Andrew J. Kurtz (1854-1930)

KURTZ, RAY, GHRIST, NIRK, MAXWELL

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Nevada Evening Journal May 6, 1930 (page 4)

ANDREW KURTZ WAS A PIONEER

HAD LIVED IN STORY COUNTY FOR OVER HALF CENTURY IS RECORD

Funeral services for Andrew J. Kurtz, 76, of 303 K avenue, who died following an emergendy operation at Iowa sanitarium Wednesday noon, will be held Sunday afternoon. There will be a brief service at 1:30 at the Bishop Funeral Home, Fifth and Lincoln avenue, after which the funeral party will drive to Iowa Center and the funeral will be held at 2:30 at the Evangelical church. Interment will be in the family lot in the Iowa Center cemetery Rev. C. E. Lookingbill of Nevada will be in charge and preach the funeral sermon.

Mr. Kurts, for over half century a resident of Story county was a native of Womeldorf, Berks county, Pennsylvania where he was born March 11, 1854, the oldest son of Jacob and Elvina Kurtz.

The family came west and settled first at Freeport, Ill. where they lived for a number of years. Leaving there they went to Cave Springs, Mo. where they lived for about two years, coming up into Iowa when the son Andrew was about 21 years of age, and locating in the Iowa Center neighborhood.

There the parents both lived many years, died and their bodies are now at rest in the cemetery at that place.

Andrew J. was married in 1880 to Clara Ann Ray, whose parents Mr. and Mrs. Judiah Ray had came to Story county and located in the Iowa Center neighborhood in 1852.

The year following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz located northeast of Iowa Center in the Dalton neighborhood, where they lived for 21 years and where their family of three children were born.

The children are Ernest Kurtz of Nevada, Ray Kurtz of O'Neill, Nebraska, and Eva, wife of Dr. O. E. Ghrist of Glendale, Calif.

He also leaves three brothers and two sisters. They are Steve Kurtz of Iowa Center, Oscar Kurtz of Long Beach, Calif., Mrs. Martha Nirk of Maxwell, Samuel Kurtz of Des Moines and Mrs. Mina Maxwell of Des Moines.

There are also 13 grand children and one great granddaughter.

The family moved to Nevada in 1902 and their home has since been at 303 K avenue. After leaving the farm and establishing the family home in Nevada Mr. Kurtz continued to look after his lands and other interests and was ever a man of industry and activity.

He was a man of character and integrity, devoted to his home and family, and honored and respected by his neighbors and friends.

He had united with the United Brethren church at Dalton in his younger days and retained his membership in that organization.

He was also a member of the I O O F lodge, having became identified with the local lodge in December 14, 1902.

The children are all here with the mother at this time. The son Ray and wife arrived the day before the death of Mr. Kurtz and the daughter arrived early Thursday morning, after a hurried airplane trip from Los Angeles to Kansas City,, in an effort to reach the bedside of the father before he died.