The Tragedy of a Kennewick Household
A quiet life in the community ended in sudden mystery when a mother was found dead by her 15-year-old daughter.
A bullet, fired evidently by her own hand, Monday afternoon, snuffed out the life of Mrs. Harry Kennedy and marked one of the saddest tragedies in the history of this community. Mrs. Kennedy was found dead in the bathroom of her own home about five o'clock Monday afternoon by her 15-year-old daughter, Loraine. As Mrs. Kennedy was alone at home during the afternoon and as she left behind no message, the details of the tragic end will never be known. It is believed she must have fired the fatal shot during a temporary fit of insanity brought on by continued ill health. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy had made their home in Kennewick since 1907, having come here from Missouri. They had an extensive acquaintance and a large circle of friends in the community and enjoyed the respect and esteem of all who knew them.
“The news which awaited him came like a bolt from the blue sky and he was entirely overcome with grief.”
In 1915, the newspaper framed this tragedy through the lens of 'temporary insanity' and domestic piety. Today, we recognize such events with far more nuance regarding mental health crises and the pressures of isolation, though the shock felt by a small, tight-knit community like Kennewick remains a timeless, universal grief.
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