Clara Rosella Kurtz Thomas Thorp 1888-1950

THORP, KURTZ, THOMAS, KNODE, WIESERT, FERERRO

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/2/2011 at 21:29:52

Mrs. Clara R. Thorp Dies of Heart Disease
Mrs. Clara R. Thorp, 62, of Estherville, died today at 3:45 a.m. in Holy Family hospital of heart disease. She had been suffering from the ailment since November.

She was born Clara Kurtz, March 14, 1888, in Belleville, Ill., and received her education there. She came to Estherville in 1921, and in late years has made her home with a son, Alvin Thomas. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic church.

Survivors include two sons, Alvin Thomas and Junior Thorp at home two daughters, Mrs. Grace Knode and Lorraine Thorp in Los Angeles, and a granddaughter, Barbara Knode. She was preceded in death by her husband.

Funeral services have not been arranged as yet. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, June 7, 1950)

Mrs. Thorp Survived by Four Children
Mrs. Clara Rosella Thorp, of Estherville, was born Mar. 14, 1888, in Belleville, Ill., died June 7 in Holy Family hospital of a heart ailment. She had been in the hospital twice previous to her death, being ill since Nov. 3, 1949.

She grew to womanhood in the Belleville community, later moving to Culbertson, Mont., where she married Albert Thomas on Nov. 16, 1914. To the couple was born two children, Alvin Thomas and Grace Thomas. Thomas died in 1918, and later she was remarried to Vernon Thorp in Culbertson.

The couple came to Estherville in 1922, and in Estherville her other two children, Laraine and Vernon Thorp, jr., were born.

Survivors include four children; two sons, Alvin Thomas and Vernon Thorp, jr., of Estherville, and two daughters, Laraine at home and Mrs. Grace Knode of Los Angeles; three sisters, Mrs. Ida Kurtz and Mrs. Louis Wiesert of Michigan; Mrs. Joe Fererro of St. Louis; four brothers, Oscar Kurtz and Irvin Kurtz of California, Leonard Kurtz of Belleville, Ill, and Alfred Kurtz of St. Louis.

She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic church and funeral rites were held at St. Patrick’s Saturday at 9 a.m., the Rev. Father J. H. Duhigg officiating. Burial was in St. Patrick’s cemetery with pallbearers being Walter Williams, Henry Neppl, William Swift, Clinton Swale, Joe Erpelding and Guy Nicholson. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, June 16, 1950)