From  Rick Berkheiser

 

 

 

"The South Bend Tribune", Friday Evening, May 9, 1930, section 1, page 7

 

GIRL WHO TOOK POTION IS DEAD

 

Post Mortem to Decide if Mrs. Burkheiser [Berkheiser] Ended Own Life.

 

     A post mortem will be conducted on the body of Mrs. Dorothy Burkheiser, age 37, 1612 Prairie avenue, to-day to attempt to determine whether the sleeping potion which caused her death at an early hour this morning at Epworth hospital was taken with suicidal intent, according to Dr. C. B. Crumpacker, county coroner.  The coroner says that it will be several days before the circumstances of the death can be accurately established.
     The woman collapsed Wednesday evening shortly after taking the potion while talking to the proprietor of the restaurant on Prairie avenue where she had been living for about three days previous to the occurrence.
     She had been estranged from her husband, John Burkheiser, 818 Altgeld street, an employee of the Oliver Farm Equipment company, for about a year and had a divorce suit pending against him in an upper court.
     A case was pending against her in city court for an alleged liquor law violation.  When she was arrested for this offense she gave the name of Dorothy McGraw.  A sister living in Jacksonville, Ill., Mrs. Burkheiser's former home, was expected to arrive in the city to claim the body.
     Mrs. Burkheiser was born in Missouri, June 4, 1893 and came to South Bend 10 years ago from Chicago.  She was married June 4, 1927, in South Bend to John Burkheiser, who survives.  One brother Walter Munn, of Portland, Ore., and three sisters, Mrs. F. W. Doyle, of Chicago, Mrs. W. O. Hubert, of Glen Elyn, Ill., and Mrs. Charles Mosely, of Brea, Calif., survive.
     The body may be viewed at the L. H. Orvis funeral home until late to-day when it will be taken to Glen Elyn for services and burial there Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Camp funeral home.

 

 

 

"The South Bend Tribune", Monday Evening, May 12, 1930, section 2, page 6

 

     Funeral rites for Mrs. Dorothy Burkheiser [Berkheiser], of 1612 Prairie avenue, who died after taking an overdose of sleeping potion were held at the Camp funeral home in Glen Elyn, Ill. this afternoon at 2 o'clock.  Burial took place in the Glen Elyn cemetery.