Within seconds, a pleasant summer evening in Cainsville, Mo., turned into a living nightmare for Lavern BRENIZER, 58, his wife Mary, 57, and a neighbor - when they were attacked by a large and deadly swarm of honeybees. The three each sustained hundreds of stings, and Mary died.

"It was a horrible way to die," exclaimed Dr. Douglas PEARCE, the county corner. She suffered a massive allergic reaction to the bee venom.

Here, in this exclusive ENQUIRER article, Lavern describes the tragic and agonizing ordeal. [Article not included in clipping.]

NOTE: Mary Margaret, the daughter of Guy Lee and Mayme Nevada (McGEHEE) DUGAN of Maloy, was born June 6, 1924, and died at Princeton, Mercer County, Missouri, on July 7, 1981. She married Loren "Lavern" BRENIZER. Lavern, the son of Ralph and Ruth (SNETHEN) BRENIZER, was born July 13, 1923, Decatur County, Iowa, and died January 2, 2004, Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 80 years. They were interred at Miller Cemetery in Harrison County, Missouri.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 p. 111. 1987.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

Transcription and Note by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011