Minnie was first married to Dell J. Hopkins in Iowa about 1879; divorced by the fall of 1909 when she remarried to Richard Groom.
There is reference to Richard Groom Murder/Suicide at Swan River, Flathead Co. MT in the Anaconda Standard (below).
The 1910 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana, 15 April, indicates this is the second marriage for both Minnie and Richard, and they had only been married a few months. Minnie was the mother of six, with three deceased.
The 1900 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana shows Minnie born May 1864, and Peter Hopkins (the actual writing is illegible, and may read "Dell") married and had four children, but only Vida and Lucy are listed. This also indicates they had only been married since 1893!
1880 census of Ida Co., Iowa, Dezell, Minnie & Cora (May 1880)
******
"Flathead Co. News" from Bigfork. (printed 1908-1915). The article says that Richard shot his wife then shot himself. It states that his wife was the "Divorced wife of Dell Hopkins" the previous fall.
It also states that Mrs. Groom is survived by three children and is buried at Conrad Memorial, that Mr. Groom had no known survivors.
******
Anaconda Standard
Tuesday, May 24, 1910
page one
KISS OF PARTING PRELUDE TO DEATH
Richard Groom Kills His Wife And
Then Blows His Own Head Off
FAMILY TROUBLE CAUSES TRAGEDY AT SWAN LAKE
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Kalispell, May 23 - Closely following the killing of A. Leakin in the sawmill Saturday night, a murder and suicide occurred at Swan Lake, news of which did not reach here until this morning, when the coroner, who was notified at night, returned with the bodies.
Richard Groom, a resident of Flathead county for 19 years, shot his wife in the back with a revolver and, after telling his neighbors, returned to her prostrate form and, standing beside her, with a fully loaded rifle shot off his own head. Not a piece of the skull larger than a quarter could be found. Neighbors rushed to the scene at once, but Mrs. Groom was dead and the man was breathing his last.
Groom and his wife had been having trouble and had agreed to separate, it is thought, peaceably. Together they had moved a lot of household furniture from the lodging house known as Kootenai lodge, a summer resort, of which Groom was keeper, and it had been sent over the river by the ferry, which Groom controlled. After the work was finished the two kissed each other good-bye, being seen by near-by neighbors, and parted.
RUNNING TOWARD HOUSE
A few minutes later Groom returned to the shore and circled around his wife in a detour through the woods, and they again went on the ferry together and crossed to the cabin she had vacated. The shot followed immediately. Apparently Mrs. Groom was running toward the bathhouse when his revolver bullet caught her and she fell, face downward, in the mud. The bullet pierced the back, but did not come out in front. The hammer of the revolver was let carefully down on another bullet, apparently indicating that he had prepared to take a second shot, but had changed his mind after cocking the gun.
Groom then secured a 30-30 rifle from the cabin and shot himself.
[She was survived by three children: Cora Lee Grant, Veda Mae Michels, and Mabel. She was predeceased by Lucy and Jessie in 1908; and son William]
There is reference to Richard Groom Murder/Suicide at Swan River, Flathead Co. MT in the Anaconda Standard (below).
The 1910 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana, 15 April, indicates this is the second marriage for both Minnie and Richard, and they had only been married a few months. Minnie was the mother of six, with three deceased.
The 1900 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana shows Minnie born May 1864, and Peter Hopkins (the actual writing is illegible, and may read "Dell") married and had four children, but only Vida and Lucy are listed. This also indicates they had only been married since 1893!
1880 census of Ida Co., Iowa, Dezell, Minnie & Cora (May 1880)
******
"Flathead Co. News" from Bigfork. (printed 1908-1915). The article says that Richard shot his wife then shot himself. It states that his wife was the "Divorced wife of Dell Hopkins" the previous fall.
It also states that Mrs. Groom is survived by three children and is buried at Conrad Memorial, that Mr. Groom had no known survivors.
