Friday, June 18, 2010

The Martyr of Idaho

A familiar scene, the statue of Governor Frank Steunenberg across from the capitol building in Boise, Idaho. That is Frank W. Steunenberg, Jr., standing next to the statue of his father. My great uncle Frank was five years old at the time of the assassination, the youngest child of Frank and Eveline Belle Steunenberg. He died August 12, 1990. I am not sure of the date of this photo. Perhaps circa 1970? The photograph came from among my mother's belongings as it was not in the family photo albums.
Frank Jr. wrote a couple of books: Greater Love  was written in 1952. Frank Jr., in my interpretation, later indicated that the attention on Orchard, including parts of this book and Orchard's alleged redemption, and Frank's own visits to see Orchard in prison, became too much the focus of this story.
The Martyr of Idaho (text of the book not available online but click on the link or book cover to be taken to another blog post). Click again on the newspaper article to enlarge for reading. Martyr, written in 1974, placed the focus back on the Steunenberg family from our roots in Holland, to a future governor as a young boy in Iowa (see A Teenage Future Governor), to life in Idaho, the governorship and ending with the assassination.

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