Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.
Home Search  
Print Bookmark

Wilbert A. Gofton

Male 1911 - 1951  (39 years)


Generations:      Standard    |    Compact    |    Text    |    Register    |    PDF

Less detail
Generation: 1

  1. 1.  Wilbert A. Gofton was born 11 Nov 1911, Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario.

    Other Events:

    • Interesting: Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; crime, murder, suicide
    • Misfortune: crime, murder
    • Eby ID Number: Waterloo-202089

    Notes:

    Kills Wife, Two Children; Then Self

    A triple murder and suicide shocked the peaceful farming community two miles south of Haysville on Saturday, July 28th. Wilburt Gofton, 40-year-old farmer, of the Wilmot-Blenheim township line, shot his wife and two children to death with a sawed-off .22 calibre rifle and then killed himself with the same weapon. Left unharmed in a crib beside the lifeless body of Mrs. Gofton was an 11-months-old baby girl, Elina. A two-year-old son, Karl, was at the farm home of Hans Kondert near Haysville at the time.

    After shooting his wife, Gofton went to the bedroom where his children, Cecil, 7, and Dolores, 5, were sleeping, and sent two more bullets into the heads of the youngsters as they lay sleeping. He returned to the kitchen and turned the gun on himself, his body being found near that of his wife.

    According to police, the shooting evidently took place between 6.30 and 7.30 o'clock Saturday morning, but the bodies were not discovered until 4.20 in the afternoon when Lloyd Hart, Kitchener delivery man, made a regular call to deliver bread. He rushed to a farm home a short distance down the road to contact Police Chief George Thomas of New Hamburg.

    Cpl. Jack Munro of the Kitchener provincial police detachment investigated the triple murder and suicide, assisted by Constable Thomas and Constable W. A. Coxworth of the provincial police in Kitchener.

    Mr. and Mrs. Gofton and family occupied part of the farm home of the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. D. Kavelman, who at the time of the shooting were on a trip to Niagara Falls, N.Y. in company with their daughter, Edna.

    The four bodies were taken to the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital morgue, Saturday and the next day were released to the Glendenning Funeral Home, Plattsville, where funeral services were held Tuesday, July 31. Interment was in Chesterfield cemetery.

    New Hamburg Independent, August 10, 1951

    Wilbert — Clara Kavelman. Clara (daughter of Wilhelm D. "William" Kavelmann and Emma Pauli) was born 1915; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario. [Group Sheet]

    Children:
    1. 2. Cecil Gofton  Descendancy chart to this point was born 1943; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario.
    2. 3. Delores Gofton  Descendancy chart to this point was born 1945; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario.
    3. 4. Karl Gofton  Descendancy chart to this point
    4. 5. Elina Gofton  Descendancy chart to this point


Generation: 2

  1. 2.  Cecil Gofton Descendancy chart to this point (1.Wilbert1) was born 1943; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario.

    Other Events:

    • Eby ID Number: Waterloo-202096
    • Interesting: 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; crime, murder
    • Misfortune: 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; murder, crime


  2. 3.  Delores Gofton Descendancy chart to this point (1.Wilbert1) was born 1945; died 28 Jul 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Chesterfield United Cemetery, Chesterfield, Oxford Co., Ontario.

    Other Events:

    • Eby ID Number: Waterloo-202098
    • Interesting: 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; crime, murder
    • Misfortune: 1951, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; murder, crime


  3. 4.  Karl Gofton Descendancy chart to this point (1.Wilbert1)

  4. 5.  Elina Gofton Descendancy chart to this point (1.Wilbert1)


This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ©, v. 12.0.1, written by Darrin Lythgoe 2001-2024.