MN MN - Goodhue, Unidentified Body of elderly white man found in unmarked grave in 1984.

[Richard]

In 1984, a human skeleton was found buried in an unmarked grave on a farm 2 miles northwest of the village of Goodhue, Minnesota.

It was determined to be that of a man 60 t0 70 years old, who was about 5 ft, 3 inches tall. He died and was buried some 20 to 80 years previous to the discovery.

This case is unresolved. The story of the discovery was reported in the Goodhue County Post Bulletin newspaper article below. I could find no further reference to it, and inquiries to the Goodhue Police and to the Goodhue County Sheriff went unanswered.

--------------------------------------------
Quote:
Skeleton probably was buried at least 60 years
By Steve Webb
Post-Bulletin Staff Writer
1984

Forensic reports on the human skeleton found last Wednesday on a Goodhue-area farm show the man was a white male probably 70 years old at the time of death said Goodhue County Sheriff Dale Grote.

Grote and Detective Bert Robertson, who is handling the case, said there was no evidence at this time of foul play.

Grote said Dr. Robert Akerson, Hennepin County forensic pathologist and medical examiner, had reconstructed the skeleton and would be submitting a written report to the sheriff soon.

The early indications from the examination show the man was about 60 - 70 years old, probably closer to 70, and was 5-feet 3-inches tall. The remains had been in the ground at least 20 years, Grote said, but more likely were there for 60-80 years.

Akerson told the sheriff that the man had a broken nose at the time of death, he walked with a limp of his left leg and was arthritic. The teeth were consistent with those of a typical farmer or farmhand of that period, according to Akerson.

Grote said his office would attempt to identify the individual by contacting people who had lived in that area. There are no reports of anyone missing.

Detective Robertson said he would be going to look at the reconstruction Thursday and would be talking with Akerson at that time.

There is some speculation the man may have been a transient farm worker who died and was buried there.

The skeletal remains were discovered last Thursday on a farm about two miles northwest of Goodhue by Robin Schrimpf, who was digging a hole to bury an old trash can.
Unquote.

 

[Richard]

Using the Medical examiner's estimate that the remains could have been in the ground for between 60 and 80 years, this would make the burial date some where between 1904 and 1924.

The age estimate (60-70 years old) would place this unidentified man's birth date roughly between 1834 and 1864.

It would be nice to have more information.

LINK:
Age Calculator

 

[Richard]

With advances in DNA technology, perhaps this man can be identified. An older method used in the case of skeletal remains is to reconstruct what the face might have looked like. Here is an interesting link to how that is done:

Putting a Human Face on Unidentified Remains — FBI

 

[Richard]

Goodhue, Minnesota 1912

US Census records in years ending in Zero (1900, 1910, etc.) and Minnesota interim census records for years ending in "5" (1895, 1905, etc.) provide a snapshot of who was living or working on each farm at the time that the census taker passed through.

This man might have been included in such a census - even if only working as a migrant, or on a neighboring farm at the time.

Those records have names (usually phonetic spellings), age, sex, family relationship, and state or country of origin. Sometimes a birth date.

Knowing exactly what farm this man was buried on would help, because all of the farms appear on various historical plat maps, which can be directly linked with the census records.

Unfortunately, with such a wide range of possible death dates, it makes for a lot of records to search.

It was normal back in the years under consideration for farms to have hired help who lived on the farm, but during harvest time, migrants came into Goodhue by train seeking work on the farms.

 

[Richard]

Here is a link to an 1894 Plat Map of Goodhue county, which shows all the farms and who owned them. The body of this unidentified man was found in grid square 17, just northwest of the town of Goodhue.

LINK:

Goodhue Township, Clay Bank, Atlas: Goodhue County 1894, Minnesota Historical Map

 

[Family_trees]

I'm familiar with this area in MN. I looked up the person that discovered the remains and I would place that home more at the top right corner of grid square 19 just south of the Zion Lutheran Church. This church is labeled differently on different year plat maps. 1980 Plat shows an area with a cross south of the church closer to the assumed place the remains were found. The area im seeing is marked with a cross.

 

[Richard]

I'm familiar with this area in MN. I looked up the person that discovered the remains and I would place that home more at the top right corner of grid square 19 just south of the Zion Lutheran Church. This church is labeled differently on different year plat maps. 1980 Plat shows an area with a cross south of the church closer to the assumed place the remains were found. The area im seeing is marked with a cross.

Good analysis of the Plat maps. The Zion Lutheran Church is located in the top right (northeast) corner of grid square 19. The church just south of that on county road 190, was where the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church (no longer standing) was located. Both places have cemeteries associated with their location.

