Family:William Denzer and Amelia Bosley (1)

Family History

Tragedy struck this family on the morning of December 17, 1929. After weeks of arguments and threats, William F. Denzer killed his wife, Amelia, and a daughter, Minnie Snelling, before shooting himself. According to the Garden City police (page 4 of the Detroit Evening News dated 18 December 1929), Mr. Denzer took the remaining funds ($100) from the bank the previous day. Apparently he removed some of his personal effects from his home and gave them to neighbors before returning home to reconcile with his family.

Amelia was shot in the dining room and their daughter was killed in the bathroom. Minnie's husband, Clarence, was outside heading for work when he heard the shots. He came in and found his wife and mother-in-law. Fear of being Denzer's next victim he ran from the home and called the police. Both Clarence and the police chief, Paul Lance, thought Denzer was upstairs in his bedroom. As the chief headed up the back stairs, shots rang out in the dining room; William Denzer had fired four shots, through his mouth, and he died an hour later.

Another daughter, Jennie Rice, was not living at the home. Her husband, Sherwood Rice, thought if Jennie had visited her mother and sister that morning, she would also have died.

Their arguments were about returning to the family farm near Saginaw. Both Amelia and Minnie wanted to stay in Garden City. Amelia was trying to convince William to sell their current home and and farm so that they could move into a smaller house. The following is another news article, page 2 of the Detroit News, Tuesday, December 17, 1929.

Headline: HUSBAND KILLS WIFE, DAUGHTER AND SELF Son-in-Law Flees Home to Save Own Life.

William F. Denzer, whose home is at the Middle Belt and Ford road s in Garden City, shot to death his wife and daughter at 9:15 a.m. today and a few minutes later fatally wounded himself as Paul A. Lance, Garden City Chief of police entered the house to investigate the shooting.

Denzer's son-in-law, Clarence L. Snelling, who, with his wife, Minnie, made his home with Denzer, was in the yard when he heard the shots in the house. He rushed in to find his wife dead in the bathroom and her mother, Mrs. Amelia Denzer, dead in the dining room.

Fearing Denzer would kill him too, he fled the house and called the police. He told Lance that he believed Denzer was upstairs with a gun, but as the chief of police started up the back stairs he heard four shots in quick succession in the dining room. When he entered, he found that Denzer had shot himself through the mouth. The man died in the Eloise Hospital at 10:40 a.m.

Mr. and Mrs. Denzer had quarreled over his desire to move to the farm at Gagetown, Tuscola County relatives said. Mrs. Denzer wanted to sell the home in Garden City and the farm, moving to a smaller quarters. Denzer had been out of work for several months.

Denzer was born in Germany. They had one other daughter, Mrs. Jennie Rice, who lives in Garden City.

Neighbors said Denzer had threatened to kill his wife and daughter several weeks ago. Police found a loaded shotgun in his bedroom.

Snelling is employed in the People's State Bank at Inkster.

Denzer was 58 years old, his wife, 56, and his daughter, 35.

Image Gallery

Detroit News - 18 Dec 1929

Detroit Free Press - 18 Dec 1929

Saginaw News - 18 Dec 1929