Fred Brunhouse. Courtesy of John & Deese TheodoreMany a former county official or courthouse employee holds a belief that the courthouse is haunted. This is especially true when one of those individuals work in the building on weekends. I can safely attest, one does hear a lot of strange noises during such occasion. I am not sure if this attributed to Fred Brunhouse. Brunhouse came to Lassen County in the early 1890s as a school teacher. In 1914, he was elected Lassen County Superintendent of Schools. In the fall of 1917, he began to have health problems, that was taking a toll on him mentally, as well as physically. At noon, on March 13, 1918, when the courthouse is usually vacant for lunch, he shot himself twice in his office. It was not until two hours later when County Surveyor Thad McKay found Brunhouse’s body. Brunhouse left a detailed note with instructions to carry on the operations of the Superintendent of Schools, as well as his personal affairs.
He was very ill and folloeing unsuccessful surgery thst left hom in tremendous pain.
He took his own life. He hoped he was sparing his wife and three children, one of them an infant, from the same contagious disease that took his first wife’s life.
In the words of Claude Clement Wemple, his nephew, to me:
” No one ever had an unkind word to say about Fred Brunhouse.”
Well, this author certainly was very negative about Fred.
Walk in Fred’s shoes.
And never ask for whom the bell tolls!
I consider it immoral to speak ill of the dead, especially when the deceased had a wonderful teputation, had been suffering and was trying to do an honorable thing.
His eyes are kind of spooky.
This is my paternal grandfather.
He was very ill and folloeing unsuccessful surgery thst left hom in tremendous pain.
He took his own life. He hoped he was sparing his wife and three children, one of them an infant, from the same contagious disease that took his first wife’s life.
In the words of Claude Clement Wemple, his nephew, to me:
” No one ever had an unkind word to say about Fred Brunhouse.”
Well, this author certainly was very negative about Fred.
Walk in Fred’s shoes.
And never ask for whom the bell tolls!
I consider it immoral to speak ill of the dead, especially when the deceased had a wonderful teputation, had been suffering and was trying to do an honorable thing.
Janet Brunhouse
If you see this Janet, know my appreciation. I’ll check back.
Jim Grossman
I see it.
JB