what happened to ed gein dad

Ed Gein's father, George Philip Gein, died in 1940 from heart failure at the age of 66. He was known to be an alcoholic who was physically and verbally abusive to his sons, Ed and Henry. George struggled to hold down a job and reportedly left most of the parenting to Ed's mother, Augusta. His death deeply affected the family, leaving the boys under the strict control of their mother, which contributed to the troubled environment in which Ed grew up.