Harry Walter Kuck was born in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota to parents Henry Luther Kuck and Caroline Wilhelmina (Geist), Kuck. His full siblings began changing their names to Cook at the turn of the last century.
Harry was found per census living in the family home on several federal and state census until suddenly being found enumerated as an inmate at the Minnesota State School for the Feeble-minded on the 1900 US Census at the age of 16. It says he can not read, write or speak English. His exact circumstances are unknown, but it is assumed he suffered some sort of mental impairment or handicap. By 1905 he is found back living in Redwood Falls in his parent's household listed as a 20 yr old farm hand on the Minnesota State Census.
Apparently that did not last, as he was back living at the Feebleminded School when he died on 7 August 1906 in Walcott, Rice County, Minnesota. A Redwood Gazette article printed several days after his death stated his brothers L. Henry and Ernest had gone to Faribault for his services. The article also said he was 21 yrs old and single.
Harry is presumed to be one of those that was only recently found to be buried out behind the old Mental Hospital grounds. It was found that those patients had been buried there with no adequate headstone markers or proper burial and in recent years a public outcry solicited a public apology from the State of Minnesota for it's mistreatment in the past of the mentally ill and handicapped who had lived and died there. An effort was begun years back to match the missing or numbered small stones with old hospital and death records in order to put a name to those buried there. The area is now called Faribault Regional Center West and thus the name of the cemetery. According to the Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Project.
Harry's parents names were listed as Louis Henry Cook and Carolina on his inscription record. It is possible that in recreating those cemetery burials, they found an old record of his guardian or contact name which may have confused eldest brother Louis Henry and thus could have led a volunteer to enter the wrong name.
While like some of his brothers who were changing the spelling about the time he died, he too may have, but there is no indication other than this one record that his father ever converted to the Cook spelling.
Research and found articles show that Harry died not long after his parents migrated west in 1905 and they may have left eldest half-brother Louis Henry Kuck of Redwood Falls in charge of Harry's affairs in their absence.
His is no doubt a sad story.
******************
About the Feebleminded School: The following excerpt was taken from an article found online and is seen as a historical look back at how perceptions have changed regarding the mentally ill over the years, it reads as follows:
In 1881 the state began the "School for Idiots and Imbeciles" in Faribault, later changing the name to "Minnesota Institute for Defectives" (1887), then to "School for the Feeble-Minded", then "School for Feeble-Minded and Colony for Epileptics", then "Minnesota School and Colony" (1949). It became the "Faribault State School and Hospital" in 1955, "Faribault State Hospital" in 1967, and in 1985, the "Faribault Regional Center", finally closing in 1998.
There was a peak population at the school of 3,355 in 1955.
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Harry was found per census living in the family home on several federal and state census until suddenly being found enumerated as an inmate at the Minnesota State School for the Feeble-minded on the 1900 US Census at the age of 16. It says he can not read, write or speak English. His exact circumstances are unknown, but it is assumed he suffered some sort of mental impairment or handicap. By 1905 he is found back living in Redwood Falls in his parent's household listed as a 20 yr old farm hand on the Minnesota State Census.
Apparently that did not last, as he was back living at the Feebleminded School when he died on 7 August 1906 in Walcott, Rice County, Minnesota. A Redwood Gazette article printed several days after his death stated his brothers L. Henry and Ernest had gone to Faribault for his services. The article also said he was 21 yrs old and single.
Harry is presumed to be one of those that was only recently found to be buried out behind the old Mental Hospital grounds. It was found that those patients had been buried there with no adequate headstone markers or proper burial and in recent years a public outcry solicited a public apology from the State of Minnesota for it's mistreatment in the past of the mentally ill and handicapped who had lived and died there. An effort was begun years back to match the missing or numbered small stones with old hospital and death records in order to put a name to those buried there. The area is now called Faribault Regional Center West and thus the name of the cemetery. According to the Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Project.
Harry's parents names were listed as Louis Henry Cook and Carolina on his inscription record. It is possible that in recreating those cemetery burials, they found an old record of his guardian or contact name which may have confused eldest brother Louis Henry and thus could have led a volunteer to enter the wrong name.
While like some of his brothers who were changing the spelling about the time he died, he too may have, but there is no indication other than this one record that his father ever converted to the Cook spelling.
Research and found articles show that Harry died not long after his parents migrated west in 1905 and they may have left eldest half-brother Louis Henry Kuck of Redwood Falls in charge of Harry's affairs in their absence.
His is no doubt a sad story.
******************
About the Feebleminded School: The following excerpt was taken from an article found online and is seen as a historical look back at how perceptions have changed regarding the mentally ill over the years, it reads as follows:
In 1881 the state began the "School for Idiots and Imbeciles" in Faribault, later changing the name to "Minnesota Institute for Defectives" (1887), then to "School for the Feeble-Minded", then "School for Feeble-Minded and Colony for Epileptics", then "Minnesota School and Colony" (1949). It became the "Faribault State School and Hospital" in 1955, "Faribault State Hospital" in 1967, and in 1985, the "Faribault Regional Center", finally closing in 1998.
There was a peak population at the school of 3,355 in 1955.
