Editing Ed Gein (section)

=== Childhood ===
Edward Theodore Gein was born in [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]], [[Wisconsin]], on August 27, 1906,<ref name="birthrecord"/> the second of two sons to George Philip Gein (1873–1940)<ref name="Schechter2010">{{cite book |first=Harold |last=Schechter |authorlink=Harold Schechter|title=Deviant |year=2010 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |location=New York City|isbn=978-1-4391-0697-6 |page=50}}</ref> and Augusta Wilhelmine Gein (''[[née]]'' Lehrke; 1878–1945).{{sfn|Schechter|1989|p=59}} Gein had an older brother named Henry.{{sfn|Schechter|1989|p=54}} Augusta, who was fervently religious and nominally [[Lutheran]],<ref name="autogenerated2007">{{cite book |first1=Anne |last1=Williams |first2=Vivian |last2=Head |first3=Amy |last3=Williams |title=Fiendish Killers: Perpetrators Of The Worst Possible Evil |publisher=Futura Publishing |location=London|date=2007 |isbn=978-0708807255}}</ref> frequently preached to her sons about the innate [[immorality]] of the world, the evil of drinking and her belief that all women were naturally promiscuous and instruments of [[Satan|the devil]]. She reserved time every afternoon to read to them from the Bible, usually selecting verses from the [[Old Testament]] and the [[Book of Revelation]] concerning death, murder and [[divine retribution]].<ref name="autogenerated2007"/> Gein idolized and became obsessed with his mother.<ref>{{cite web | first=Amy | last=Beeman |url=https://www.grunge.com/372470/the-truth-about-ed-geins-obsession-with-his-mother/ | title=The Truth About ed Gein's Obsession with His Mother | website=[[Grunge.com]] | date=April 2, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed-Gein | title=Ed Gein &#124; Biography, Story, Movie, Crimes, & Facts | website=[[Britannica.com]] | date=April 26, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | first=Austin | last=Harvey |url=https://allthatsinteresting.com/augusta-wilhelmine-gein | title=Inside the Twisted Relationship of Serial Killer Ed Gein and His Mother — Which Helped Inspire 'Psycho' | website=All That's Interesting |date=September 18, 2023 }}</ref>

George Gein worked as a carpenter, [[Tanning (leather)|tanner]] and in the city fire department. He also owned a local grocery shop but soon sold the business and left the city with his family to live on a {{convert|155|acre|ha|adj=on|abbr=off}} farm in the town of [[Plainfield (town), Wisconsin|Plainfield, Wisconsin]],<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/58945/Plainfield+Township/Waushara+County+1924/Wisconsin/ |title=Plainfield Township, Atlas: Waushara County 1924, Wisconsin Historical Map |website=Historic Map Works |access-date=March 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304040855/http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/58945/Plainfield+Township/Waushara+County+1924/Wisconsin/ |archive-date=March 4, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> which became their permanent residence.<ref name="biography">{{cite AV media|people=Alex Flaster (producer)|title=Biography: Ed Gein|date=2004|publisher=[[A&E Television Networks]]|location=Los Angeles, California}}</ref> Augusta took advantage of the farm's isolation by turning away outsiders who could have influenced her sons.<ref name="biography"/> 

[[File:1930 census Gein.jpg|thumb|190px|[[1930 United States census|1930 US Census]] with Gein (13th name from the top) in [[Plainfield, Wisconsin]].]]
Gein left the farm only to attend school. Outside of school, he spent most of his time doing chores on the farm. Gein was shy; classmates and teachers remembered him as having strange mannerisms, such as seemingly random laughter, as if he were laughing at his own personal jokes. Augusta punished Gein whenever he tried to make friends, according to family acquaintances. Despite his poor social development, Gein did fairly well in school, particularly in reading.<ref name="biography"/>