Although I have not been able to get the authorities to tell me exactly where this unidentified body was found, I believe that it was more like the center of grid square 17. If you look at the 1894 plat map (link in post #5), you will see the farm of J. L. Gull. That farm was sold to the Shrimpf family in 1951, and may still be in their possession. Certainly it was owned by them in 1984, and that is where their house was located. It is quite possible and likely that the Shrimpf family added more land to their farm. This house is just south of the center of the grid square, facing the Davis farm (just below the number "17"), although not currently lived in today.

Most of the Gull family members are buried in the Zion Lutheran Church cemetery.

You are correct when you note the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church as possibly being close to the location of this Unknown Man's grave site. It was almost due west from the old Gull farm house. The cemetery for the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church is listed in "Find a Grave" only as "Swedish Cemetery".


Zion Swedish Lutheran Church, Ryan (Goodhue township), Minnesota. The Swedish Methodist Episcopal church to the south was of similar size and design.

Unfortunately, there is a wide range of possible dates as to when this man died and was buried, as well as a spread of estimated years of age for the man.

Census records might include this man. The US census was taken in zero numbered years and a Minnesota state census was taken every year ending in "5". If this man was a resident during one of those years, his name could very well be listed. However, it should also be noted that Goodhue was a "railroad town" that saw an influx of migrant workers every year at harvest time.

I think that with more accurate information from the Goodhue County Sheriff Office and the Medical Examiner, this man's identity might still be discovered.

LINKS:

Zion Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in Ryan, Minnesota - Find a Grave Cemetery

Memorials in Swedish Cemetery - Find a Grave

 

[Richard]

More information would be a great help in this case. How deep was the burial and how was the grave oriented? Were there other graves near it (as in a pioneer cemetery)? Or was it a shallow grave in a hidden location? Was the unknown man laid out like a proper burial? Was there a casket of any kind? Or was this man simply buried in a way to conceal the fact that he was murdered?

Were there any artifacts that might provide clues as to the date or time frame? Any coins, clothing articles, dental work?

What were the findings in the final autopsy report?

 

[Family_trees]

Good analysis of the Plat maps. The Zion Lutheran Church is located in the top right (northeast) corner of grid square 19. The church just south of that on county road 190, was where the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church (no longer standing) was located. Both places have cemeteries associated with their location.

Although I have not been able to get the authorities to tell me exactly where this unidentified body was found, I believe that it was more like the center of grid square 17. If you look at the 1894 plat map (link in post #5), you will see the farm of J. L. Gull. That farm was sold to the Shrimpf family in 1951, and may still be in their possession. Certainly it was owned by them in 1984, and that is where their house was located. It is quite possible and likely that the Shrimpf family added more land to their farm. This house is just south of the center of the grid square, facing the Davis farm (just below the number "17"), although not currently lived in today.

Most of the Gull family members are buried in the Zion Lutheran Church cemetery.

You are correct when you note the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church as possibly being close to the location of this Unknown Man's grave site. It was almost due west from the old Gull farm house. The cemetery for the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church is listed in "Find a Grave" only as "Swedish Cemetery".


Zion Swedish Lutheran Church, Ryan (Goodhue township), Minnesota. The Swedish Methodist Episcopal church to the south was of similar size and design.

Unfortunately, there is a wide range of possible dates as to when this man died and was buried, as well as a spread of estimated years of age for the man.

Census records might include this man. The US census was taken in zero numbered years and a Minnesota state census was taken every year ending in "5". If this man was a resident during one of those years, his name could very well be listed. However, it should also be noted that Goodhue was a "railroad town" that saw an influx of migrant workers every year at harvest time.

I think that with more accurate information from the Goodhue County Sheriff Office and the Medical Examiner, this man's identity might still be discovered.

LINKS:

Zion Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in Ryan, Minnesota - Find a Grave Cemetery

Memorials in Swedish Cemetery - Find a Grave

The property owner on the 1894 plat was J.L.Gull. I can match that to a John Levin Gull who died in 1911 at the age of 66 in goodhue county.

 

[Richard]

That is true. He is buried, along with most of the other members of his family in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, just north of his farm.

 

[Richard]

The Goodhue County Sheriff Department still has this an an open/unsolved case. I was allowed to view their case file.

The file indicates that although the autopsy did not find any indication of foul play, the description of the burial indicates that it was done in a hurried and unconventional manner.

The body was buried only one or two feet below the surface, and in a "crouched or fetal" position.

