SMHAI Home    About Suicide    About Mental Health    Suicide Prevention    Suicide Survivors    Suicide Attempters    Self-Injury - Cutters    Crisis    Donate    Contact

Mental Health Professionals

Speakers & Presentations

SMHAI Library

Online Support & Resources

Memorials, Remebrances & Celebrations Of Life

Healing Music

Suggested Reading - Survivors

Suggested Reading - Attempters & Self-Injurers

Upcoming Events

Dr. Roerich's Welcome

Ann Gay's Welcome

Legal & About SMHAI

Privacy Policy

Copyright Notice

Awards Honoring SMHAI

SMHAI Awards Program


Search SMHAI:

Shop for everyday items by clicking the below logo. A portion of your purchase supports SMHAI.

SMHAI is listed under the
"Mental Illness" category.

HONcode accreditation seal. We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

Mrs. Robert Rimpau Commits Suicide
After Attending Divine Service Sunday - 1915

October 21, 1915 Anaheim Gazette.

CORONER'S VERDICT IS THAT UNFORTUNATE YOUNG WOMAN WAS TEMPORARILY INSANE

Temporary insanity was the official verdict given by Coroner Winbigler as the cause of the suicide of Mrs. Enid Rimpau, wife of Robert Rimpau, after his investigation of the matter Sunday night. Only her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Rimpau, parents of Robert, Fred Rimpau and Dr. J. W. Truxaw were examined, but after hearing their evidence no other reason could be assigned for the rash act.

Mrs. Rimpau ended her life by taking a dose of cyanide of potassium at her home on Zeyn Street shortly before ten o'clock Sunday morning. She and her husband had attended services at St. Boniface Church in the morning, and left the church together at nine o'clock.

Mr. Rimpau remembered an errand and parted from her to attend to it while she went to her home. He was absent only half an hour, but on his return found his wife struggling in the agonies of death. A note which she left explained that she was taking her own life and hoped God would forgive her for the act.

The distracted husband hastily called several physicians on the phone. Dr. Truxaw arrived in a few minutes, but found she was beyond the aid of medicine. He discovered a small vial containing a solution of cyanide. She had swallowed a small portion of it, but there was still enough left in the vial to kill several people. Where she procured the cyanide, and how long she had been in possession of it is a mystery.

It is supposed that she had been concealing it for a long time and had purchased it at some period for the purpose of self destruction. The body was removed to Backs & Terry's undertaking establishment, where Coroner Winbigler held his investigation Sunday night.

Mrs. Rimpau was only 22 years of age. Before her marriage to Robert Rimpau she was Mrs. Enid Stone, but had separated from her former husband, Charles Stone, of Long Beach, a year after her marriage to him. Parties who knew them in Long Beach declare that she was justified in divorcing herself from him because of his intemperate habits. She came to Anaheim two years ago and made her living by working in a millnery store and at Weber's book store.

By reason of her sunny disposition and pleasing manners she made friends of all whom she had dealings. She and her affianced husband watched the building of their beautiful home on Zeyn Street for many months, and when it was completed and ready for occupancy they were married, less than four months ago.

She had been clerking at the Weber store the past few weeks, telling her friends that she was lonesome at home, and would rather be working than staying alone. Friends who saw her in the store Saturday night observed no difference in her demeanor, and many who talked to her after the Sunday morning service declared that she was in her usual spirits at the time, yet within an hour she was dead by her own hand.

Owing to the note which she wrote before swallowing the poison declaring her intention of destroying herself, the coroner deemed it unnecessary to hold an inquest. It was a plain case of suicide, and no reason for the act was known to anyone. Her friends state that for some weeks past she had at times been morbid and melancholy without any known cause, consequently it is supposed that she was mentally unbalanced.

Mrs. Rimpau's father, W. S. Williams of Los Angeles, came down Sunday in response to a phone message. Her mother, Mrs. Katherine Williams, is separated from her husband. Mrs. Rimpau's first marriage was contracted without parental authority and it is said, her mother was never reconciled to the match. Mrs. Williams arrived here Tuesday morning shortly before the hour set for the funeral, and was grief stricken at the fate which had overtaken her daughter. She also resides in Los Angeles but is not living with her husband.

She gave way to her grief in a Center Street restaurant where she stopped for breakfast and considerably startled the waiters until she told her name and explained her errand to Anaheim.

Mrs. Stone was forced to leave her husband within a year after marriage, and was granted a final decree of divorce early last spring. She came to Anaheim two years ago and the friends with whom she lived declare that she was always even tempered, independent and self-reliant, and had never showed any signs of a diseased mind.

Mr. Rimpau had been head clerk for the Miles Grocery company for some months past, but his connection with the firm was severed Saturday night, and Moody Lyttle of Santa Ana has taken his place.

That Mrs. Rimpau had contemplated suicide is indicated by the statement of Al Nowotny, who is agent for a life insurance company, and who was asked in Weber's book store on Friday last by Mrs. Rimpau whether his company paid a policy held by a suicide. Mr. Nowotny was in Weber's store soliciting insurance from an employee when Mrs. Rimpau asked him the question. He informed her that his company did not pay this policy until the lapse of one year, and that the only amount paid by his company to a suicide the first year after death was the amount paid by the suicide to the company.

The funeral was held at St. Boniface church at half past nine o'clock Tuesday, Rev. Father Dubbel officiating. The house was crowded with friends of the unfortunate young woman, who has known her and esteemed her for her many excellent qualities. There were many floral offerings both at the church and at the cemetery, and a long procession of friends followed her to her last resting place. The remains were placed in a crypt of the mausoleum in the Anaheim cemetery.

The knights of Columbus attended the funeral in a body, the pall bearers being from that order. They were C. O. Servatius, L. B. Webber, Ben Dauser, E. E. Brus, Leo Sheridan and Al Erikson.

The body was removed from Backs & Terry's mortuary chapel on Monday to the residence of Adolph Rimpau on East Center street, where the remains were viewed by many sorrowing friends of the deceased. At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, the body was taken to St. Boniface church, and was followed by many relatives and friends in autos. The parents and brother of the unfortunate woman attended the funeral.


http://members.aol.com/johnd3/ONE/Funeralguidelines.html

Back To The Top

SMHAI Home | About Suicide | About Mental Health | Suicide Prevention | Suicide Survivors
Suicide Attempters | Self-Injury - Cutters | Crisis | Donate | SMHAI Library | Online Support & Resources
Speakers & Presentations | Memorials, Remebrances & Celebrations Of Life | Healing Music
Suggested Reading - Survivors | Suggested Reading - Attempters & Self-Injurers | Mental Health Pros.
Upcoming Events | Dr. Roerich's Welcome | Ann Gay's Welcome | Legal & About SMHAI
Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice | Awards Honoring SMHAI | SMHAI Awards Program | Contact


© SMHAI 2004 - 2006 All Rights Reserved.
No copying or redistribution without expressed written permission of SMHAI.
Logo Design by Allen R. Jacobson.
Site launched July 01, 2004.