Die Ermordete Familie

Many years ago (at least twenty) my comrade and co worker, Vivien Hammer, and I were driving to Bismarck for a workshop. The trip to Bismarck is about 100 miles to the south of Velva. We folks from around here have our own little routes that involve lesser traveled roads and shorten our trips. To Bismarck we must first go to the small town of Turtle Lake, about 40 miles to the south on Highway 41.

On this particular day we turned southwest just shy of Turtle Lake and took a little gravel road, another "shortcut" to the pavement a mile down the way. She asked me to slow down as we went past a cemetery, the Turtle Lake Cemetery. There in a long row, with a back drop of towering lilac bushes, were eight uniform tombstones lined up behind the fence.

She proceeded to tell me of of the family murdered in the 1920's and had long held her rapt attention. Vivien was born in the twenties, some 25 miles north of Turtle Lake. As a girl she would clip news articles, probably not many, but clipped any reference to this family or the tragic events.

The murdered family, the Jacob Wolf family, was killed on their farmstead. A hired boy of 14 - and a nephew, was also slain. In Jacob's family, those who died were five little girls from age 3 to 12 and his wife Beata. For reasons unknown, a baby of eight months was spared. Little Emma was found almost two days later dirty, hungry, wet and crying in her crib behind a bedroom door.

They were found dead in the barn and cellar by a neighbor who wondered why a requested piece of farm equipment for spring seeding was never picked up. They were murdered on April 22, 1920. It has been ninety years since that fateful day.

"I have always been so interested in the story and how awful it was." lamented Vivien.

She also told me an eery story that unfolded for her many years before our conversation. She was in the hospital having one of her three children. Back in those days women weren't discharged at the rapid rate of this day and age. In five to seven days we got to know our roommates. I have two roommates I still see now and then. Anyway, she was telling her roommate of her fascination with the Wolf family murders. Vivien, who could spin a good tale, goes on to tell me of her roommate's comment.

"I am the baby that survived, baby Emma."

I still get goose bumps just writing of what she said so many years ago. Vivien died in 1992 of cancer. She was in her sixties, too young to end it all. She would be ever so excited over this latest book on shelves.

The Murdered Family was written by Vernon Keel. As the book jacket reveals, he began his journalism career at the Turtle Lake newspaper, his hometown. I think he deserves squatter's rights to this sad saga in North Dakota history.

I just finished the book this afternoon. It is a recommended read for anyone whether you are a local or a "firiner." Mr. Keel has a nice easy writing style and takes the reader down the road of question.

Time travel again to this century: "Baby" Emma and her husband became residents of our Nursing Home. But at the time, I didn't know that was her. They were a very nice enjoyable couple who lived long comfortable lives.

Not the case of the "convicted" murderer.

I do have to remind you it is a novel, but at the end the author states the first twenty chapters are based on newspaper accounts, court documents, sworn statements and historical data. The actual investigative documents were lost in the Attorney General files when the North Dakota State Capitol burned on December 28, 1930.

It is well worth the $15.00 or a trip to the library for this haunting book.



By the way, Die Ermordete Familie is German Russian for "The Murdered Family."

Double click on The Murdered Family, off set in green, a few paragraphs up to see a heartbreaking photo of the actual funeral at the Wolf Farm. Baby Emma is the infant in white with the X on the tail of her dress.

On the far left, by the sliding barn door, there is an erased X, this is suppose to be Henry Layer, the so called killer.