William Downs obituary, 1857

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Ocean Emblem 18 Feb 1857

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Asbury Park Press 10 Nov 2006 STAFFORD TOWNSHIP — Two sisters died minutes apart Thursday after they were shot in the driveway of their home by their mother's ex-boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself. On most Thursday mornings, 15-year-old Jessica Veitch would be in school. But with school out for the New Jersey Education Association's convention, the Southern Regional High School sophomore was able to spend the morning with her 21-year-old sister, Melissa. The young women were shot before they were able to make it to the front steps of their Mercer Avenue home after returning at about 11:30 a.m. from a trip to a convenience store. Neighbors who heard the shots and screams called 911. "I was in the service, so I knew it wasn't firecrackers," said Thomas Niemiec, 61, who lives a few houses away from the Veitches. Police arrived to find both girls on the ground next to the car, which had its passenger-side window shattered. They were transported to Souther
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