William George Fritz 1869 - 1948

FRITZ, STOERMER

Posted By: Deb (email)
Date: 12/23/2014 at 11:36:36

The Burlington Hawk-Eye Gazette

Fritz, Veteran Pressman, Dies

William G. Fritz, 79, 1947 Sunnyside avenue, veteran Hawk-Eye Gazette pressman, died at 12:10 p.m., Friday in St. Francis hospital after a lingering illness. Fritz was retired on January 6 1946, after more than 57 years of service with the newspaper.

He had been in ill health for more than a year and had been hospitalized several times. He was taken to the hospital on January 15, after he became ill at his home.

Since his retirement he has been a frequent visitor at the newspaper plant and an honorary guest at Hawk-Eye Gazette Christmas parties.

Fritz was 14 when he apprenticed himself to the old Conrad Lutz printing and bindery firm. He worked after that in Ft. Madison for a time and then returned to Burlington. He began work with the newspaper here in 1888 as a substitute for John O'Neil, pressman for the Gazette many years ago. When O'Neil died Fritz was given the job of pressman and had been on the job until his retirement.

He saw the newspaper go through the hurry and excitement of 3 wars and supervised the moving of the press several times. The old Gazette was located east of the Medical Arts building on Washington street when Fritz went to work for the newspaper. The plant was moved to the Eagles building, then on Main, south of Jefferson, and another move took it to a Washington and Main street location. Later the Gazette built its own home in the present location of the Hawk-Eye Gazette.

He was active in all phases of church work and was a member of Bethany Lutheran church. At the time of his death he was president emeritus of the church council and had at various times served as president of the group. At the time of his death he was head of the church building fund.

In memory of his wife, the former Mrs. Lena Stoermer, he presented the church with 2 heavy double doors for the auditorium.

Fritz was born March 3, 1869, in Des Moines county and lived in the Burlington area all his life. He is survived by 2 brothers, John and Adolph, of Burlington; 2 stepsons, William J. Stoermer, Glenwood, Iowa, and George W. Stoermer, Burlington; 4 grand children and one great-grandchild. His wife died January 26, 1936. The body is at the Prugh chapel.