The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1917-09-20
MISS LESA WESLEY
DIED SUDDENLY
Passed Away Tuesday Morning at the
Home of Fritz Grossarth-Oied
From Natural Causes.

Mss Lesa Westby, aged seventeen
years, passed away at the home OF
Fred Grossarth, eight miles southwest
Of Minot, Tuesday morning at about
eight o'clock. The news of her death
came as great shock to the young
woman's many friends as she had been
enjoying the best of health.
Miss Westby had been visiting at
the Grossarth home for severn
weeks. Fred Grossarth, Jr., is very i'll
with rheumatism, and she had been
assisting Mrs. Fritz Grossarth Sr. to
take care of him. Miss Westby and
Mrs. Fritz Grossarth slept on cot in
the kitchen the night before, which
adjoins the SICK mans room. In the
morning Miss Westby arose and went
out of doors. Not returning, an in
vestigation was made and her dead
body was found in one Of the buildings
on the farm.
Mrs. Grossarth states that Miss
Westby had complained of a headache
the night before and had taken head
ache tablet, but seemed to be feeling
better in the morning. She noticed
that it required her much longer to
dress, however. Fritz Grossarth miss
ed Lesa and asked his wife where she
was. Mrs. Grossarth went out OF
doors, where the body was found. The
body was taken from the building and
Mr.. Grossarth guarded it. Word was
sent to Judge Murray, who tried to
notify Coroner Pence at once, but DR..
Pence was out on a call. The Judge
left Immediately for the farm. The
body was still warm when they ar
Ind ha
mains brought to Minot Immediately
where an autopsy was held by DR..
Nestos, as it was feared that she
might accidentally have taken some
poison. The brain was found to be
normal, altho the stomach appeared pc
culiar, however there were no traces
Of poison and the doctors are certain
that Miss Westby died from natural
causes.
Coroner Pence visited the Grossarth
farm Wednesday and searched the
premises for evidences of a poison
bottle but found none. The report
that Miss Westby might have taken
her own life is erroneous for there is
no question but what she died from
natural causes. Some of the head
ache tablets were secured, however,
and these will be examined to see just
what they are composed Of
The funeral was held from the Zion
Lutheran church in this city this after
noon at 2:30 o'clock, Rev. J. R. Mich
aelson, the pastor, preaching a COM
forting sermon. The remains were in
tered in Rose Hill cemetery beside
those Of her father, Ole Westby, who
died three years ago.
Miss Westby was an orphan, her
mother having passed away at the
jamestown hospital about year ago.
After the death of her father, she be-
came ward of Judge Murray. Her
first guardian was R. H. Emerson and
later c. B. Bach. In August, 1912,
she went to make her home with Mr..
and Mrs. Chas. ]. Plat and shortly
afterwards, Mr.. Platt was appointed
her guardian. mr.. and Mrs. Plat
speak very highly Of Miss Westby,
who was always most considerable, as
sisting them in every way possible.
The Platts treated her as their own
daughter and she could not possibly
have secured better home. When
Mr.. and Mrs. Plat moved to their
farm near Sanish year ago, Miss
'Westby accompanied them, but in
July returned and had been visiting
with friends in the vicinity of her for
mer home since. Mr.. and Mrs. Plat
were notified of her death and has
tened to this city 20 attend the fu-
neral.
Miss Westby was the owner of a
valuable quarter of land, her fathers
old homestead, located north of
brady. The farm, which is valued at
several thousand dollars, has a mort
der the management of her guardian
would have soon been free from debt.
AS she was the only heir, it is pre-
sumed that after all debts are paid,
the residue will be turned over to the
county
Judge Murray married the young
woman's parents in Gassman Coulee
Nov. IA, 1899. He was in charge of
the mother when she was sent to the
state hospital and arranged for his
ward to attend the funeral which was
held at jamestown. The Judge was
called to the Westby farm when the
father was killed by falling from a
load Of hay three years ago and found
the girl in the morning after she had
been sitting beside the remains of her
father all night long, not realizing that
death had come, and again he was
called after her sudden death.
Altho there were no relatives to
attend the last sad rites, loving
friends laid the remains tenderly to
rest.