Wilmer A. Shurtz1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 18976, (1876 - 1906)
FatherFrederick J. Shurtz4,5 (1832 - 18 May 1892)
MotherSarah Elizabeth Riegel6,5,7 (20 Mar 1842 - 27 Nov 1920)

Key Events:

Birth: 2 Mar 1876, Moore Park, St. Joseph Co., Michigan8,9,10
Marriage: 10 Sep 1897, Imogene, Fremont Co., Iowa, Cora J. Arnold (2 Feb 1880 - 25 Jan 1909)11,12,13
Death: 2 Sep 1906, Wewoka, Indian Territory14,15,16
Burial: 8 Sep 1906, Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa17
ChartsDescendants of Jacob K. and Christiana Ohl Riegel
AncestryThe Reigel Family

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Wilmer A. Shurtz was born on 2 Mar 1876 in Moore Park, St. Joseph Co., Michigan.8,9,10
     Wilmer moved to Iowa about 1880 with his parents. He appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Fisher Twp., Fremont Co., Iowa, in the household of his parents, Frederick J. Shurtz and Sarah Elizabeth Riegel.4 He appeared on the 1885 State Census of Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa, in the household of his parents.18
     His father died on 18 May 1892, when Wilmer was 16 years old.19,20,21 Wilmer appeared on the 1895 State Census of Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa, in the household of his mother.22
     Wilmer married Cora J. Arnold, daughter of Francis Marion Arnold and Mary Lavina Smalley, on 10 Sep 1897 in Imogene, Fremont Co., Iowa.11,12,13
     Wilmer and Cora appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa, enumerated 7 Jun 1900, reporting that they owned their home, free of mortgage.2 His mother and three of his siblings apparently lived nearby as they are listed as the preceding household.23
     Wilmer's older brother Harry was working at a bakery in 1895, and operating a cafe and bakery in Shenandoah by 1900. Wilmer and his brother Charles were also bakers there in their older brother's shop.24,25,26,27,28,29,30
     Wilmer and Cora sold out and moved to Oklahoma City about 1902, where they remained for about a year.31,32 They then moved to Wewoka, Indian Territory.33,34
     After moving to Wewoka he was involved with a brickyard. He sold out of that and took up baking again, working at the Wewoak Bakery. In Jan 1906 he was reported to be the "chief mixer of yeast foam and high patent flour" at Frederick's bakery.35,36,37
     By 1905 they were well enough established that their comings and goings were reported in the local newspaper. In December of that year it reported they had gone to Kansas (but apparently it was actually Iowa) for a holiday visit. In Jan 1906 the paper reported he had returned from a visit to Shenandoah and was having the house painted and rooms papered before she returned. The following week it reported that Cora and her sister Ethel had returned, and on 23 Mar that Ethel had entertained a party of her friends at Cora's home.38,36,39,40
     On 24 Aug 1906, a week before his death, the local paper reported that Dr. VanZandt said that Wilmer was "prostrated with an attack of typhoid fever." The same issue reported that Cora's father, Francis Marion Arnold, was visiting them.41 He died on 2 Sep 1906 at his home in Wewoka, Indian Territory, at age 30, of typhoid fever.14,15,16 He was buried on 8 Sep 1906 in Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa, after a funeral at his mother's home.17

Children:
     There were no children with Cora J. Arnold

Citations

  1. [S4755] Frederick Shurtz household, 1885 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah, shows name as Wilmer A. Shurtz.
  2. [S4760] Wilmer A. Shurtz household, 1900 U.S. Census, Page Co., Iowa.
  3. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 64865930, Wilmer A. Shurtz, includes tombstone photo showing same.
  4. [S4754] F. Shurtz household, 1880 U.S. Census, Fremont Co., Iowa.
  5. [S4755] Frederick Shurtz household, 1885 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah, shows them apparently living as parent and child.
  6. [S4754] F. Shurtz household, 1880 U.S. Census, Fremont Co., Iowa, shows him as the son of her husband.
  7. [S5072] Sara E. Shurtz household, 1895 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows them apparently living as parent and child.
  8. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows date, town, as Moorepack, and state.
  9. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 64865930, Wilmer A. Shurtz, shows date, town, as Moore Park, county, and state, and includes tombstone photo showing year.
  10. [S4754] F. Shurtz household, 1880 U.S. Census, Fremont Co., Iowa, shows age 4 and state.
  11. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows married "nine years ago the 10th of this month."
  12. [S6020] "Funeral of Mrs. Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 29 Jan 1909, shows month and year, as Oct 1898.
  13. [S4760] Wilmer A. Shurtz household, 1900 U.S. Census, Page Co., Iowa, shows married 2 years.
  14. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows date, at his home, town, territory, and cause.
  15. [S5237] W. A. Shurtz obituary, The Seminole Capital, shows he died "last Sunday" and cause.
  16. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 64865930, Wilmer A. Shurtz, shows date, town, county, as Seminole, and state, as Oklahoma, and includes tombstone photo showing year.
  17. [S6019] "Funeral of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 7 Sep 1906.
  18. [S4755] Frederick Shurtz household, 1885 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah.
  19. [S4976] Schalck and Henning, History of Schuylkill County Pennsylvania, pg 544, shows date, town, and state.
  20. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 64864736, Frederick Shurtz, shows year, town, county, and state, includes tombstone photo showing year.
  21. [S6017] "Mrs. Sarah Shurtz Summoned on High," Shenandoah World, 30 Nov 1920, shows month and year.
  22. [S5072] Sara E. Shurtz household, 1895 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  23. [S4759] Sara E. Shurtz household, 1900 U.S. Census, Page Co., Iowa.
  24. [S5072] Sara E. Shurtz household, 1895 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows occupation as __kery, with the beginning cut off in the tight binding.
  25. [S4759] Sara E. Shurtz household, 1900 U.S. Census, Page Co., Iowa, shows Harry's occupation as bakery & restaurant, and Charles' as baker.
  26. [S4760] Wilmer A. Shurtz household, 1900 U.S. Census, Page Co., Iowa, shows his occupation as baker.
  27. [S4915] John Shurtz card, 1905 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah, shows occupation as work in restaurant.
  28. [S4914] Harry Shurtz card, 1905 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah, shows occupation as restaurant & bakery.
  29. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows he was in business with Harry, learning the baking trade from him.
  30. [S4783] "Funeral Held in Shenandoah for Mrs. W R Bening's Father," Clarinda Herald-Journal, 18 Sep 1941, shows he was a cafe owner and a baker.
  31. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows they moved to Oklahoma City four years ago, stayed a little over a year.
  32. [S6020] "Funeral of Mrs. Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 29 Jan 1909, shows they moved to Oklahoma City and stayed several months.
  33. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906.
  34. [S5237] W. A. Shurtz obituary, The Seminole Capital, shows they moved to Wewoka "some three years ago" from Shananhoah.
  35. [S5237] W. A. Shurtz obituary, The Seminole Capital, shows most of his time there he was with the Wewoka Bakery.
  36. [S4800] "Local Personal," The Wewoka Herald, 19 Jan 1906.
  37. [S6018] "Death of Wilmer Shurtz," Shenandoah World, 4 Sep 1906, shows interested in a brickyard, then returned to baking.
  38. [S4796] Social column, The Wewoka Herald, 22 Dec 1905.
  39. [S4797] "Local Personal," The Wewoka Herald, 26 Jan 1906.
  40. [S4798] "Local Personal," The Wewoka Herald, 23 Mar 1906.
  41. [S4799] "Local News Notes and Personals," The Wewoka Herald, 24 Aug 1906.