Catherine was born in Zetel, Oldenburg, Germany. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1867 and settled with them in Minnesota. On June 16, 1869 at Stearns, Minnesota she married a fellow immigrant from Oldenburg, Henry Asseln, who quickly became a successful merchant and community leader. They had five children in Otter Tail County between 1870 and 1881. Henry died relatively young in Parkers Prairie 1883 but his affairs were apparently well-enough organized that his family did not suffer financially. Indeed, all indications are that his widow Catherine and their children continued to live very comfortably (even with a degree of social prominence) and in time two of Catherine's daughters would make very advantageous marriages.
By the early 1890s Catherine had moved her family to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where by the late 1890s they lived at 319 Mill Street North. Her children graduated from the local high school, which is another indication of prosperity as before World War I only the children of the well-to-do could be spared work to complete that level of education. Henry, Jr. (the last of the children) entered Fergus Falls (Minnesota) High School in September 1896 and graduated from there in June 1900.
Henry Jr.'s life, however, was soon to change dramatically. According to Thelma (McComas) Asseln, his daughter-in-law, Henry suffered a head injury while playing high school football. Later on, this was aggravated by a head injury he sustained in a bar fight. He became increasingly confused as the years passed and was frequently institutionalized thereafter for the rest of his life.
Following his high school graduation, young Henry enrolled in a nearby university (which one is currently unknown), but by February 1901 he had terminated his studies. "The Polaris," the student publication at Fergus Falls High School that (among other things) provided news on alumni, reported in that month that "Henry Asseln, '00, has left the University to seek some other employment." This was around the time (in both Canada and the U.S.) when many young men were moving to their nations' westernmost regions in search of adventure and fortune. Henry's only brother William ("Will") was around seven years older than he and had begun a medical education; in 1895-97 he attended the Rush Medical College in Chicago. But he did not complete his degree and instead worked at the Kaddatz Hotel in Fergus Falls (owned by his brother-in-law Charles Kaddatz) for some time. By the early 1900s Will was ready to accompany his younger brother in "heading out west."
In around 1902 Henry and Will obtained a farm in Alberta near Stony Plain, in or near S.E. 31-51-2-W5. Many other German-ethnic families were also settling that area, and many of those had also just relocated from Minnesota and the Dakotas. Immediately east of the Asseln farm was the family of Adolph Moldenhauer, who with his wife Bertha and seven children had moved to Canada from Roberts County, South Dakota in October 1901; the Moldenhauers occupied their Stony Plain farm beginning in the fall of 1902 (for more information on the Adolph Moldenhauer family, click on the "More" information tab for he and his wife Bertha). Henry took an interest in the Moldenhauer's daughter Pauline, who was around seven years younger than he. They were married in Alberta in the latter half of 1906 (after July 7 of that year, for on July 7 she was still enumerated in her parents' household in the provincial census of that year).
Pauline was soon pregnant (their first child, "Heine," was born in June 1907). But for some reason which yet remains a mystery, instead of remaining in Alberta so that Pauline's family could help the young couple with their baby, Henry moved them to Anacortes, Washington State. Will evidently remained in Alberta for many years more, where he operated a "truck farm" (according to Thelma Asseln); he would eventually relocate to Washington too, but long after Henry did.
The 1909 birth record of Henry and Pauline's second child (William) indicates that Henry was a "journeyman and miner" while Pauline was a "housewife." William's birth certificate also shows that he was born somewhere on 11th Street in Anacortes.
Another twist in the lives of Henry, Pauline, and their children was about to occur. The U.S. census for 1910 (E.D. 264, Page 28A) shows that their Anacortes household now included Henry's long-widowed mother as well as one "Laverne Asseln," aged 33, who might have been Henry's oldest (and unmarried) sister Emma. The formidable Catherine and her eldest daughter had left their comfortable lives in Minnesota and moved out west to help out.
