My Great-Uncle was Ben Deters. Here is his obituary. The house mentioned towards the end is the brick house on the east side of the blacktop a block south of the main highway in Dieterich. His widow, Mary Petry Brummer, next married George Overbeck. She preferred to be called Marie. My Mother, Ida Lustig, lived with the Deters while she attended high school in Dieterich in 1921-1923. According her year book, it looks as though there were only three years of high school, not the current four. Obituary: Dieterich Special Gazette - December 5, 1935 Ben F Deters Fatally Wounded by Friend While Hunting Quail Accidentally Shot by George F. Schrieber Jr. Load Entered Right Groin Piercing Abdomen Ben F. Deters, aged 49 years, was fatally wounded in a hunting tragedy last Friday afternoon about 1:30 o'clock when he was accidentally shot by George F. Schrieber of Peoria. The full charge of the quail load from a 12 gauge shot gun entered the victim just above the right groin. Death occurred within twenty minutes after the tragic accident. News of the accident spread over a wide area like wild-fire bring sadness and grief as it was flashed around. It came as a shock to the entire community. The following account is given by George F. Schrieber, the only witness to the accidental slaying. Mr.Deters and Mr.Schrieber, intimate friends fro many years, had hunted together annually for something like fifteen years, and had planned the fatal hunt as early as last summer. After parking Mr.deters truck on the county line, six and one half miles south and a mile east of Dieterich, and eating a lunch, they started across the field southwestward. They entered the Henry Haman farm from the south, at a point about a half mile south of the Haman premises and a half mile west of the county line where they had their car parked. After entering the Haman pasture field about 1 o'clock, they became separated, but within hearing distance of each other. While crawling through a crab apple thicket on his hands and knees, Schrieber flushed a covey of quail, and succeeded in getting one shot at the covey from a sitting position. He called out to Deters who heard the shot and had already started towards Schrieber. The quail flew in a northeasterly direction from the creek thicket from where they had been flushed. When Deters came up from the south and joined his companion, the two started in pursuit, in the direction which the quails had flown. As they neared the point where the quails had come down, Mr.Deters bird dog came to a point just ahead of the two men. As they slowly moved forward, a single quail, came up and flew between Deters and Schrieber, seeking the only cover in the field - where it had been flushed a few minutes earlier by Schrieber. Mr.Schrieber who was on the left, turned to his right and Mr.deters turned to his left. As the two men were in the act of turning, in an about face position, Mr.Schrieber's gun accidentally discharged as the two had about reached a position facing each other, and about twenty feet apart. At the report of the gun, Mr.deters said something, which Mr.Schrieber did not understand, took two steps forward and fell to the ground on his face. It was at this point that Mr.Schrieber realized that the accidental discharge of his gun had wounded his companion, Dropping his gun, Schrieber ran to the side of Deters. Mr.Deters evidentially was unconscious as soon as he fell, for he failed to respond to a question asked by his hunting companion, Mr.Schrieber turned the victim on his side and made a hurried examination. When he first noticed the large blood stain, Schrieber thought the charge had entered the upper part of the right limb, but a moment later further examination revealed the exact location of the wound, and he knew it was very bad. Being no other person in sight and unable to carry Mr.deters, who was many pounds heavier than himself, he started out for the Haman farm home, 60 rods due north of the scene of the tragedy. Schrieber ran so fast that when he burst into the Haman home, he collapsed. In broken breath he told of the accident and asked Haman's to get their car and quickly drive down the field and help him get the wounded man to the hospital. Haman's had their auto radiator drained and suggested they call their neighbor, Wm C Martins, who had his car out and ready to go to Dieterich. Mr.Martins was in his house as the telephone call came in. He rushed out to his car and hurried over to the Haman farm, less than a quarter of a mile away. Here he was joined by Mr.Schrieber and Mr.Haman and the three hurriedly drove the car down through the field to where Mr.Deters was lying, unmoved from the position in which Mr.Schrieber had placed him less than twenty minutes earlier. When the men reached the side of Mr.Deters, the witnesses said, he was still breathing, but before they could place him in the car, he had passed away. It is said when the men arrived they found Mr.Deters black setter lying very near his head and refused to move, remaining there until the body was later removed in the Johnson ambulance. As there was nothing could be done now, Mr.Schrieber asked the Martins to drive back up to the house and telephone the sheriff. Sheriff Ervin called coroner C M Doty, who came out as quickly as he could. Upon his arrival all the facts were carefully noted and witnesses questioned and a jury impaneled, setting the inquest for the following evening at 5 o'clock which was held at the City Hall Council Chamber in Dieterich. Since all the facts had been previously established in the presence of the impaneled jury, the inquest took on only a formal procedure. Aside from establishing facts demanded from the state department, which was given by C J Steppe and relatives present,, Schrieber was the only witness questioned. He gave facts in detail freely and as best as he could recall them from a greatly perturbed mind, and were substantially as given above. The jury brought in the following verdict: the deceased (Ben F Deters) came to his death as a result of a shot gun wound, fired accidentally from the hands of George F Schrieber. Submitted by George Horn, foreman, George Groothuis, John Bannick, Frank Hardin, Robert Haack and Edward Draves. This is the worst hunting tragedy to occur in this immediate vicinity since the fatal shooting of a son of Mr. and Mrs.Dan Ordner of northwest of here while hunting with Paul Petry, both then were only boys. George F Schrieber, 36, the son of Mr. and Mrs.George Schrieber, Sr, who reside south of Dieterich, is employed as a foreman in the Peoria Caterpillar manufacturing company. He plainly showed the mental strain of the unfortunate accident, both at the inquest and the funeral. It is perhaps one of the worst ordeals he has experienced in his life. Exonerated by the coroner's jury, he is also held blameless by the sorrowing widow and relatives of the family. ---------- Pall Bearers, Floral Bearers, Firing Squad Pall Bearers were: Allie Westendorf, Arthur Field, Ed Hutmacher, Fred Fritscher, Herman Davis, Lloyd Wiles, Earl Lewis and John Woody. Flower Bearers were: Mrs.Henry Alt, Mrs.Henry Bersig, Mrs.Chas DuBois Mrs.Wm Huelsbach, Mrs.Lillian Schwerdt, Mrs.Nell Bloom, Mrs. G R Clark, Mrs.Anton Broeringsmeyer, Mrs.Margaret Petty, Mrs.John Groves, Ruth Guest, Isabelle Bates, Elinor Brummer, Deloris Wahl of St Louis, Mrs.Lucian Deters and Lorraine Deters. ------------ Card of Thanks I deeply appreciate the many kind act shown me during my hour of bereavement and sorrow and use this means of extending heartfelt thanks to the hind friends and neighbors for lightening my burden and assisting in so many ways; to the Reverend Father Martin; the legionaries and Veterans of Foreign Wars; Legion Auxiliary; for the many beautiful floral remembrances and to Father Doyle. -- Mrs.B F Deters. --------------- FUNERAL OF B F DETERS LARGEST EVER HELD HERE Flag draped coffin conveyed by caisson One of the largest and most impressive funeral services ever held in Dieterich was the last sad rites for Ben F Deters, on Monday morning. All seating and standing room of the Immaculate Conception Church was crowded to capacity. The nearby school held a great number of the overflow audience, and many braved the chill wind standing outside. A large number of persons who came to pay their last respect never attempted to gain admittance but remained uptown. The body, dressed in a beautiful O D serge uniform, reposing in a beautiful cherry stained casket, draped with a large American flag, was viewed by hundreds from Saturday morning until Monday morning at ten o'clock. The funeral and burial service was in the charge of the local and county Legionnaires and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Eight exservice men served as pall bearers. The body was borne from the late home on a caisson to the church and from the church to the cemetery, drawn by three teams of white horses hitched in tandem. The left horse of each team was mounted with an exservice man except the horse hitched to the caisson, which was saddled but riderless. A Colors squad preceded the funeral cortege from the residence to the church and thence to the cemetery. An escort of exservice men and the firing squad followed the caisson. Following the escort came the autos carrying the bereaved widow and relatives, and a long procession of people on foot and in cars. Members of the Legion Auxiliary acted as floral bearers. In the absence of Rev O J Wernett, who is confined in St Anthony's Hospital, Rev Fr Martin of Teutopolis read the Requiem Mass and made a beautiful and impressive funeral address. He also officiated at the grave side, following which the military burial service, including taps and a salute were rendered. The deceased was born in Dieterich, November 8, 1886. He graduate from the eighth grade of the Dieterich public school. He spent a short period of his early life in the northwest. He had a winsome disposition and always endeavored to be at peace with everyone, and was a man of good character and moderate habits, honest and upright. On the 10th of May 1910, he was united in marriage with Mrs.Mary Bremer, nee Petry. His popularity can possibly best be brought out by his being elected to four consecutive terms as assessor of Bishop Township. In 1934, he was honored with the nomination as a candidate for sheriff of Effingham County, winning over a large field of Democratic opponents. He failed of election by a very small margin in the fall election. He was among the first to volunteer his services during the World War. He was assigned to Camp Taylor and became a member of Battery E of the 327th Field Artillery, the unit with which he remained and saw overseas service. When he was mustered out at the close of the war with a honorable discharge, he held the rating of first sergeant. He followed in many pursuits until a few years ago, when he gave most of his time to looking after his farms. Mr.Deters took a lively interest in exservice men's affairs, and at the time of his death he held the post of Sergeant of Arms in the Legion's Last Man's Club. He also held other posts in veteran's organizations. Sharing in the estate of his father, the late Jos Deters, together with his previous holdings and recent purchases he was one of the leading land owners in this vicinity, and had made great plans for the future development of his farms, having spread 130 tons of lime on the Meyer farm east of town alone. A new home, ultra modern in every respect and one of the finest in the county, was almost completed. They moved into this spacious, beautiful home about a month ago. While he was privileged to use it but for a short time, it will stand in his memory for years to come. Surviving besides the sorrowing widow are two brothers, Geo of Dieterich and George of Indianapolis; two sisters, Mrs.Anna Mindrup of Terre Haute and Mrs.Mary Westendorf of Dieterich, other relatives and a legion of friends, whom we join in extending a heartfelt sympathy.