Star Tribune photo by Donald Black. Harold was infertile and the Jurgenses desperately wanted to adopt another child. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. 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. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? No one proposed handing the investigation to some other body--to, say, the county sheriffs office. Family members immediately begin whispering "she killed him" , referring to his adoptive moth . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Failed to remove flower. 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.
Lois is survived by her. Robert was returned to the Jurgens home and, going through new channels, the couple was eventually able to adopt four school-aged siblings from Kentucky. 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). There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head, and scarce chance that he had died from a fall on the flat basement floor. Harold told relatives he was going to be out of town the weekend of April 10 and 11, 1965. The hole had allowed a fifth of a quart of infectious, purulent fecal material to flow into the abdominal cavity. None of us knew about child abuse. In fact, they remain strangely forgotten. It was harder to believe that Dennis had been awake and talking normally an hour and a half before he died. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. She was 61 when she went to prison and served eight years before being paroled.. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. He couldnt push Votel on this. Read more about this topic: Murder Of Dennis Jurgens, But Ive heard mankind abuse thee;And perhaps its rather strange,But I thought that I would choose theeFor encomium, as a change.Charles Stuart Calverley (18311884), Mily: You must remember me! convicted of murder Novel and Adaptations: Barry Siegel's true-crime novel A Death in White Bear Lake recounts the story via extensive research and oral history. When Dennis messed his bed, she said, she forced the boy to eat his feces. Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 13, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Lois Jean (Jones) Jurgens of Arvada, Colorado. So Robert, on a temporary but semiannually renewed basis, remained in county custody, living in foster homes. Those looking back now, those who unraveled the case, tend to shrug and shake their heads when Votels name comes up. 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. and this case
The adoption should be approved. 0 cemeteries found in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. 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. Votel could not take the first step. The house at 2148 South Gardenette Drive, White Bear Lake, where the Jurgenses lived from 1957 to 1967. Lois obsessed about Dennis' weight, which according to medical records was appropriate for a child of his age and build at the point of his adoption. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. There was a deep, ulcerous lesion at the base of the penis and dark bruises on the tip. 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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages - Dennis Craig Jurgens", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lois_Jurgens&oldid=1133446799, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 21:13.
If Votel had called it a homicide, at least that prospect would have been removed. In 1984, Jurgens was the artist for the Sun Devils limited series (July 1984 - June 1985), with writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. He never wanted to say a bad word about anyone. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Best coffee city in the world? Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Votel went through living hell, one local judge said. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. The boys mouth was getting full, he wasnt swallowing, so Lois put horseradish on the fork. She knew he had high school and one year of college behind him, and that he was an only child with strong bonds to his mother. Sherwood's tenacity, along with the tragedy of her personal loss, kept the story in the public eye. Lt. Clarence (Buzz) Harvey at first did not know what to make of the blonde 42-year-old woman who appeared at the front desk of this towns solitary police station on the morning of Sept. 18, 1986. ``You have to understand this child is only 3 1/2 years old and virtually every day Lois Jurgens had him he was a victim of some kind of physical or mental abuse, and I dont think eight years was quite enough to compensate society for the act she committed, Robinson said. During the early morning hours of April 11, 1965, Dennis Jurgens died at the hands of Lois Jurgens. The specter of homicide hovered, but would not land in this hearing room in 1965. The policeman did not, so they carried the body to the coroners van. Meanwhile, Dennis was getting whirlpool baths every day. Harold and Lois Jurgens, a middle-class, churchgoing couple in picturesque White Bear Lake, Minnesota, had adopted Dennis and five other foster children. He returned to the Jurgens home in time to meet the coroners investigator, Saveiro Pitera. Rekdahl did know that Lois had a history of psychiatric problems involving a nervous breakdown in the early 1950s. She saw Harold, then 40, as a tall, rather swarthy man of German and Norwegian extraction, with dark brown hair and eyes. He assured that it was going on, that this would be his responsibility to get the information, bring it back to me so I could complete the certificate. Instead the judge agonized, repeatedly expressing from the bench his sense of conflict and uncertainty. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They just werent going to get any damaging information from him. Lois Jurgens reaction to Dennis during the visit was less than enthusiastic. Donna Mae, about 5 feet away, watched in horror as Lois force-fed that vomit to him, made him eat it. Add to your scrapbook. Tragically, just a few years after the adoption, Dennis died from peritonitis. