Recovered original email from Peter Zeimet. Body preserved verbatim.
Original subject: To answer a question you asked
From: Peter Zeimet
Date: December 3, 2010
Yes, mother had a sister named Elaine. She was at least a couple years older, but maybe 4-5. Mother said Marie Fuller became painfully aware of the physical abuse and incest inflicted by Cyril Fuller was likely to kill her. To save her life, Marie flagged a car down on the highway and asked them to take Elaine. Mother only remembers waving good by with Elaine looking out the circular window on the old 1920's car and waving good bye. I understand, the car was driven by a minister from Mason City, Iowa doing work on the Rosebud Indian Reservation where they lived at the time. What mother told us when we grew up is that she was an only child and made no mention of Elaine until much later.
Later, she did say that Elaine came back during WWII to visit and it did not go well with Cyril. This is when they lived near Pringle on Carrol Creek Road. I have a picture of that house in the stack if you want it. Marie Fuller did not know how to drive very well and rarely did. She took off to catch Elaine and ran into a rock wall on a bad curve. Mother even showed me where the rocks were. According to neighbors, Cyril beat her after the accident and then claimed it was from the car and not from him. (?????) He always said she had a stroke in later years and conveniently forgot the accident happened. If you see some photos where her eye is covered with a patch, it is because it became dialated after the incident and would cause her to lose her balance when walking. Back then, doctors would give open ended refills on prescriptions. Cyril kept Marie doped on phenol barbitol for 20+ years. When she was hospitalized in Hot Springs, his Custer good old boy influence meant little. Marie had blood clots that unfortunately did take her life. But, within a few days of being off the dope juice, she was talking like a normal person and asked hundreds of questions about past years. She may have been sick, but her mind woke up. Your grandfather always said what a wonderful person was for taking care of the invalid Marie Fuller for so very long. Your grandmother wanted to throw up every time he started in. He had the lift to get her in and out of bed and wooden rounds for her to exercise her hands with. Everyone thought him to be a saint. Ara Belle Fuller said much different. OK HONEY........... TIME TO TAKE YOUR DOPE........... SO YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Sometimes she would start to have a decent conversation and then she was an invalid again. The phenol barbitol was always on hand. Your mom always liked Cyril. Well, he doted on her. Who knows? Whatever extra facts the real story would tell I am sure would be so ugly none of us would like to hear them. It is such a shame services we have now were not available then. The bitterness over Cyril Fuller consumed her for so many years. She had come to terms with it much better later. It was a curse until that bastard died. She sort of lightened up a lot then. She could be so sad sometimes. I remember her locking herself in the car inside the garage a few times crying. No one else even noticed she wasn't in the house. I would go outside and try to get her come in. She eventually would, but Ara Belle Fuller had lots of inside tears every day of her life. I know that it manifested itself when she was fighting with your mother wanting her to be a dancer. That was glamorous ............ and Edgemont was not. Your grandmother must have been tearing herself apart inside. As I said, it would have been wonderful to have had the services we have now back then.
Now, for Elaine. I GUESS she did return once in the 50's again. When I was back in Park City the last time when you were there a few years back, your mother showed me a photo taken in the Custer yard and said this one gal was Elaine. THAT WAS A TOTAL SHOCK TO ME. She did look like sibling and I had no clue who she was. Your mom was sure because she was there that day and old enough to remember. I did not think your grandmother had ever seen her since she was given away. Lani was positive it was Elaine. I have NO idea if it was or not. I am pretty sure Elaine was at Aunt Alice Christensen's funeral in Campbell, Nebraska in 1966. All the relatives were there and mother was happy chatting with them. Something spooked your grandmother and we drove all night to get back and almost ran out of gas creeping into Maverick Junction on less than fumes. Your grandmother was never that careless. She was really upset. Again, these things are unanswered. She surely did suffer, though.