In July 2010 Thelma (Mrs. William) Asseln, possessed of a remarkable memory for details she had picked up from her husband about his family (along with being retentive about all aspects of her own family), said that "Pauline was made not to feel welcome" in her own home once her mother-in-law arrived. Old Mrs. Asseln had apparently formed the opinion that Pauline had married the increasingly debilitated Henry because she was "after the Asseln family money." This was no doubt unfair to Pauline. Pauline had come from a working-class background, but it was by all indications a loving and stable one. Pauline would not have known about the wealth of the Asselns back in Minnesota unless Henry told her; all she saw was that he was a farmer and a neighbor.
Only one more child was born to Henry and Pauline after the 1910 census: Virginia, in 1911.
In either 1912 or 1913 Pauline took her three children and returned to Alberta; family tradition relates that she took up residence on her sister's large farm at Stony Plain (this was probably the farm of her eldest sister Minnie, who had married Emil Krause). Border crossing records show that Pauline arrived at Huntington, British Columbia on August 18, 1913; it is not known if this was the first and only time that Pauline crossed over (supposedly with her kids) or if she had travelled between Anacortes and Stony Plain on multiple occasions. At any rate, family tradition (via Thelma Asseln) indicates that the two youngest children remained in Alberta for two years and that they returned to the U.S. to live at the ages of five (William) and three (Virginia). This dates their Alberta residence to 1913-1915.
By the spring of 1915 Pauline was evidently divorced from Henry Asseln (no doubt on the grounds of his incompetence) and had married Henry Myer, Jr. of Stony Plain. She evidently had not been part of his family for long before accusations were levelled against him by his oldest brother, Jake, claiming that he (along with another brother and the mother) had murdered the father (Henry Myer ,Sr.) around Christmas of 1914. Henry Sr.'s body was exhumed in April of 1915 and murder charges were filed and investigated. The case was covered extensively in local and regional newspapers for around four weeks. Among the many details reported was that Henry Jr.'s wife (Pauline) had helped prepare the body for burial when it was discovered in December 1914.
The initial newspaper coverage was unfavorable for the accused--until, in mid-May 1915, the entire case collapsed and was dismissed due to major inconsistencies in Jake's testimony. Indeed, some members of the now-dismissed jury shared their belief with the press that it was Jake Myer who was the true danger to society by his posing of unfounded allegations. The jury also determined that the death of the father had been natural, and no further investigations were called for.
(See the Find a Grave memorial for Henry Myer, Sr., for reproductions of much of the press coverage--memorial #252836586).
It was almost certainly in response to the publicity surrounding these accusations and trial that the widowed Catherine Asseln travelled to Alberta. There is no oral tradition as to how cordial--or confrontational--the negotiations were between her and her former daughter-in-law Pauline about the custody of Pauline's three children by Catherine's son Henry Asseln, Jr. At any rate, Catherine was able to return to Anacortes, Washington with the two youngest children, William and Virginia, while Pauline was able to keep Heine. William and Virginia were then raised by their grandmother Catherine and their Aunt Emma Asseln until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Heine remained with his mother and step-father Henry Myer, Jr. until he, too, was able to set off on his own; as an adult he eventually reunited with his siblings in the Anacortes area and lived there.
By the early 1890s Catherine had moved her family to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where by the late 1890s they lived at 319 Mill Street North. Her children graduated from the local high school, which is another indication of prosperity as before World War I only the children of the well-to-do could be spared work to complete that level of education. Henry, Jr. (the last of the children) entered Fergus Falls (Minnesota) High School in September 1896 and graduated from there in June 1900.
Henry Jr.'s life, however, was soon to change dramatically. According to Thelma (McComas) Asseln, his daughter-in-law, Henry suffered a head injury while playing high school football. Later on, this was aggravated by a head injury he sustained in a bar fight. He became increasingly confused as the years passed and was frequently institutionalized thereafter for the rest of his life.
