Submitted by Kelly McCarnley <KDMcCarley@aol.com>
 

Source - Freeman Courier Thursday, Jun 27, 1935  No. 18

For several weeks reports came from Heilbronn that John Walz Sr. is very low and June 19 he was relieved of his suffering.  He stayed with his daughter Mr. Henry Dubs during his illness.  Dropsy was the cause of his death.  He is one of our pioneers who has done his strong share to help build up this community.  Obituary-  John Walz, Sr. dying in the night of June 19th attained the age of 80 years, 9 months and 13 days.  Born in Neudorf, South Russia on September 6, 1854 and immigrating to America in the year 1875, the deceased with his family made his home in Heilbronn and at once became active in the upbuilding and extension of Trinity Lutheran Church.  He was married in the year 1874 to Miss Katharina Meier, who, together with him, shared joy and sorrow of life until her death in the year 1931.  Four of nine children have also departed from life.  Of the surviving sons the Rev. G.A. Walz is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Revillo, S. Dak., Mr. Edward Walz lives at Freeman, and Mr. Phillip Walz in Menno.  The daughters are:  Mrs. Fred Jundt, Freeman, Mrs. Henry Dubs, Freeman, 39 grandchildren , 18 great-grandchildren also survive.  Funeral services, which were in charge of Rev. C. D. Eifert, were attended by many relatives and friends from in and about Freeman, as well as from Burke, Roscoe, Hosmer, Alexandria, and Roscoe.  Mr. F.J. Wagner, organist of the church, presided at the organ, and the church choir sang a funeral anthem.  The beauty of flowers was in evidence, and numerous "Mindekraenze" memorializing the personality of the departed in the work of the church, were given by friends and relatives.  Six young men, John Jundt, Linton Ellwein, Edgar Walz, Jacob Neu, Alvin Walz, and Roland Walz, grandsons on a group of thirty-nine grandchildren of John Wlaz Sr., served as pall-bearers at the burial service on Saturday, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church and the cemetery, south-west of Freeman.  Of the above named Mr. Ellwein is teacher in Trinity Church School, Fergus Falls, Minn., also serving as organist of that church.  Under his direction the grandchildren of the departed sang: "Asleep in Jesus" at the funeral service.  Mr. Edgar Walz is a ministerial student of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.