When Darlene Fuller-Rhutt passed away (Cyril's baby sister), Jane Christensen (your mother's first cousin) sent christmas cards and school photos of Elaine's children to your grandmother that were in Darlene's house. The one girl was named June and had beautiful blonde hair like Ara Belle Fuller did when she was young. The photo studio was in Grand Island, Nebraska. That is about all I can tell you. I am sure Elaine passed away many years ago. I was actually shocked when your grandmother told me of these things. She actually told me many years before she died so I think it was not miscellaneous jabber. I am pretty sure I told you this stuff in an email around 5 years ago. Elaine was apparently old enough to remember where the relatives lived in Nebraska and DID see them and keep in touch. Not a one of them mentioned Elaine in front of us.Jane used to visit every couple years and I never heard a word about Elaine. THEY ALL KNEW HER AND SAW HER and she lived fairly close............ we never went and saw her and one would think they would have said....... OH ELAINE'S DAUGHTER HAD A KID.......... OR THEY FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL OR GOT MARRIED........... SOMETHING............ NOT A PEEP. So, there definitely was some permanent division there. ?????????? If Lani was correct, your grandmother did indeed see her in Custer. I wish there were final answers, but I do not know any. I do believe the brutality stories about Cyril Fuller. You have NO idea how much they hated each other.
Jo was already in college when Cyril Fuller came down to visit one day. Mother and he got into a death blow fight and actually rolled down the basement stairs beating each other. The fight started in the kitchen of the Edgemont house. She threw him out of the house with strength out of an action film and it was lucky he drove away or one of them would have been dead. I was there and remember every second of it. THEY HATED EACH OTHER and this was not just a normal screaming tantrum, either. Your grandfather never believed what happened and dismissed it as an ugly lie. HE WOULD NOT EVEN LISTEN........... I COULD NOT BELIEVE HE DID NOT BELIEVE US OR ????????? WHATEVE. It freaked me out. I was about 16 or so. I saw it and frankly because of this, I realize your grandmother was likely telling the truth. He was a sick sunofabitch and could have killed someone with no remorse.
Cyril Fuller did return one time after that when Mary and Ida drove him down trying to be helpful or snoop. It was likely a bit of both. He passed away not too long after that. They knew nothing of the incident to my knowledge. If they did, it was likely topsy turvy and the maids may have just been trying to be nice. ???????? You could have hung meat in the house as it was that icy............. and it was in the summer.
So, I have no idea what happened with Elaine. With the uncontrolled rage I witnessed, I can only imagine what it was like 40 years earlier and inflicted upon a child. Even as an old sick man, he was very lethal. I can tell you one thing. Your grandmother had NO intention of letting that man beat her again.......... and she kicked the crap out of him and forced him out into the driveway after basically kicking him up the stairs. She was an all star wrestler that day. I mean he was rolling when she gave him the last fist. Ara Belle Fuller knew lots of wild words, too. DAMN !!!!!!!!!
Your grandmother said he started in on her when Elaine left. When in the 8th grade, she pulled a fence post out of the ground and broke his leg and collar bone. She walked to Winner, South Dakota where her cousin Dickie Nicholson lived. I think it was like 60 miles. His family got her down to Campbell, Nebraska where she finished high school. The relatives there sort of blackmailed him to pay for nursing college. She did return to Mission for awhile in her junior year, but went back to Campbell shortly afterwards.
Your grandmother used to pick up hitch hikers and had to throw several out of the car over the years. She was perfectly capable of knocking the hell out of anyone. Yes, I believe every word she said about Cyril Fuller. I think others had a habit of thinking Cyril was a pussycat. It was a facade. - pz
Peter follow-up — December 3, 2010
yes, it is a new can of worms. Did she mention her last name.......... or children? It sounds strange, but maybe I have first cousins still alive. They would be around 70, but it may be possible to track them down. When I saw the Christmas photos, it was a bit early for computer searches; however there were toll free numbers you could call to locate missing people. I remember talking to your grandmother about it. You were probably in high school by then. Elaine possibly was still alive............ well, she likely was. Your grandmother originally was interested and then went cold on it and shut down the conversation. YOU HAVE DONE RESEARCH.......... What do you think happened? Your grandmother had a temper few ever saw. I do not think Mary Jo EVER saw the real extreme side. Lani and I did. Jo was in academia Zeimet land and was always studying spelling for state fairs and things. For some reason, your grandmother and I communicated exceptionally well. Some of it was not NICE communications, but there was a direct line connecting us. I think that Ara Belle Fuller and I knew each other better than anyone else. She was more faceted than most realized. She kept lots of secrets, too. People do not much anymore. Blog world has changed that. Tweety-weety has made it everything even more transparent. God would your grandmother ever have fun on Twitter.......... and be the total vamp of facebook. She had several sides I doubt your ever saw. I don't think Jo saw them, either. - pz
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