Following his high school graduation, young Henry enrolled in a nearby university (which one is currently unknown), but by February 1901 he had terminated his studies. "The Polaris," the student publication at Fergus Falls High School that (among other things) provided news on alumni, reported in that month that "Henry Asseln, '00, has left the University to seek some other employment." This was around the time (in both Canada and the U.S.) when many young men were moving to their nations' westernmost regions in search of adventure and fortune. Henry's only brother William ("Will") was around seven years older than he and had begun a medical education; in 1895-97 he attended the Rush Medical College in Chicago. But he did not complete his degree and instead worked at the Kaddatz Hotel in Fergus Falls (owned by his brother-in-law Charles Kaddatz) for some time. By the early 1900s Will was ready to accompany his younger brother in "heading out west."
In around 1902 Henry and Will obtained a farm in Alberta near Stony Plain, in or near S.E. 31-51-2-W5. Many other German-ethnic families were also settling that area, and many of those had also just relocated from Minnesota and the Dakotas. Immediately east of the Asseln farm was the family of Adolph Moldenhauer, who with his wife Bertha and seven children had moved to Canada from Roberts County, South Dakota in October 1901; the Moldenhauers occupied their Stony Plain farm beginning in the fall of 1902 (for more information on the Adolph Moldenhauer family, click on the "More" information tab for he and his wife Bertha). Henry took an interest in the Moldenhauer's daughter Pauline, who was around seven years younger than he. They were married in Alberta in the latter half of 1906 (after July 7 of that year, for on July 7 she was still enumerated in her parents' household in the provincial census of that year).
Pauline was soon pregnant (their first child, "Heine," was born in June 1907). But for some reason which yet remains a mystery, instead of remaining in Alberta so that Pauline's family could help the young couple with their baby, Henry moved them to Anacortes, Washington State. Will evidently remained in Alberta for many years more, where he operated a "truck farm" (according to Thelma Asseln); he would eventually relocate to Washington too, but long after Henry did.
The 1909 birth record of Henry and Pauline's second child (William) indicates that Henry was a "journeyman and miner" while Pauline was a "housewife." William's birth certificate also shows that he was born somewhere on 11th Street in Anacortes.
Another twist in the lives of Henry, Pauline, and their children was about to occur. The U.S. census for 1910 (E.D. 264, Page 28A) shows that their Anacortes household now included Henry's long-widowed mother as well as one "Laverne Asseln," aged 33, who might have been Henry's oldest (and unmarried) sister Emma. The formidable Catherine and her eldest daughter had left their comfortable lives in Minnesota and moved out west to help out.
In July 2010 Thelma (Mrs. William) Asseln, possessed of a remarkable memory for details she had picked up from her husband about his family (along with being retentive about all aspects of her own family), said that "Pauline was made not to feel welcome" in her own home once her mother-in-law arrived. Old Mrs. Asseln had apparently formed the opinion that Pauline had married the increasingly debilitated Henry because she was "after the Asseln family money." This was no doubt unfair to Pauline. Pauline had come from a working-class background, but it was by all indications a loving and stable one. Pauline would not have known about the wealth of the Asselns back in Minnesota unless Henry told her; all she saw was that he was a farmer and a neighbor.
Only one more child was born to Henry and Pauline after the 1910 census: Virginia, in 1911.
In either 1912 or 1913 Pauline took her three children and returned to Alberta; family tradition relates that she took up residence on her sister's large farm at Stony Plain (this was probably the farm of her eldest sister Minnie, who had married Emil Krause). Border crossing records show that Pauline arrived at Huntington, British Columbia on August 18, 1913; it is not known if this was the first and only time that Pauline crossed over (supposedly with her kids) or if she had travelled between Anacortes and Stony Plain on multiple occasions. At any rate, family tradition (via Thelma Asseln) indicates that the two youngest children remained in Alberta for two years and that they returned to the U.S. to live at the ages of five (William) and three (Virginia). This dates their Alberta residence to 1913-1915.
