Andrew Burt 1863-1953

BURT, MITCHELL, WOOD, HELMERS

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/26/2014 at 22:43:10

Armstrong
Rites Held for Pioneer Resident of Community
Funeral rites for Armstrong’s oldest pioneer resident, Andrew Burt, were conducted at 2 o’clock Nov. 28, from the First Presbyterian church. The Rev. Alex Orr officiated and interment was in Armstrong Grove cemetery.

Mr. Burt was nearly 90 years of age at the time of his death Thursday, Nov. 26. He fell about two years ago and fractured a hip and was bedfast since then. He was a hospital patient for a year and was then brought to the home of his son, Alva, at Armstrong where he passed away.

Andrew Burt, the son of Joseph and Helen Burt, was born Dec. 25, 1863, at McKeesport, Pa., and passed away Nov. 26 at Armstrong, at the age of 89 years and 11 months. He was the youngest of a family of nine children, all of whom preceded him in death.

His parents came to America from Kelty Fifeshire, Scotland, in April, 1852, and settled in the coal mining region near Pittsburg, Pa. After the Civil war the family moved westward to find a home on the prairies of Iowa.

In the autumn of 1865 they moved from Lowellville, Ohio, to Fort Dodge, Iowa. An uncle, Tom MacArthur of Algona met them there and brought the family to his home. His father had filed a homestead claim in Seneca township, Kossuth County, and the family remained with the uncle until Mr. Bur could build a home for his family in the homestead.

This homestead, where the deceased lived with his parents and grew to manhood, is still retained in the family.

On March 14, 1889, he was united in marriage to Susan Mitchell, and to this union were born seven children, five sons and two daughters.

After their marriage, they continued to live on the farm where he grew up until 1895 when they moved to Armstrong to operate a livery stable. They returned to the farm in 1897 where they continued to live until retiring from farming in 1931. They moved into Armstrong to spend their remaining days. Mrs. Burt passed away June 14, 1937.

Surviving his death are his seven children, Glen and Joe of Estherville, Mrs. Helen Wood, Algona, Mrs. Neil Helmers of Dunnell, Minn., Robert of Fenton, Andrew jr., and Alva of Armstrong, all of whom attended the services.

Also surviving are 16 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, December 8, 1953)