******
Anaconda Standard
Tuesday, May 24, 1910
page one
KISS OF PARTING PRELUDE TO DEATH
Richard Groom Kills His Wife And
Then Blows His Own Head Off
FAMILY TROUBLE CAUSES TRAGEDY AT SWAN LAKE
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Kalispell, May 23 - Closely following the killing of A. Leakin in the sawmill Saturday night, a murder and suicide occurred at Swan Lake, news of which did not reach here until this morning, when the coroner, who was notified at night, returned with the bodies.
Richard Groom, a resident of Flathead county for 19 years, shot his wife in the back with a revolver and, after telling his neighbors, returned to her prostrate form and, standing beside her, with a fully loaded rifle shot off his own head. Not a piece of the skull larger than a quarter could be found. Neighbors rushed to the scene at once, but Mrs. Groom was dead and the man was breathing his last.
Groom and his wife had been having trouble and had agreed to separate, it is thought, peaceably. Together they had moved a lot of household furniture from the lodging house known as Kootenai lodge, a summer resort, of which Groom was keeper, and it had been sent over the river by the ferry, which Groom controlled. After the work was finished the two kissed each other good-bye, being seen by near-by neighbors, and parted.
RUNNING TOWARD HOUSE
A few minutes later Groom returned to the shore and circled around his wife in a detour through the woods, and they again went on the ferry together and crossed to the cabin she had vacated. The shot followed immediately. Apparently Mrs. Groom was running toward the bathhouse when his revolver bullet caught her and she fell, face downward, in the mud. The bullet pierced the back, but did not come out in front. The hammer of the revolver was let carefully down on another bullet, apparently indicating that he had prepared to take a second shot, but had changed his mind after cocking the gun.
Groom then secured a 30-30 rifle from the cabin and shot himself.
[She was survived by three children: Cora Lee Grant, Veda Mae Michels, and Mabel. She was predeceased by Lucy and Jessie in 1908; and son William]
Minnie was first married to Dell J. Hopkins in Iowa about 1879; divorced by the fall of 1909 when she remarried to Richard Groom.
There is reference to Richard Groom Murder/Suicide at Swan River, Flathead Co. MT in the Anaconda Standard (below).
The 1910 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana, 15 April, indicates this is the second marriage for both Minnie and Richard, and they had only been married a few months. Minnie was the mother of six, with three deceased.
The 1900 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana shows Minnie born May 1864, and Peter Hopkins (the actual writing is illegible, and may read "Dell") married and had four children, but only Vida and Lucy are listed. This also indicates they had only been married since 1893!
1880 census of Ida Co., Iowa, Dezell, Minnie & Cora (May 1880)
******
"Flathead Co. News" from Bigfork. (printed 1908-1915). The article says that Richard shot his wife then shot himself. It states that his wife was the "Divorced wife of Dell Hopkins" the previous fall.
It also states that Mrs. Groom is survived by three children and is buried at Conrad Memorial, that Mr. Groom had no known survivors.
******
Anaconda Standard
Tuesday, May 24, 1910
page one
KISS OF PARTING PRELUDE TO DEATH
Richard Groom Kills His Wife And
Then Blows His Own Head Off
FAMILY TROUBLE CAUSES TRAGEDY AT SWAN LAKE
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Kalispell, May 23 - Closely following the killing of A. Leakin in the sawmill Saturday night, a murder and suicide occurred at Swan Lake, news of which did not reach here until this morning, when the coroner, who was notified at night, returned with the bodies.
Richard Groom, a resident of Flathead county for 19 years, shot his wife in the back with a revolver and, after telling his neighbors, returned to her prostrate form and, standing beside her, with a fully loaded rifle shot off his own head. Not a piece of the skull larger than a quarter could be found. Neighbors rushed to the scene at once, but Mrs. Groom was dead and the man was breathing his last.