By the spring of 1915 Pauline was evidently divorced from Henry Asseln (no doubt on the grounds of his incompetence) and had married Henry Myer, Jr. of Stony Plain. She evidently had not been part of his family for long before accusations were levelled against him by his oldest brother, Jake, claiming that he (along with another brother and the mother) had murdered the father (Henry Myer ,Sr.) around Christmas of 1914. Henry Sr.'s body was exhumed in April of 1915 and murder charges were filed and investigated. The case was covered extensively in local and regional newspapers for around four weeks. Among the many details reported was that Henry Jr.'s wife (Pauline) had helped prepare the body for burial when it was discovered in December 1914.
The initial newspaper coverage was unfavorable for the accused--until, in mid-May 1915, the entire case collapsed and was dismissed due to major inconsistencies in Jake's testimony. Indeed, some members of the now-dismissed jury shared their belief with the press that it was Jake Myer who was the true danger to society by his posing of unfounded allegations. The jury also determined that the death of the father had been natural, and no further investigations were called for.
(See the Find a Grave memorial for Henry Myer, Sr., for reproductions of much of the press coverage--memorial #252836586).
It was almost certainly in response to the publicity surrounding these accusations and trial that the widowed Catherine Asseln travelled to Alberta. There is no oral tradition as to how cordial--or confrontational--the negotiations were between her and her former daughter-in-law Pauline about the custody of Pauline's three children by Catherine's son Henry Asseln, Jr. At any rate, Catherine was able to return to Anacortes, Washington with the two youngest children, William and Virginia, while Pauline was able to keep Heine. William and Virginia were then raised by their grandmother Catherine and their Aunt Emma Asseln until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Heine remained with his mother and step-father Henry Myer, Jr. until he, too, was able to set off on his own; as an adult he eventually reunited with his siblings in the Anacortes area and lived there.
Catherine was born in Zetel, Oldenburg, Germany. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1867 and settled with them in Minnesota. On June 16, 1869 at Stearns, Minnesota she married a fellow immigrant from Oldenburg, Henry Asseln, who quickly became a successful merchant and community leader. They had five children in Otter Tail County between 1870 and 1881. Henry died relatively young in Parkers Prairie 1883 but his affairs were apparently well-enough organized that his family did not suffer financially. Indeed, all indications are that his widow Catherine and their children continued to live very comfortably (even with a degree of social prominence) and in time two of Catherine's daughters would make very advantageous marriages.
By the early 1890s Catherine had moved her family to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where by the late 1890s they lived at 319 Mill Street North. Her children graduated from the local high school, which is another indication of prosperity as before World War I only the children of the well-to-do could be spared work to complete that level of education. Henry, Jr. (the last of the children) entered Fergus Falls (Minnesota) High School in September 1896 and graduated from there in June 1900.
Henry Jr.'s life, however, was soon to change dramatically. According to Thelma (McComas) Asseln, his daughter-in-law, Henry suffered a head injury while playing high school football. Later on, this was aggravated by a head injury he sustained in a bar fight. He became increasingly confused as the years passed and was frequently institutionalized thereafter for the rest of his life.
Following his high school graduation, young Henry enrolled in a nearby university (which one is currently unknown), but by February 1901 he had terminated his studies. "The Polaris," the student publication at Fergus Falls High School that (among other things) provided news on alumni, reported in that month that "Henry Asseln, '00, has left the University to seek some other employment." This was around the time (in both Canada and the U.S.) when many young men were moving to their nations' westernmost regions in search of adventure and fortune. Henry's only brother William ("Will") was around seven years older than he and had begun a medical education; in 1895-97 he attended the Rush Medical College in Chicago. But he did not complete his degree and instead worked at the Kaddatz Hotel in Fergus Falls (owned by his brother-in-law Charles Kaddatz) for some time. By the early 1900s Will was ready to accompany his younger brother in "heading out west."
