Daughter of David Filmore Agnew and Louisa (Smith) Agnew. She was born near Cooks Mills, Coles County, Illinois.
Sister of Clark J. and Mary Agnew.
She first married William Clinton Junken on April 30, 1918, in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois.
She married Homer Schrader in 1942.
Laura was my Grandfather's 4th wife. She was a nice lady.
She owned and operated a restaurant and boarding house for railroad workers on the New York Central train line in Mattoon, Illinois.
She had a heart attack at 1119 East High Street in Rockville on Christmas Day 1955 and passed away face down in the bowl of mashed potatoes. A memory that a five-year boy remembers vividly 65 years later.
An interesting anecdote about her life is found in a story referred to as "The Mad Gasser" which can be researched on the internet using that term. The entire incident is very lengthy and occurs over several days.
Here is a newspaper article that references Laura's specific incident.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept 7, 1944.
MYSTERIOUS GAS RELEASED IN TWO MORE MATTOON HOMES
Women Say Odor Made Them Ill and Caused Partial Paralysis.
MATTOON, Ill., Sept. 7 (AP).
While Mattoon's police and volunteers patrolled the city, a prowler who has terrorized the community by spraying a mysterious gas through open bedroom windows added two more victims to his growing list.
The prowler last night and early today released the gas into the sleeping rooms of Mrs. Ardell Spangler, a shoe factory worker, and Mrs. Laura Junken, who operates a restaurant. Both women told police the sickeningly sweet odor made them ill and partly paralyzed their legs and arms for a time.
The prowler has engaged in eight forays and 11 persons have been affected by fumes. One of the latest victims, Mrs. Carl Cordes, was hospitalized. She said she sniffed a damp cloth which she found on her porch Tuesday night. In all other cases, gas was sprayed into windows. -- Thursday, September 7, page 1
Sister of Clark J. and Mary Agnew.
She first married William Clinton Junken on April 30, 1918, in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois.
She married Homer Schrader in 1942.
Laura was my Grandfather's 4th wife. She was a nice lady.
She owned and operated a restaurant and boarding house for railroad workers on the New York Central train line in Mattoon, Illinois.
She had a heart attack at 1119 East High Street in Rockville on Christmas Day 1955 and passed away face down in the bowl of mashed potatoes. A memory that a five-year boy remembers vividly 65 years later.
An interesting anecdote about her life is found in a story referred to as "The Mad Gasser" which can be researched on the internet using that term. The entire incident is very lengthy and occurs over several days.
Here is a newspaper article that references Laura's specific incident.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept 7, 1944.
MYSTERIOUS GAS RELEASED IN TWO MORE MATTOON HOMES
Women Say Odor Made Them Ill and Caused Partial Paralysis.
MATTOON, Ill., Sept. 7 (AP).
While Mattoon's police and volunteers patrolled the city, a prowler who has terrorized the community by spraying a mysterious gas through open bedroom windows added two more victims to his growing list.
The prowler last night and early today released the gas into the sleeping rooms of Mrs. Ardell Spangler, a shoe factory worker, and Mrs. Laura Junken, who operates a restaurant. Both women told police the sickeningly sweet odor made them ill and partly paralyzed their legs and arms for a time.
The prowler has engaged in eight forays and 11 persons have been affected by fumes. One of the latest victims, Mrs. Carl Cordes, was hospitalized. She said she sniffed a damp cloth which she found on her porch Tuesday night. In all other cases, gas was sprayed into windows. -- Thursday, September 7, page 1
Daughter of David Filmore Agnew and Louisa (Smith) Agnew. She was born near Cooks Mills, Coles County, Illinois.
Sister of Clark J. and Mary Agnew.
She first married William Clinton Junken on April 30, 1918, in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois.
She married Homer Schrader in 1942.
Laura was my Grandfather's 4th wife. She was a nice lady.
She owned and operated a restaurant and boarding house for railroad workers on the New York Central train line in Mattoon, Illinois.
She had a heart attack at 1119 East High Street in Rockville on Christmas Day 1955 and passed away face down in the bowl of mashed potatoes. A memory that a five-year boy remembers vividly 65 years later.
An interesting anecdote about her life is found in a story referred to as "The Mad Gasser" which can be researched on the internet using that term. The entire incident is very lengthy and occurs over several days.
Here is a newspaper article that references Laura's specific incident.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept 7, 1944.
MYSTERIOUS GAS RELEASED IN TWO MORE MATTOON HOMES
Women Say Odor Made Them Ill and Caused Partial Paralysis.
MATTOON, Ill., Sept. 7 (AP).
While Mattoon's police and volunteers patrolled the city, a prowler who has terrorized the community by spraying a mysterious gas through open bedroom windows added two more victims to his growing list.
The prowler last night and early today released the gas into the sleeping rooms of Mrs. Ardell Spangler, a shoe factory worker, and Mrs. Laura Junken, who operates a restaurant. Both women told police the sickeningly sweet odor made them ill and partly paralyzed their legs and arms for a time.
The prowler has engaged in eight forays and 11 persons have been affected by fumes. One of the latest victims, Mrs. Carl Cordes, was hospitalized. She said she sniffed a damp cloth which she found on her porch Tuesday night. In all other cases, gas was sprayed into windows. -- Thursday, September 7, page 1
Sister of Clark J. and Mary Agnew.
She first married William Clinton Junken on April 30, 1918, in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois.
She married Homer Schrader in 1942.
Laura was my Grandfather's 4th wife. She was a nice lady.
She owned and operated a restaurant and boarding house for railroad workers on the New York Central train line in Mattoon, Illinois.
She had a heart attack at 1119 East High Street in Rockville on Christmas Day 1955 and passed away face down in the bowl of mashed potatoes. A memory that a five-year boy remembers vividly 65 years later.
An interesting anecdote about her life is found in a story referred to as "The Mad Gasser" which can be researched on the internet using that term. The entire incident is very lengthy and occurs over several days.
Here is a newspaper article that references Laura's specific incident.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept 7, 1944.
MYSTERIOUS GAS RELEASED IN TWO MORE MATTOON HOMES
Women Say Odor Made Them Ill and Caused Partial Paralysis.
MATTOON, Ill., Sept. 7 (AP).
While Mattoon's police and volunteers patrolled the city, a prowler who has terrorized the community by spraying a mysterious gas through open bedroom windows added two more victims to his growing list.
The prowler last night and early today released the gas into the sleeping rooms of Mrs. Ardell Spangler, a shoe factory worker, and Mrs. Laura Junken, who operates a restaurant. Both women told police the sickeningly sweet odor made them ill and partly paralyzed their legs and arms for a time.
The prowler has engaged in eight forays and 11 persons have been affected by fumes. One of the latest victims, Mrs. Carl Cordes, was hospitalized. She said she sniffed a damp cloth which she found on her porch Tuesday night. In all other cases, gas was sprayed into windows. -- Thursday, September 7, page 1
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