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens (August 12, 1925 - May 7, 2013) was an American convicted murderer responsible for one of the most unusual child murder cases in history in Minnesota. Matt McMillan, White Bear Lake true crime page-turner turns 30, White Bear Press Club, June 17, 2020. At the hearing a month later, Peterson was asked whether he saw anything unusual as he viewed the body in the crib. Whod listen? So began a painstaking inquiry into the past--an inquiry that in recent months has pulled back the curtains on a decidedly uncomfortable vision. After seeing newspaper reports about the death, she was convinced that he had been beaten to death and demanded the case be re-opened. The night Dennis died, Robert was riding his trike in the basement, and all the sudden he heard Dennis screaming. My biggest feeling was that it was a sad situation and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. Lois Jurgens was sentenced to 25 years in the Shakopee women's correctional facility for third-degree murder. VanderWyst and Korolchuk had brought in the file themselves and lobbied for prosecution. He very strongly favored the Jurgenses getting another child. Harold's testimony in 1965 showed he was in Wisconsin from the evening of Friday, April 9, until 9 or 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. . Lois also was not pleased to learn how active Dennis was. As Peterson followed Wildwood Avenue west along the lakes shore toward Gardenette Park, hed rehearsed in his mind the resuscitation techniques he knew from the rescue squad. It is one of a few crimes that FBI agent Kenneth Lanning argues can legitimately be described as "ritual abuse". She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. I was young then, just out of college, the social worker said recently in an interview. She was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison and was paroled in 1995. The hearing would prove to be a curious affair. He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). She was cleared of second-degree . the prosecution saw Lois Jurgens
The way Lindholm figured it, instead of prosecuting Lois Jurgens for murder, lets move to take Robert away. Rekdahl expressed some concern. In spite of extensive physical evidence pointing towards severe abuse, the medical examiner did not classify the death under any of the standard classifications of accident, suicide or murder; he simply marked it "deferred". During his short life, Dennis . https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134346102/lois-germaine_josephine-jurgens. The only part of him that I saw was his chest and his face. Mrs. 1 Bakgrunn; 2 Innhold; . It was hard to believe that the Jurgenses had noticed nothing. 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. Then he began to look terrible--his face so old, like a little old man. 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, know for her short, volatile temper, murdered him. He looks like a boy of 10. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lois Jurgens (134346102)? Nonetheless, when Harold Jurgens called three days later and asked when they could get their boy, Rekdahl and the Scott County officials allowed the Jurgenses to take Dennis for a preplacement visit. In early December, 1963, Rekdahl paid her last postplacement visit to the Jurgenses. . Lois jurgens, 93, of arvada, colorado, formerly of malvern and glenwood, iowa, passed away june 13, 2022. lois jean jurgens, the daughter of lawrence a. and marjorie v. (johnson) jones, was born on may 26, 1929 in malvern, iowa. Dennis was lying face up in his crib, his stiffened arms raised eight inches off the bed. You can second-guess yourself until you get an ulcer, Lindholm said recently. Jurgens was one of 16 children. Lois Jurgens, 93, of Arvada, Colorado, formerly of Malvern and Glenwood, Iowa, passed away June 13, 2022. There is in the Scott County records a description of Dennis in the foster home where he lived his first year: He is solidly built, with blue eyes and blond hair. When you judge a case, you dont do so in a vacuum, Lindholm would explain years later in an interview. Sherwood eventually located Dennis's death certificate; because the death was categorized as "deferred", the case was still technically open. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Deferred, Votel had written. . I didnt look after that; I couldnt, she said. Lois Jurgens released after serving eight years, The Winona Daily News, June, 7, 1995. What to make of Dennis Jurgens death now was passed into the hands of the Ramsey County coroner. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. 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. | Lois Jurgens at the time that she had custody of Dennis. She died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. He has had all his baby shots. On the stand, the Jurgenses had refused to answer questions about Dennis. A Mrs. Hansen called to report a lost wallet, which resulted in an officers checking a phone booth at Fourth and Washington streets, next to the Avalon Jewelers. 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. But how did such an infection occur in the first place? On Feb. 11, 1964, the commissioner of public welfare, as legal guardian for Dennis, consented to his formal adoption by Harold and Lois Jurgens. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lois Germaine Josephine Zerwas Jurgens I found on Findagrave.com. The psychiatrist thought it fortunate that Lois Jurgens could not get pregnant because a child would only compound and complicate her emotional disturbances. The victim Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 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. This woman was no crank. Lois was mean to DennisCam Brass and Donna Neely and the othersCam Brass and Donna Neely and the others understood that much. Lois Jurgens served eight years of her sentence and had a quiet life as a widow in Stillwater, Minnesota. Well, I do, he replied. Donohue was not inclined to relax such controls. So it was that Dennis Jurgens death resulted not in a murder prosecution but, rather, in a juvenile court hearing over custody of his brother, Robert. She knew the agencys policy was not to place children with couples who were over 40, an age they were approaching. Harold Jurgens, an electrical foreman, made $10,000 in 1962, and this placed his family a cut above many of their friends and neighbors. How could the hot water splashing down on the baby have burned only his penis and scrotum? You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. In 2005, playwright Brian Vinero wrote a theatre piece, The Jurgens File, which was developed at New York City's 78th Street Theatre Lab; it told the story from the perspective of the community. The childs death occurred before there were state-mandated sentencing guidelines, and Thomson argued that she should have served less time. Dennis was now fully accepted and loved in the family, she decided. HH at the best online prices at eBay! . Eventually, all four of the siblings from Kentucky and Robert escaped the home by running away and getting help from concerned neighbors. the Murderpedia project stay alive. . The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a cover story about the investigation on Sunday, October 12, 1986. undefined Notes ^ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/ http://www.angelizdsplace.com/child43.htm. That was not binding on the prosecutor, but the defense attorney would zero in on this. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. No, Lois said, sounding definite. Jurgens, now 69, was convicted of third-degree murder in 1987 in what at the time was the oldest homicide to go to trial in Minnesota.