Groom and his wife had been having trouble and had agreed to separate, it is thought, peaceably. Together they had moved a lot of household furniture from the lodging house known as Kootenai lodge, a summer resort, of which Groom was keeper, and it had been sent over the river by the ferry, which Groom controlled. After the work was finished the two kissed each other good-bye, being seen by near-by neighbors, and parted.
RUNNING TOWARD HOUSE
A few minutes later Groom returned to the shore and circled around his wife in a detour through the woods, and they again went on the ferry together and crossed to the cabin she had vacated. The shot followed immediately. Apparently Mrs. Groom was running toward the bathhouse when his revolver bullet caught her and she fell, face downward, in the mud. The bullet pierced the back, but did not come out in front. The hammer of the revolver was let carefully down on another bullet, apparently indicating that he had prepared to take a second shot, but had changed his mind after cocking the gun.
Groom then secured a 30-30 rifle from the cabin and shot himself.
[She was survived by three children: Cora Lee Grant, Veda Mae Michels, and Mabel. She was predeceased by Lucy and Jessie in 1908; and son William]
There is reference to Richard Groom Murder/Suicide at Swan River, Flathead Co. MT in the Anaconda Standard (below).
The 1910 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana, 15 April, indicates this is the second marriage for both Minnie and Richard, and they had only been married a few months. Minnie was the mother of six, with three deceased.
The 1900 census of Jocko, Flathead, Montana shows Minnie born May 1864, and Peter Hopkins (the actual writing is illegible, and may read "Dell") married and had four children, but only Vida and Lucy are listed. This also indicates they had only been married since 1893!
1880 census of Ida Co., Iowa, Dezell, Minnie & Cora (May 1880)
******
"Flathead Co. News" from Bigfork. (printed 1908-1915). The article says that Richard shot his wife then shot himself. It states that his wife was the "Divorced wife of Dell Hopkins" the previous fall.
It also states that Mrs. Groom is survived by three children and is buried at Conrad Memorial, that Mr. Groom had no known survivors.
******
Anaconda Standard
Tuesday, May 24, 1910
page one
KISS OF PARTING PRELUDE TO DEATH
Richard Groom Kills His Wife And
Then Blows His Own Head Off
FAMILY TROUBLE CAUSES TRAGEDY AT SWAN LAKE
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Kalispell, May 23 - Closely following the killing of A. Leakin in the sawmill Saturday night, a murder and suicide occurred at Swan Lake, news of which did not reach here until this morning, when the coroner, who was notified at night, returned with the bodies.
Richard Groom, a resident of Flathead county for 19 years, shot his wife in the back with a revolver and, after telling his neighbors, returned to her prostrate form and, standing beside her, with a fully loaded rifle shot off his own head. Not a piece of the skull larger than a quarter could be found. Neighbors rushed to the scene at once, but Mrs. Groom was dead and the man was breathing his last.
Groom and his wife had been having trouble and had agreed to separate, it is thought, peaceably. Together they had moved a lot of household furniture from the lodging house known as Kootenai lodge, a summer resort, of which Groom was keeper, and it had been sent over the river by the ferry, which Groom controlled. After the work was finished the two kissed each other good-bye, being seen by near-by neighbors, and parted.
RUNNING TOWARD HOUSE
A few minutes later Groom returned to the shore and circled around his wife in a detour through the woods, and they again went on the ferry together and crossed to the cabin she had vacated. The shot followed immediately. Apparently Mrs. Groom was running toward the bathhouse when his revolver bullet caught her and she fell, face downward, in the mud. The bullet pierced the back, but did not come out in front. The hammer of the revolver was let carefully down on another bullet, apparently indicating that he had prepared to take a second shot, but had changed his mind after cocking the gun.
Groom then secured a 30-30 rifle from the cabin and shot himself.
[She was survived by three children: Cora Lee Grant, Veda Mae Michels, and Mabel. She was predeceased by Lucy and Jessie in 1908; and son William]
Gravesite Details
Cemetery office confirmed that this burial is unmarked
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
