The second source I will be using is from the Stevens Point Daily Journal on November 20, 1957, three days after Gein’s arrest. This source is kairotic because it was printed right after Ed Gein was caught for murdering Bernice Warden. I’m choosing to use this article titled, “Woman Tells Tales of Dating Gein” because I find it inaccurate and contradicts my other sources. This source was written for the people in the town of Stevens Point but also people interested in the Ed Gein case and was to inform them of what this woman was saying about her relationship with Gein.
According to this article Adeline Watkins claimed to have dated Ed Gein for twenty years. She stated that Ed was “so nice about doing things I wanted to do, that sometimes I felt I was taking advantage of him.” In this article she also claims that Gein had proposed to her but she turned him down because she didn’t believe she could live up to his expectations. Watkins mother also claimed that he was a sweet young man who always had her daughter home on time. In my opinion I think this woman made this up. I have read many biographies on Gein and not one mentioned him dating, in fact most stated that he never dated a woman. Watkins claims their last date was in February of 1955, which if that was true would mean they started their relationship in 1935, ten years before Geins mother passed away. Gein did everything in his power to live up to his mothers expectations and wouldn’t do anything to go against her. Gein’s mother had forbidden her sons to have any sort of relationship with women for they were impure and were all prostitutes. Gein was so in love with his mother that it would have nearly been impossible for him to have such feelings for another woman. When Ed’s brother Henry was alive he talked about moving out because he had feelings for a woman, which infuriated Ed because it went against what their mother had taught them. Gein killed two women that resembled his mother which shows how infatuated he was with his mother, again making this article hard to believe.
This source doesn’t really help answer my question but I found it interesting that a woman would claim to have dated such a disturbed man. I think this source also goes to show that even back in the fifties people wanted attention and would say just about anything to get a share of the lime light. By refuting this article it will back up my previous statements that Gein had an unhealthy obsession with his mother. From here I do not find it important to continue my research about this relationship with Adeline Watkins, instead I am going to peruse the idea of what could have led him to commit these crimes.
Work Cited:
“Woman Tells of Dates She Had with Gein.” Stevens Point Daily Journal 20 Nov. 1957: 1. Print.
I think that this source is a very interesting twist on the knowledge and information you have accumulated on Gein in the past. Although you state that it’s not very useful to your initial question I think it’s important to view every aspect of Gein’s case to help you further understand what was going on in the town’s near Gein. I think that this article demonstrates that people do all kinds of crazy things when a murderer is around them. But I do agree with you and believe it’s more beneficial to find more credible sources that give you information about why he started the murders and grave robbing’s.
I think that this is great. You seem to know your facts about Ed Gein. This sounds like a very interesing source, however, I agree with what you said; Adeline Watkins probably made it up. It sounds like you have researched Ed Gein a lot to know all of this information about him. I agree with you, that if you don’t believe that Watkins’ is telling the truth, then don’t carry on with researching her and their “relationship.” Good job!
Wow. I’m glad to see you used prior knowledge about Gein to understand that this could very well be false. I am also glad you didn’t just go along with it and instead, you questioned the source. Especially because as a newspaper, they can write what they are told just to make a story out of it. With that being said, I see that you are on your way with this project. Good luck!
This was an interesting turn to take during your research. But I liked it! Having one source say one thing and another say the opposite, is highly effecitve when dealing with people and their biases. This source would be great to include in your exploratory essay because it shows how you went about your research and changed your way of thinking based off of your findings, awesome!