Lois Jurgens. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Her secret was revealed after Sherwood began searching for the son she gave up for adoption and learned in 1983 that he had died of a bowel injury. 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. Peterson departed soon after. Rekdahl thought that Lois speech betrayed a bit of cynicism. Initial placement was with a licensed, unrelated foster family, but Robert was then moved to his paternal grandparents at his parents' request. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. On the night of his death, Lois was in an extremely bad mood due to flooding which was filling up the basement with water. She is buried at the Union Cemetery, in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota . There was no possibility that Dennis had died from a blow to the head. He was born on September 29, 1941 in rural Adams, and was later baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church of rural Pickrell. Jurgens' other adopted son, Robert, testified at the trial, at which Lois Jurgens (then in her 60s) was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to prison.[4]. charles edward ed holland memorial park funeral homes and cemeteries. From a newspaper notice of his death she had learned that the boys body bore multiple injuries and bruises. 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 died aged 87 on May 7, 2013. 
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Lois walks past the TV cameras on her way to the courtroom on January 30, 1987, to plead not guilty to three counts of murder. Woman Tortures Adoptive Son To Death Lois Jurgens (40) was variously described as both short-tempered and vindictive by her neighbours and others who encountered her in the town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and it was well known that she experienced bouts of severe depression and psychosis. They felt sad, and also naggingly disturbed. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Even with half the body obscured, VanderWyst noticed the bruises--an awful lot of them he would say later. A family friend, Barbara Venney, saw the bruises through the flowers. The boy was obviously dead.
He was frequently starved, to rid him of "sloppy fat," as Lois called it (she also called him "Sloppy Fat" as a nickname). Mornings there were wonderful, but the dusk was the doctors favorite time, for the sun set each evening over the water and trees, falling behind Manitou Island, leaving behind a fiery orange sky. in the third degree and sent to prison. Homicide was not the issue at the hearing. . he told the grand jury last year. He doesnt look like a tiny little kid, he thought. Robert would remain in county custody for the time being. They attempted to mind their own business and feared retribution from Lois, who was not above threatening the lives of her family members. No prosecution was taken at that time. The welfare department case work was very limited. Lois Jurgens (at left) appeared with her attorney Doug Thomson in Ramsey County Courthouse Monday May 4, 1987. The next morning, six coroners jurors were asked to view the body of a dead boy, and to remember everything they saw. I was willing to wait. Votel was still waiting about two years later, when he retired from office. +C $33.27 shipping estimate. The case is described in detail in Barry Siegel's true-crime novel, A Death in White Bear Lake. Judge Gingold would not back down either. You dont know what to think, Donna Marlene said. This was the situation that Gerane Rekdahl, a Ramsey County welfare case worker, found when she visited the Jurgens home on March 1, 1962. 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. When Lois found him gasping and gurgling at 9 a.m., she promptly called Dr. Peterson. The threat of a criminal prosecution is way by the boards now. Though autopsy photos showed Dennis body was covered in bruises at the time of his death, the coroner never declared it an accidentor rather, what it really was: murder. You couldnt get action from the prosecutor and police. No prosecution was taken at that time. This browser does not support getting your location. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. There is no evidence we are dealing with any people here who have any demon-like motives. He knew Peterson as a man always willing to help others, as a doctor very much for his patients. Ive been doing this job too long. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. The official cause of death was Peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel. He naps both in the forenoon and the afternoon. 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. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter and get terrifying tales delivered straight to your inbox. 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.
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