OBIT - September 1916
DEATH CAME AS A RESULT OF PTOMAINE POISONING AT SALINA LAST SATURDAY EVENING, BURIAL AT VICTORIA LAST TUESDAY
This community was shocked last Friday evening when word reached here that our well-known townsman, A. B. Brungardt, had died from a severe attack of ptomaine poisoning, contracted from eating canned salmon. Mr. Brungardt suffered three attacks prior to the one that resulted fatally. Alex and John J. Brungardt were on their way home from Kansas City with a motor truck purchased for use in the Standard Oil Company's business, of which Alex was the local manager in Victoria. At Manhattan they stopped long enough for Alex to buy a can of red salmon, which he ate as they proceeded on their way. They were in a hurry because they wanted to get home that night. At Chapman, he got very sick at the stomach, but _____ ter. Before reaching Salina, he suffered two more attacks and each ____, advised him to see a doctor. As he had gotten over each spell he did not consider himself a sick enough man to receive medical attention. However, upon arrival at Salina, they went to the office of Alex' brother, Dr. B. A. Brungardt, who used a stomach pump. This did not do any good, as it had been eight hours since he ate the salmon, and it had been digested and the poison had already been absorbed into his system and soon afterwards he suffered another spell that resulted fatally. The body was brought to Victoria on Sunday evening's passenger. The funeral occurred Monday morning. The services were held in St. Fidelis Church and were conducted by Fr. Jerome. The funeral procession was one of the largest in the history of this community, more than a thousand people being in it. Mr. Brungardt was a member of the Hays Council Knights of Columbus and a large number of the members of the order were here. They were: John J. Dreiling, Fred N. Dreiling, B. M. Dreiling, J. C. Kippes, Jake Bissing, Wm. Pelzel, John Kuhn, Jake Simminger, Alex Schueler, Adam Bahl, Jos. Bahl, Walter Stanton, Clarence Loreditsch, F. B. Miller, Wm. Dorley, D. McCarthy, Jacob Brull, J. M. Shaefer, Carl Walt, Peter Polifka, Martin Roth, Nick Arnhold, Wm. Grabbe, Ed Polifka, Chas. Polifka, Martin Basgall, Simon Frank, Alex Nierenberger, ...

OBIT - Alexander B. Brungardt, born February 16, 1871, died September 23, 1916, 45 years, 7 months, 7 days.
When he was five years old he came to Ellis Co.. He attended the Herzog parochial school and afterwards, during the years 1888 and 1889, he was a student in the old Salina Normal school. Immediately after that he began teaching school. He taught three terms in Ellis Co.--one at Emmeram and two at Herzog. In 1890 he was married to Miss Catherine Winholtz, to which union were born twelve children, ten of whom are living. They are: Sr. Frederica, Adolph, Balthaser, Helen, Matilda, Felice, Ida, Fridolin, Joseph, Daniel. Seeking relief from heart trouble, Alex, with his family, moved to Canada twice, in 1894 and 1896. Upon returning the second time, he engaged in the general merchandise business with his brother, Frank, until the following year, 1897, when he began running a hardware store and conducted the business until 1900. He was again troubled with his sickness so he sold this business to A. A. Dreiling and he and his family moved to Wisconsin. Two years later they returned to Victoria and opened a general store. He was also postmaster for seven years. For the past several months Mr. Brungardt has been local manager of the Standard Oil Co.'s business here and the truck he and John Brungardt were driving home was for use in the delivery of oil. Mr. Brungardt was a splendid example of a citizen. He was courteous and obliging, a devoted church member and was always ready to do anything for the best interests of the town. His untimely demise is mourned by hundreds of warm friends.

e-mailed from Jan Brungardt at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, KS on January 6, 2004
Church records listing the children of Alexander Brungardt and Katharina Windholz: