Lydia May QUENETTE

Individual:  Lydia May QUENETTE
Birth:   24 Jan 1899, Menahga, Wadena Co., Minnesota
Death:  29 Sep 1903, Elmo Twp., Otter Tail Co., Minnesota
Cause of Death:  Shot by Accident
Burial:  Oct 1903, Woodside Cemetery, Wrightstown, Otter Tail Co., Minnesota     (pic)
Father:  George Brazil QUENETTE
Mother:  Caroline SHULTZ
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Notes:
Lydia's birth record was discovered by accident when looking for other Quenett family records in Wadena County, Minnesota.  It is recorded as Lettie Quienette:

Lydia died in a terrible shooting accident when she was less than five years old.  The Henning, Minnesota newspaper, dated October 1, 1903 carried the following story of the accident:

                 A LITTLE GIRL ACCIDENTALLY SHOT - DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS LOADED
     A distressing shooting accident occurred Tuesday afternoon at about 3 o'clock in section 12 in the town of Elmo at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Quenette.  It appears that Mrs. Quenette, her 5 year old daughter, Lydia, and Miss Viola Shultz, Mrs. Quenette's sister, were returning from the field with a 22-calibre rifle which the hired man had used at target practice.  Miss Shultz was carrying the gun and, supposing it was not loaded, raised it and remarked jokingly to the little girl, "I'm going to shoot you now".  When she pulled the trigger and the shot rang out, the surprise of Miss Shultz and the girls mother can better be imagined than described.  Little Lydia threw her hands to her breast and cried out in anguish, "Oh, Mama, I am shot!".  The child was walking in front when the shot was fired, the bullet entering the back, piercing the heart and lodging between the ribs in the breast.  The mother caught her child as she was in the act of falling and carried her into the house.
     Dr. Bergquist and Coroner Heimark was immediately telephoned for, but found the nature of the the wound, it was evident that death was almost instantaneous.  Dr. Bergquist easily extracted the small bullet, which was exhibited at the Advocate office.  It was still bloody and somewhat flattened by striking bones.
     Mr. Quenette is in the neighborhood of Hope, N.D., threshing, and a message has been sent requesting his return home.
     Miss Shultz, tho exonerated from blame, is almost crazed by the affair.

A similar article also appeared on Page 1 of  the Wheelock Weekly on October 1, 1903:

                    LITTLE GIRL ACCIDENTALLY KILLED BY HER AUNT      
     Henning, Minn, Sep 30 -- The 5 year old daughter of George Quenett of Elmo township, Lydia, was accidentally shot Tuesday afternoon at her home by Miss Viola Schultz, a you woman about 17, aunt of the little girl.  There had been some target shooting.  After it was over Miss Schultz picked up the 22-calibre rifle that had been used, and saying, playfully, "I will shoot you," pulled the trigger.  The gun was loaded.  The charge entered Lydia's back, and passing underneath the heart, flattened itself against the ribs near the breastbone.  Death was almost instantaneous.
     The coroner was notified, but did not deem an inquest necessary.  Lydia Quenett was one of a family of five or six children, living with their parents on section 12, Elmo, and Miss Schultz was also a member of the family.  It was a terrible accident.  People who are fond of pointing guns at others should adopt the good old rule never to do so unless they mean to kill the object at which they point.

Lydia's death registration reads:

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Sources:
1) Birth:  Wadena County Minnesota Vital Statistics - Births, Book B, Page 40, Line 18
2) Death: Otter Tail County Minnesota Vital Statistics - Deaths, Book D, Page 58, Section 22