In around 1902 Henry and Will obtained a farm in Alberta near Stony Plain, in or near S.E. 31-51-2-W5. Many other German-ethnic families were also settling that area, and many of those had also just relocated from Minnesota and the Dakotas. Immediately east of the Asseln farm was the family of Adolph Moldenhauer, who with his wife Bertha and seven children had moved to Canada from Roberts County, South Dakota in October 1901; the Moldenhauers occupied their Stony Plain farm beginning in the fall of 1902 (for more information on the Adolph Moldenhauer family, click on the "More" information tab for he and his wife Bertha). Henry took an interest in the Moldenhauer's daughter Pauline, who was around seven years younger than he. They were married in Alberta in the latter half of 1906 (after July 7 of that year, for on July 7 she was still enumerated in her parents' household in the provincial census of that year).
Pauline was soon pregnant (their first child, "Heine," was born in June 1907). But for some reason which yet remains a mystery, instead of remaining in Alberta so that Pauline's family could help the young couple with their baby, Henry moved them to Anacortes, Washington State. Will evidently remained in Alberta for many years more, where he operated a "truck farm" (according to Thelma Asseln); he would eventually relocate to Washington too, but long after Henry did.
The 1909 birth record of Henry and Pauline's second child (William) indicates that Henry was a "journeyman and miner" while Pauline was a "housewife." William's birth certificate also shows that he was born somewhere on 11th Street in Anacortes.
Another twist in the lives of Henry, Pauline, and their children was about to occur. The U.S. census for 1910 (E.D. 264, Page 28A) shows that their Anacortes household now included Henry's long-widowed mother as well as one "Laverne Asseln," aged 33, who might have been Henry's oldest (and unmarried) sister Emma. The formidable Catherine and her eldest daughter had left their comfortable lives in Minnesota and moved out west to help out.
In July 2010 Thelma (Mrs. William) Asseln, possessed of a remarkable memory for details she had picked up from her husband about his family (along with being retentive about all aspects of her own family), said that "Pauline was made not to feel welcome" in her own home once her mother-in-law arrived. Old Mrs. Asseln had apparently formed the opinion that Pauline had married the increasingly debilitated Henry because she was "after the Asseln family money." This was no doubt unfair to Pauline. Pauline had come from a working-class background, but it was by all indications a loving and stable one. Pauline would not have known about the wealth of the Asselns back in Minnesota unless Henry told her; all she saw was that he was a farmer and a neighbor.
Only one more child was born to Henry and Pauline after the 1910 census: Virginia, in 1911.
In either 1912 or 1913 Pauline took her three children and returned to Alberta; family tradition relates that she took up residence on her sister's large farm at Stony Plain (this was probably the farm of her eldest sister Minnie, who had married Emil Krause). Border crossing records show that Pauline arrived at Huntington, British Columbia on August 18, 1913; it is not known if this was the first and only time that Pauline crossed over (supposedly with her kids) or if she had travelled between Anacortes and Stony Plain on multiple occasions. At any rate, family tradition (via Thelma Asseln) indicates that the two youngest children remained in Alberta for two years and that they returned to the U.S. to live at the ages of five (William) and three (Virginia). This dates their Alberta residence to 1913-1915.
By the spring of 1915 Pauline was evidently divorced from Henry Asseln (no doubt on the grounds of his incompetence) and had married Henry Myer, Jr. of Stony Plain. She evidently had not been part of his family for long before accusations were levelled against him by his oldest brother, Jake, claiming that he (along with another brother and the mother) had murdered the father (Henry Myer ,Sr.) around Christmas of 1914. Henry Sr.'s body was exhumed in April of 1915 and murder charges were filed and investigated. The case was covered extensively in local and regional newspapers for around four weeks. Among the many details reported was that Henry Jr.'s wife (Pauline) had helped prepare the body for burial when it was discovered in December 1914.
