----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 08/03/1918

Griebenow, Alfred (20 Jan 1912 - 29 Jul 1918)

An accident which cast a gloom over the entire city (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) happened shortly after the noon hour on Monday, when Alfred "Buster" Griebenow, the six and one-half year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Griebenow, was shot and instantly killed by a neighbor boy and playmate, Carl Fesington, with a .38 caliber automatic revolver, in the home of Carl Fesington.

The boys were at play in the home of Fesington's alone, Mrs. Fesington being in Chippewa Falls, where she had gone on the noon train to take her daughter to the hospital for a surgical operation. The gun previous to the accident was on the dresser in the bedroom. Carl Fesington went into the bedroom and got the gun and returned to the front room of the house and asked who wanted to die, and pointing the revolver at little Buster, pulled the trigger, Buster putting his hand up to his head to guard himself. The shot entered the lower side of his arm just above the wrist, came out and passed through his shoulder and on into his neck, cutting the jugular vein, death coming to him instantly.

After the shooting, the Fesington lad pulled little Alfred into the kitchen, exclaiming "you are not dead", but the lifeless form lay on the floor before him. Then realizing what he had done, he called to the neighbors who were near and told of the accident. Medical aid was summoned, but due to the large number of shot holes and the severing of the jugular vein, it was of no avail, and the boy passed away without pain or struggle.

An inquest was held shortly after the accident, and on Tuesday afternoon District Attorney Rush came and gave the Fesington lad a hearing. At the hearing Carl Fesington told the story of the shooting and how they had been at play before the accident. The six-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Peterson, who was at play with the other two boys at the time of the accident, also told his story on the stand. On Wednesday evening Carl Fesington was taken to Neillsville by the county sheriff. He will likely be taken from Neillsville to Waukesha, where he will be place in the Industrial School.

Funeral services were held at the home Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. Charles Linley of Christ Church, Eau Claire, officiating. Interment was made in the Riverside Cemetery.

That Buster had an unlimited number of intimate friends and playmates is indicated by the beautiful flowers which were brought by so many. Especially should one mention the beautiful blanket of sweet peas which covered the casket.

Those from away who came to attend the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Bauman, Adolph and Miss Mollie Bauman, Mrs. Alfred Griebenow, Mrs. Gus Deucker and Mrs. Arthur Kaemer, of Kiel, Wis.; Mrs. Henry Myers, Hilbert, Wis.; and Miss Erma Heins of Milwaukee.