Burial Records

Felix F. Van Vleet

The youngest child of Lewis Van Vleet and Elizabeth Coffey, Felix F. VanVleet was born in Washington on January 11, 1878.  In 1919 he was murdered on the streets of Newman, California, where he had been working as a butter maker for the past nine months for the Globe Dairy Products Company.

An argument between Officer Ed Newson of the Newman Police department and Felix and his friend Joe Swenson ended where they stopped in at Charles Kilburn’s Saloon.  Swenson was rather boisterous and, when the policeman approached , a friend tried to get him to be quiet, but he shouted “the hell with Newson.”  Officer Newson demanded to know who made the derogatory remark and then clubbed Swenson.  He was about to arrest him. And then decided to let him go home.

 Felix followed Joe home and persuaded him to go back to town and apologize to Newson.  They met him on “O” Street and another argument took place.  Newson suddenly began to beat Felix over the head and starting to fall, he called his friend to help him; but before he could come to his assistance, Newson drew his gun and fired three shots into Felix.

 Evidence brought out at the coroner’s hearing concluded that the murder of Felix Van Vleet was wholly unwarranted and cold blooded.  Newson was arrested and placed in the jail at Modesto.  Felix was survived by a wife and eight children.  He was buried in the family plot at Fern Prairie Cemetery on November 25, 1919.*

 *The date of burial as November 25, 1919 must be wrong as he died as of 11/26/1919!  Other information states he was buried on Dec. 1, 1919.

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