The autopsy report indicates that he had suffered a broken nose at some time, as well as a broken (and well healed) fracture of the left femur (upper leg bone). This injury would likely have caused the man to walk with a limp.

Dentition was poor. Many teeth were missing, and those found with the skull were worn down. None had fillings. Some teeth had been missing for a long time, as evidenced by the sockets of the jaw bones filling in. A few teeth were more recently missing. An abscess cavity was noted where teeth were missing. Sepsis from this, it was speculated, could have contributed to the man's death, but there was no way to determine that positively.

Most of the skeleton was present for examination. From a number of measurements, it was determined that the man was about 5 feet three inches tall, and was between 60 and 70 years of age.

The condition of the bones indicated that they had been in the ground for "a moderately long length of time". "This would be on the order of from 20 to 100 years, but probably within the middle range of this estimate, probably 50 to 60 years buried would be a good estimated time".

This estimate would place the burial date some where between 1924 and 1934.

There was no indication in the file that any clothing or personal items were recovered from the burial site.

 

[Richard]

Photos of the Goodhue Railroad station. Goodhue, Minnesota was a "Railroad Town" and many transient workers arrived there by train. It is possible that this unidentified man arrived in the area by that manner.

The railroad and tracks are now gone, but the Goodhue Railroad Station building is still standing in its original location, and currently undergoing restoration efforts.

An 1898 map of Goodhue County Railroad lines and stations.

LINK:

Goodhue County Minnesota Railroad Stations

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. I recently received a reply from Michael Kelly, Goodhue County Sheriff, in response to my request for information. The case is still unsolved.

 

[Richard]

I'm familiar with this area in MN. I looked up the person that discovered the remains and I would place that home more at the top right corner of grid square 19 just south of the Zion Lutheran Church. This church is labeled differently on different year plat maps. 1980 Plat shows an area with a cross south of the church closer to the assumed place the remains were found. The area im seeing is marked with a cross.

After doing a little more research into this case, I belive you are correct in your post stating that the location of this unidentified man was in the upper corner of grid square 19 - probably in proximity of the house marked as number 1 in the 1980 Platt map linked to your post.

That property changed owners a number of times over the years, and the original house associated with it was rented to a number of different tenants. At one time, during the prohibition era, it was believed to be associated with bootlegging activities.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. I recently read that home brewing and other illegal alcohol related activities were very active in Goodhue County from about 1921 until the end of the prohibition era.

There is a good chance that this unidentified man's death and hasty burial was in some way related to illegal bootlegging activity in the near vicinity of his grave.

The nature of his burial - in a sitting position - in a shallow grave, could be due to a need to quickly dispose of the body, or due to the ground being frozen. Possibly both reasons.

Frederick L. Johnson, in his 2000 book, Goodhue County Minnesota: A Narrstive History, goes into some detail on the Prohibition Era. On page 240 of his book, he states:
(quote) An incident in Goodhue Village in January of 1929 produced a quick response from authorities. A White Willow man, after a night of drinking in Goodhue, died from exposure while attempting to return home. His death prompted the sheriff and three deputies to conduct a thorough search of the village, where they discovered 20 gallons of liquor in the basement of one pool hall and two pints in a barbershop. The sheriff arrested the proprietors, who were sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $250 each. (Unquote)

With this as a legal precedent, it might explain the hasty burial of the unidentified man. Finding a dead body near a bootleggers home or business would lead to an unwanted search.

 

[Damarna]

This is fascinating! What amazing research that’s been done @Richard and @Family_trees. I’m thinking a short road trip may be in the near future.

 

[Susikatze]

Definitely a burial before widely spread access to dental care. This man has never seen a dentist in his life and likely no doctor, either.
Pre 1930, if not earlier than that.

 

[Richard]

If this man's death was in some way related to illegal alcohol during the Prohibition Era (1920-1933) it would be a rather ironic coincidence that Congressman Andrew J. Volstead was also from Goodhue County, Minnesota.

It was Volstead who had introduced the bill in Congress that led to the 19th Ammendment to the US Constitution prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drink. The legislation is still referred to as The Volstead Act.

 

[Jordyt24]

I’m sure someone has already done this but did a namUS search and not a single person fits the height, age or time period for missing people, in that database.

 

[Richard]

Unfortunately, the further back in time one searches, the fewer missing person records are available for on-line sorting.

In this case, it seems rather likely that the man was a transient - perhaps without family in the area. A migrant worker might not be reported missing except to someone in town matching workers to farmers needing help.

We don't know exactly what year he died, but a possible data base to search would be the US or Minnesota census records. These would list not only property owners and their families, but also boarders and hired hands.