The initial newspaper coverage was unfavorable for the accused--until, in mid-May 1915, the entire case collapsed and was dismissed due to major inconsistencies in Jake's testimony. Indeed, some members of the now-dismissed jury shared their belief with the press that it was Jake Myer who was the true danger to society by his posing of unfounded allegations. The jury also determined that the death of the father had been natural, and no further investigations were called for.
(See the Find a Grave memorial for Henry Myer, Sr., for reproductions of much of the press coverage--memorial #252836586).
It was almost certainly in response to the publicity surrounding these accusations and trial that the widowed Catherine Asseln travelled to Alberta. There is no oral tradition as to how cordial--or confrontational--the negotiations were between her and her former daughter-in-law Pauline about the custody of Pauline's three children by Catherine's son Henry Asseln, Jr. At any rate, Catherine was able to return to Anacortes, Washington with the two youngest children, William and Virginia, while Pauline was able to keep Heine. William and Virginia were then raised by their grandmother Catherine and their Aunt Emma Asseln until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Heine remained with his mother and step-father Henry Myer, Jr. until he, too, was able to set off on his own; as an adult he eventually reunited with his siblings in the Anacortes area and lived there.
By the early 1890s Catherine had moved her family to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where by the late 1890s they lived at 319 Mill Street North. Her children graduated from the local high school, which is another indication of prosperity as before World War I only the children of the well-to-do could be spared work to complete that level of education. Henry, Jr. (the last of the children) entered Fergus Falls (Minnesota) High School in September 1896 and graduated from there in June 1900.
Henry Jr.'s life, however, was soon to change dramatically. According to Thelma (McComas) Asseln, his daughter-in-law, Henry suffered a head injury while playing high school football. Later on, this was aggravated by a head injury he sustained in a bar fight. He became increasingly confused as the years passed and was frequently institutionalized thereafter for the rest of his life.
Following his high school graduation, young Henry enrolled in a nearby university (which one is currently unknown), but by February 1901 he had terminated his studies. "The Polaris," the student publication at Fergus Falls High School that (among other things) provided news on alumni, reported in that month that "Henry Asseln, '00, has left the University to seek some other employment." This was around the time (in both Canada and the U.S.) when many young men were moving to their nations' westernmost regions in search of adventure and fortune. Henry's only brother William ("Will") was around seven years older than he and had begun a medical education; in 1895-97 he attended the Rush Medical College in Chicago. But he did not complete his degree and instead worked at the Kaddatz Hotel in Fergus Falls (owned by his brother-in-law Charles Kaddatz) for some time. By the early 1900s Will was ready to accompany his younger brother in "heading out west."
In around 1902 Henry and Will obtained a farm in Alberta near Stony Plain, in or near S.E. 31-51-2-W5. Many other German-ethnic families were also settling that area, and many of those had also just relocated from Minnesota and the Dakotas. Immediately east of the Asseln farm was the family of Adolph Moldenhauer, who with his wife Bertha and seven children had moved to Canada from Roberts County, South Dakota in October 1901; the Moldenhauers occupied their Stony Plain farm beginning in the fall of 1902 (for more information on the Adolph Moldenhauer family, click on the "More" information tab for he and his wife Bertha). Henry took an interest in the Moldenhauer's daughter Pauline, who was around seven years younger than he. They were married in Alberta in the latter half of 1906 (after July 7 of that year, for on July 7 she was still enumerated in her parents' household in the provincial census of that year).
Pauline was soon pregnant (their first child, "Heine," was born in June 1907). But for some reason which yet remains a mystery, instead of remaining in Alberta so that Pauline's family could help the young couple with their baby, Henry moved them to Anacortes, Washington State. Will evidently remained in Alberta for many years more, where he operated a "truck farm" (according to Thelma Asseln); he would eventually relocate to Washington too, but long after Henry did.
