Accidently Killed

When the Will Metzler family left their home east of Herman last Thursday morning to go down to the lake on a fishing excursion, Mr. Metzler took his gun along expecting to do a little shooting as well as fishing.

When they were near the lake Will saw a squirrel over in an adjoining field and while attempting to crawl through the wire fence and draw his gun through with him, it was accidently discharged. The gun was pointed directly at his 14 year-old step-daughter, little Marie Greeno, and the full charge tore through her chest. She died instantly.

Coroner Pierce didn’t think it necessary to hold an inquest and the funeral was held Saturday, the remains being laid to rest in the Tekamah cemetery. Little Marie was a daughter of Lou Greeno and formerly lived in Blair, her mother later marrying Will Metzler, who lives on a farm near the county line north of Blair.

The accident was a very sad one and has almost unbalanced the mind of Mr. Metzler. The stricken family have the sympathy of all who know them.

Printed in the June 4, 1913 Tribune, Blair, Nebraska

Marie Greeno, the 13-year-old stepdaughter of Will Metzler, was instantly killed Friday morning, May 30, on the Metzler farm southeast of Tekamah by the accidental discharge of a shotgun in the hands of her stepfather. They were on their way to the river, where Mr. Metzler intended to hunt. While crawling through a wire fence with the gun in his hands the trigger caught on a wire and the entire charge of shot struck the girl. Mrs. Metzler, the girl's mother, is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Gossard of this city, and was formerly Mr. Lou Greeno.

~~obituaries courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

FindaGrave # 184627649