*********************************************************
Harry Walter Kuck was born in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota to parents Henry Luther Kuck and Caroline Wilhelmina (Geist), Kuck. His full siblings began changing their names to Cook at the turn of the last century.
Harry was found per census living in the family home on several federal and state census until suddenly being found enumerated as an inmate at the Minnesota State School for the Feeble-minded on the 1900 US Census at the age of 16. It says he can not read, write or speak English. His exact circumstances are unknown, but it is assumed he suffered some sort of mental impairment or handicap. By 1905 he is found back living in Redwood Falls in his parent's household listed as a 20 yr old farm hand on the Minnesota State Census.
Apparently that did not last, as he was back living at the Feebleminded School when he died on 7 August 1906 in Walcott, Rice County, Minnesota. A Redwood Gazette article printed several days after his death stated his brothers L. Henry and Ernest had gone to Faribault for his services. The article also said he was 21 yrs old and single.
Harry is presumed to be one of those that was only recently found to be buried out behind the old Mental Hospital grounds. It was found that those patients had been buried there with no adequate headstone markers or proper burial and in recent years a public outcry solicited a public apology from the State of Minnesota for it's mistreatment in the past of the mentally ill and handicapped who had lived and died there. An effort was begun years back to match the missing or numbered small stones with old hospital and death records in order to put a name to those buried there. The area is now called Faribault Regional Center West and thus the name of the cemetery. According to the Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Project.
Harry's parents names were listed as Louis Henry Cook and Carolina on his inscription record. It is possible that in recreating those cemetery burials, they found an old record of his guardian or contact name which may have confused eldest brother Louis Henry and thus could have led a volunteer to enter the wrong name.
While like some of his brothers who were changing the spelling about the time he died, he too may have, but there is no indication other than this one record that his father ever converted to the Cook spelling.
Research and found articles show that Harry died not long after his parents migrated west in 1905 and they may have left eldest half-brother Louis Henry Kuck of Redwood Falls in charge of Harry's affairs in their absence.
His is no doubt a sad story.
******************
About the Feebleminded School: The following excerpt was taken from an article found online and is seen as a historical look back at how perceptions have changed regarding the mentally ill over the years, it reads as follows:
In 1881 the state began the "School for Idiots and Imbeciles" in Faribault, later changing the name to "Minnesota Institute for Defectives" (1887), then to "School for the Feeble-Minded", then "School for Feeble-Minded and Colony for Epileptics", then "Minnesota School and Colony" (1949). It became the "Faribault State School and Hospital" in 1955, "Faribault State Hospital" in 1967, and in 1985, the "Faribault Regional Center", finally closing in 1998.
There was a peak population at the school of 3,355 in 1955.
*********************************************************
Harry was found per census living in the family home on several federal and state census until suddenly being found enumerated as an inmate at the Minnesota State School for the Feeble-minded on the 1900 US Census at the age of 16. It says he can not read, write or speak English. His exact circumstances are unknown, but it is assumed he suffered some sort of mental impairment or handicap. By 1905 he is found back living in Redwood Falls in his parent's household listed as a 20 yr old farm hand on the Minnesota State Census.
Apparently that did not last, as he was back living at the Feebleminded School when he died on 7 August 1906 in Walcott, Rice County, Minnesota. A Redwood Gazette article printed several days after his death stated his brothers L. Henry and Ernest had gone to Faribault for his services. The article also said he was 21 yrs old and single.
Harry is presumed to be one of those that was only recently found to be buried out behind the old Mental Hospital grounds. It was found that those patients had been buried there with no adequate headstone markers or proper burial and in recent years a public outcry solicited a public apology from the State of Minnesota for it's mistreatment in the past of the mentally ill and handicapped who had lived and died there. An effort was begun years back to match the missing or numbered small stones with old hospital and death records in order to put a name to those buried there. The area is now called Faribault Regional Center West and thus the name of the cemetery. According to the Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Project.
Harry's parents names were listed as Louis Henry Cook and Carolina on his inscription record. It is possible that in recreating those cemetery burials, they found an old record of his guardian or contact name which may have confused eldest brother Louis Henry and thus could have led a volunteer to enter the wrong name.
While like some of his brothers who were changing the spelling about the time he died, he too may have, but there is no indication other than this one record that his father ever converted to the Cook spelling.
Research and found articles show that Harry died not long after his parents migrated west in 1905 and they may have left eldest half-brother Louis Henry Kuck of Redwood Falls in charge of Harry's affairs in their absence.
His is no doubt a sad story.
******************
About the Feebleminded School: The following excerpt was taken from an article found online and is seen as a historical look back at how perceptions have changed regarding the mentally ill over the years, it reads as follows:
In 1881 the state began the "School for Idiots and Imbeciles" in Faribault, later changing the name to "Minnesota Institute for Defectives" (1887), then to "School for the Feeble-Minded", then "School for Feeble-Minded and Colony for Epileptics", then "Minnesota School and Colony" (1949). It became the "Faribault State School and Hospital" in 1955, "Faribault State Hospital" in 1967, and in 1985, the "Faribault Regional Center", finally closing in 1998.
There was a peak population at the school of 3,355 in 1955.
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