Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Peterson, John B. 1926
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net October 5, 2019, 9:20 am

Ionia Sentinel Standard, 5 May 1926

Ionia Farmer Ends His Life With Shotgun
John Peterson, 50, Is Believed to Have Been Despondent Over Failing Health
Gun He Used Figured in Tragedy Last Year
Victim Was Brother-in-Law of Charles Johnson, Who Ended His Life Last October

The body of John Peterson, aged 50 years, clad in the flaming remnants of his
burning clothing, was discovered about 8:30 Wednesday morning in a small grassy yard
west of his barn on Smoky Row, about three miles east of the city.  Peterson had
apparently gone out by the barn while his wife was away milking, and had placed the
muzzle of a single-barreled shotgun against the right side of his neck.  He then
pulled the trigger with a stick.

The fact that his clothing was burned off and his body charred led to several
stories that he had saturated his clothing with oil and set fire to himself, but
investigation led to the belief that probably his clothing had been ignited by the
powder from the gun, and had slowly burned away.  Sheriff Cook and Deputy Franch
with Coroner Boynton took charge of the body.

About three years ago Peterson suffered a stroke, and recently, his wife stated, he
had remarked that he was afraid another one was coming on.  It was this ill health
that provided the motive for his suicide, it is believed.  No other reason was known
to exist.  He had evidently planned carefully.  He left the house this morning and
went to the barn.  Later he returned to the house and told his wife the car would
not start, and that they would come to Ionia, where they had planned some Dollar day
shopping, with the horse.  Mrs. Peterson then went to her brother’s house, the next
place, to do the milking.  While she was gone, it was indicated, Paterson returned
again to the house, where he left about $30 he had in his pocket, and a watch
carefully in his desk.

Mrs. Peterson was still at the next place milking when informed by Fred Field that
her husband “was burning up.”  Fields, who was plowing on the flats near by, and two
passersby had discovered the blazing body.  No one had heard the report of the gun.

Mr. Peterson killed himself with the same shotgun that was used by his
brother-in-law, Charles Johnson, last October.  Johnson lived the next place east of
the Peterson place, and after the suicide of Johnson, Peterson went to the sheriff’s
office and took charge of the gun.  It was this gun that was found near Peterson’s
body this morning.

Peterson is survived by his wife and one son Oscar, 13, at student of the Spaulding
school, who did not learn of his father’s tragic death until noon.  He also leaves
one sister, Mrs. Jerome Miller, of Ada.

Following the discovery of his body by Field, Lester Badder and Ben Taylor,
neighbors, who were called at once, extinguished the dead man’s clothing with water.
 Sheriff Cook and Deputy Franch rushed to the scene.  Coroner B.J. Boynton, who took
charge of the body, decided that an inquest was unnecessary, there being every
indication that it was a plain case of suicide.

Peterson and his brother-in-law, Charles Johnson, who ended his life at the
adjoining farm last October, had been close friends for several years.  It was
through Johnson that Peterson three years ago brought his family here from
Kalamazoo, and took up the little farm on Smoky Row.  Together, Johnson and
Peterson, worked untiringly, building the house and the barns and putting the land
under cultivation.

Both men had been in ill health, and shortly after coming to Ionia, Peterson
suffered a slight stroke.  But the work was ever present, and they pushed on with
Scandanavian persistence and thrift to complete their homesteads.

Then came the death of Johnson, suddenly, tragically.  Mrs. Peterson, not yet fully
recovered over the shock of her brother’s suicide, Wednesday morning appeared dazed,
almost to a point of indifference, by this great misfortune in so short a time.  Her
aged mother, living next door, has not been told of the death of her son-in-law. 
She is ill, and it was feared the shock would be too much for her feeble strength.

Sunday Peterson complained of feeling poorly, his wife said, and he remarked that he
felt as though another stroke might be coming on.  It is believed this fear moved
him to take his own life.  Funeral arrangements have not been made.


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