Stoddard Vet Ends Own Life After Killing Girl He Loved

         

I  learned that two of my Great Grand Uncles had committed suicide and I set out to see if I could find a story there. These two newspaper headlines certainly caught my attention.

"Stoddard Vet Ends Own Life After Killing Girl He Loved"

"Believed Millicent Jamar Refused to Wed Bert Brannock"

Five days ago, I had never heard the name: Millicent Jamar; five days later it is one I will never forget. 

Millicent Jamar had been courted by my Great Grand Uncle, Bert Brannock, for two years. She was a stenographer for Wammack and Cooper law firm, and he the proprietor of a confectionery store, both in the town of Bloomfield, Missouri where they were born and raised. 

It is believed that Ms. Jamar refused Mr. Brannock's hand in marriage, citing her mother did not approve. Mr. Brannock had sold his confectionery store six months into their relationship citing ill health. He had moved back home with his parents in the Clines Island area of Bloomfield where he slipped deeper and deeper into depression. 

On Saturday, March 7, 1936, he stopped by to see Ms. Jamar and they went for a drive. This drive ended abruptly on a rural road 6 miles northeast of town. Mr. Brannock had borrowed a pistol from a friend, telling him he needed it to kill a dog. It was not a dog he intended to hurt that evening, but his beloved Millicent.  

A 22 year old farmer, Ora Thompson, had been investigating gunshots he heard one hour prior when he found both Mr. Brannock and Ms. Jamar dead of single gunshot wounds to the head. The "smoking gun" with two discharged rounds of ammunition was found between Mr. Brannock's feet. Ms. Jamar had been shot thru the left temple, the bullet had also passed through her palm and exited the back of her right hand. Mr. Brannock had shot himself through his right temple, and the bullet had exited the left side of his head. Both died almost immediately. 

No letter of explanation was found. 

The formal verdict returned by the jury in this case:
"We the jury, find that Ms. Millicent Jamar and Bert Brannock came to their deaths by bullet wounds inflicted by Bert Brannock."

I uncovered a very hard fact this week. This is my soundtrack while I figure out how to share the information.

Alfred Milton Brannock and Herbert Brannock

"Young Men Dead"

Today's Soundtrack


Fire for the hills pick up your feet and let's go.
Head for the hills pick up steel on your way.
And when you find a piece of them in your site,
fire at will, don't you waste no time.

Another thought of the unaware,
addiction in disguise.

With a drop of blood,
you will take them out, for me.

Fire from the hills pick up speed and lets go.
Fire for real, yeah shoot to kill with no aim.
Head for the hills yes eyes on the camp fire glow.
Creep up there like a white mink hiding in snow.

And out of the black, a figure forms a soldier in the sky.
With a drop of love, trying to set you free.

Run for the hills, pick up your feet and let's go.
We did our jobs, pick up speed now let's move.
The trees can't grow without the sun in their eyes.
And we can't live if we're too afraid to die.

Hold on tight, yes hold on tight you're too slow.
Fire at the breeze that blows these thoughts through our mind.
Hire only thieves to steal the thoughts from our heads.


Alfred Milton Brannock
3 November 1894 - 5 July 1936
MO 51 REGT C A C
death ruled suicide by hanging

Alfred Brannock's Death Certificate


Herbert Brannock
12 January 1899 - 7 March 1936
MO PVT 110 FIELD SIG BN 35 DIV
death ruled gun shot wound at own hands

Bert Brannock's Death Certificate


Alfred and Bert were brothers and both served in our nation's first world war.
I am not sure if the lyrical content above applies to what afflicted their tortured
thoughts; I can only assume. They took their life within 3 months of one another.

I am adding to this post a newspaper clipping that I found today. This was published in the Bloomfield Vindicator out of Bloomfield County, Missouri. It is in reference to the untimely and dark circumstances surrounding the death of Alfred Brannock, and was sent by the Acorn Post No. 1669, Veterans of Foreign Wars, out of Royal Oak, Michigan.

Flu Pandemic of 1918

I had a little bird,

Its name was Enza.

I opened the window,

And in-flu-enza.

In 1918 children would skip rope to the above rhyme.

Madge Brannock's Death Certificate

Paul Brannock's Death Certificate

Frank and Betty had to face the unthinkable task of burying two of their children from this pandemic. Madge was a schoolgirl, aged thirteen, Paul still a baby of one and one half years. 

1. Vane Brannock
2. Mickey Brannock
3. Robert Brannock
4. John Brannock
5. Jimmy Brannock
6. Frank Brannock