The 1909 birth record of Henry and Pauline's second child (William) indicates that Henry was a "journeyman and miner" while Pauline was a "housewife." William's birth certificate also shows that he was born somewhere on 11th Street in Anacortes.
Another twist in the lives of Henry, Pauline, and their children was about to occur. The U.S. census for 1910 (E.D. 264, Page 28A) shows that their Anacortes household now included Henry's long-widowed mother as well as one "Laverne Asseln," aged 33, who might have been Henry's oldest (and unmarried) sister Emma. The formidable Catherine and her eldest daughter had left their comfortable lives in Minnesota and moved out west to help out.
In July 2010 Thelma (Mrs. William) Asseln, possessed of a remarkable memory for details she had picked up from her husband about his family (along with being retentive about all aspects of her own family), said that "Pauline was made not to feel welcome" in her own home once her mother-in-law arrived. Old Mrs. Asseln had apparently formed the opinion that Pauline had married the increasingly debilitated Henry because she was "after the Asseln family money." This was no doubt unfair to Pauline. Pauline had come from a working-class background, but it was by all indications a loving and stable one. Pauline would not have known about the wealth of the Asselns back in Minnesota unless Henry told her; all she saw was that he was a farmer and a neighbor.
Only one more child was born to Henry and Pauline after the 1910 census: Virginia, in 1911.
In either 1912 or 1913 Pauline took her three children and returned to Alberta; family tradition relates that she took up residence on her sister's large farm at Stony Plain (this was probably the farm of her eldest sister Minnie, who had married Emil Krause). Border crossing records show that Pauline arrived at Huntington, British Columbia on August 18, 1913; it is not known if this was the first and only time that Pauline crossed over (supposedly with her kids) or if she had travelled between Anacortes and Stony Plain on multiple occasions. At any rate, family tradition (via Thelma Asseln) indicates that the two youngest children remained in Alberta for two years and that they returned to the U.S. to live at the ages of five (William) and three (Virginia). This dates their Alberta residence to 1913-1915.
By the spring of 1915 Pauline was evidently divorced from Henry Asseln (no doubt on the grounds of his incompetence) and had married Henry Myer, Jr. of Stony Plain. She evidently had not been part of his family for long before accusations were levelled against him by his oldest brother, Jake, claiming that he (along with another brother and the mother) had murdered the father (Henry Myer ,Sr.) around Christmas of 1914. Henry Sr.'s body was exhumed in April of 1915 and murder charges were filed and investigated. The case was covered extensively in local and regional newspapers for around four weeks. Among the many details reported was that Henry Jr.'s wife (Pauline) had helped prepare the body for burial when it was discovered in December 1914.
The initial newspaper coverage was unfavorable for the accused--until, in mid-May 1915, the entire case collapsed and was dismissed due to major inconsistencies in Jake's testimony. Indeed, some members of the now-dismissed jury shared their belief with the press that it was Jake Myer who was the true danger to society by his posing of unfounded allegations. The jury also determined that the death of the father had been natural, and no further investigations were called for.
(See the Find a Grave memorial for Henry Myer, Sr., for reproductions of much of the press coverage--memorial #252836586).
It was almost certainly in response to the publicity surrounding these accusations and trial that the widowed Catherine Asseln travelled to Alberta. There is no oral tradition as to how cordial--or confrontational--the negotiations were between her and her former daughter-in-law Pauline about the custody of Pauline's three children by Catherine's son Henry Asseln, Jr. At any rate, Catherine was able to return to Anacortes, Washington with the two youngest children, William and Virginia, while Pauline was able to keep Heine. William and Virginia were then raised by their grandmother Catherine and their Aunt Emma Asseln until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Heine remained with his mother and step-father Henry Myer, Jr. until he, too, was able to set off on his own; as an adult he eventually reunited with his siblings in the Anacortes area and lived there.
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