddler wetting his diaper too frequently was to place a spring-action clothespin upon the end of his penis. . Dennis and Robert Jurgens, 1965. [2] She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota . That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. Try again later. He had lived in this home since 1953, and it gave him much pleasure. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. How in the heck could that happen? A jury deliberated about five hours Friday before finding Lois Jurgens, 61, of Stillwater, Minn., guilty of third-degree murder, or an unintentional killing. Please try again later.

 

In 1951, some 14 years before Dennis's death, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic entered this assessment in her file: "It is . . There was enough evidence to sustain child abuse and neglect charges. How could a little boy not scream out in pain as soon as he was burned? 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.