----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Wis.) 02/16/1928

Gramse, Emil (1877? - 13 Feb 1928)

The entire community was shocked Monday morning when it was whispered from one to another that Emil Gramse had committed suicide. The word flew over our town as on the wings of the wind, and it was not long before a large crowd gathered at the South Side Filling Station. A traveler, driving a car with a Michigan license, was the first one to suspect anything wrong. He drove up to the station to buy some gasoline, but as he did not see anyone about, he went inside, and as he noticed a pool of blood in the center of the room, just in front of the stove, he hurriedly left the place and rushed to town and stopped at the meat market and informed Oscar Dix, saying that either a murder or a suicide had taken place at the filling station. He also left town as soon as possible.

Oscar Dix immediately went in search of Deputy Sheriff Cody and Marshall Tesmer. He located Deputy Sheriff Cody and Constable Alvin Holtzhausen first, who rushed to the filling station. They found Mr. Gramse locked inside the toilet with his throat cut and also a pool of blood in the middle of the main room. They were obliged to break the window in the toilet in order to gain entrance. An old rusty razor, without a good handle, was found.

From all indications, Mr. Gramse slashed his throat when in the main room and then finished his deed after he had locked himself inside the toilet, hooking the door from the inside. Judging from the condition of the razor, he must have made a great number of jabs at his throat before he cut it from ear to ear as he did. As the stove door was open, it is the belief that he did not go to work with the intention of taking his life at that time, but took a sudden notion when about to build a fire.

Dr. A. L. Schemmer, health officer, and F. W. Lulloff, undertaker, were notified, who informed George W. Krueger, coroner at Wausau. Mr. Krueger ordered the body removed to the undertaking parlors and arrived late in the afternoon to investigate into the death.

Despondency, it is thought, prompted Mr. Gramse to take his life. He had not been feeling well of late, and in addition, had business worries. He came to Colby, Wis. from Wausau in June 1927, paying $6,500 for the South Side Filling station, half of which were time payments. Business had been very poor and he worried about his affairs a great deal.

F. H. Niehoff informed us that about a week ago he had a lengthy conversation with Mr. Gramse, who hinted that he was considering killing himself. Mr. Niehoff said he tried to console him.

The deceased, fifty years of age, leaves his wife, one daughter, a senior in Colby High School, and one son, about eleven years of age.

Funeral services will be held at Lulloff's undertaking parlors this Thursday afternoon at 1:00 o'clock, Rev. H. K. Harman officiating, and interment made in the Colby Cemetery.