Justice Earl Wirt (aka James E. Wirt),
was a part of life at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute for
fifty-four years. In 1907 he came to the hospital and started what
later became the canteen. At first it was a private enterprise, but
soon the state acquired the stock and Jim Wirth ran the store.
He became business manager of the institution and continued in this capacity until his death in June of 1961.
When
he came to work at the hospital he was 19 years old and he stayed at
the City on the Hill until his death at 72 years of age.
For 27
years he was the official weather observor for Cherokee. Jim
Wirth going out to read the weather instruments in the little white
house on legs was a familiar sight for many years.
In keeping
with the policy of the institution, about emloyees living on the
grounds, Jim and his wife lived in the large white frame house just
north of Voldeng for several years.
During his employment at the
hospital he found time to marry Pearl Leeds in 1909 and raised two sons
and one daughter. At his death, the 19 year old had matured into a
grandfather and a great grandfather, having nine grandchildren and
three great grandchildren.
Wirth
Hall, the employees building built in 1948 was named after James E.
Wirth. A man who spent his life in service to the institution to which
he came as a young man.
Jim Wirth saw many changes in the
institution. He began his tenure there just 5 years after it opened its
doors. And when he passed away the institution had entered the age of
modern medicine and machine.
When he first became business
manager most of the work on the large institution farm was done with
horse power. Thousands of tons of Iowa coal per year was scooped by
hand into the coal hopper to be fed to the boilers which heated and
lighted the hospital.
As business manager Jim supervised the
purchases, payments, and financial transactions for a community of over
2,000 persons. From othe purchase of shoe strings to the paving of the
roads the economic functioning of the hospital was his responsibility.
Under
his direction the virtually self contained city on the hill sowed,
harvested, preserved and produced most of its own needs.
(Source: Cherokee
County Historical Society Newsletter, Special August - September Issue, Vol. 12, No. 7, 1977, pg. 7)Death Notice: J. Earl Wirth Dies After Illness - Was Business Manager at Institute
J. Earl Wirth, 72, business manager at Cherokee Mental Health Institute, died here early Monday evening after an illness.
Wirth, former cooperative observer with the U.S. Weather Bureau, had submitted to surgery in Rochester, Minn., three weeks ago.
The well-known area resident had been returned to Cherokee last weekend and was a patient at Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Pearl, a son, Randall, of Oceanside, N. Y., and daughter, Mrs. Floyd (Phyllis) Fanning of Nemaha.
Wirth had served as business manager at Mental Health Institute since 1940.
From 1907 to 1915 he was storekeeper and he served as steward from 1915-1940.
Warm Personality
Wirth,
a heartily-smiling man with a warm personality, served about three and
a half decades with the weather bureau after starting those duties in
1921.
He was a member of Cherokee Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.
He
was with KP 167 and past chancellor, grand master of Exchequer grand
lodge of Iowa. Wirth was a Methodist Church member and former president
of the Association of Churches.
Wirth was patron of Carnation Chapter 165, OES in 1947 and secretary of Speculative Lodge 307, AR & AM since July 12, 1951.
He had served in all chairs of the lodge and was a district lecturer.
Wirth
was born at Mount Etna, Ia., November 3, 1888. He was the son of John
E. Wirth and Mary Hartman. Wirth graduated from Prescott, Ia., High
School in 1904.
He graduated from Elliott Business College, Burlington, in 1907.
Wirth was married to the former Pearl Leeds on December 1, 1909.
Funeral services will be Thursday at 2 pm from St. Paul’s Methodist Church. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. (Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Cherokee, IA., Tues., June 6, 1961, pg. 1)
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