Kritz - Franklin W.
Source: Waveland Independent
Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana
Sept 21, 1944
Last rites for Frank W. Kritz were conducted on Thursday afternoon at the Machledt Funeral Home with Rev. H.D. Trickey, pastor of the Presbyterian Church officiating. Mrs. Trickey played a program of sacred music. Interment was made at the Presbyterian Cemetery. Pall bearers were Frank Burrin; Charles M. Moore; Arthur Jarvis; Harry Milligan; Wayne Simms; Lowell Spencer and Milford Milligan. Honorary pall bearers were T. E. Huston; Parke White; Will Durham; Charles Taylor; J.V.S. Milligan; Charles Barr; S.N. Moody; Clarence Milligan and Alonzo Deere. Those attending from out of town were Mrs. T.E. Groninger and Mrs. L. Straughan, Mrs. Carl Patterson and Mr. and Mrs. VG Vail of Crawfordsville; Mrs. William Burgess of New Market and Mrs. Mayme Lee of Guion.
Francis Wayland Kritz sixth child of Henry Seymour and Mary Brush Kritz was born in Waveland Dec 22, 1861. He was married to Dora Shadrach Thomas Jan 31, 1895. She preceded him in death, having passed away Feb 10, 1933. He was an active business man of Waveland, having been engaged in the furniture and undertaking business. He was postmaster for a number of years. After a short sojourn in California, he returned to Waveland and was engaged in the grocery business. He and Mrs. Kritz moved to California a number of years ago and it was at his home in Los Angeles that he passed away Sept 6, 1944, following a long illness. He was a member of the Waveland Presbyterian Church and Knights of Pythias lodge. He is survived by one brother, Herbert S. Kritz of Waveland and four sisters: Mrs. Rice V. Hunter of Cleveland, Oh; Mrs. George M. Cowan and Mrs. Albert Kleiser of Waveland and Mrs. Walter Lee Straughan of Crawfordsville. There are also five nieces, one nephew and one stepson, Murray Thomas of Los Angeles, California, with whom he made his home. Several years ago he went to the family church in Los Angeles and reaffirmed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior and from that day he has had peace with God.
Source: Waveland Independent, Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, Sept 14, 1944
Funeral for FW KRITZ, age 82 was conducted at the Machledt Funeral Home Thursday afternoon. Mr. Kritz was a former Waveland citizen having conducted a furniture store and undertaking business here and served as postmaster. He was the son of Henry S. and Mary BUSH Kritz and was married to Mrs. Dora THOMAS Jan 31, 1895. For the last 20 years he had resided in Los Angeles where he fell and fractured his hip several weeks ago from which he never recovered. Mr. Kritz was a member of the Presbyterian Church and Knights of Pythias Lodge of this place. There survive his going 4 sisters; Mrs. Stella Hunter, Cleveland, Oh; Mrs. Jessie Cowan and Mrs. Victor Kleiser of Waveland and Mrs. Nellie Straughan of Crawfordsville. A brother, Bert S. Kritz of Waveland and a stepson Murray Thomas of Los Angeles. The funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. HD Trickey, pastor of the local Presbyterian Church.
Source: History of Montgomery County, Indiana. Indianapolis: AW Bowen, 1913 p 1247
Everywhere in our favored land
are found men who have worked their way from comparatively humble beginnings to
leadership in diverse avenues of endeavor and to positions of trust as
custodians of the people's interest. Such a one is the well known gentleman whose
name on the caption of this article, Francis W. Kritz, successful merchant at
Waveland and the presentable and popular postmaster there. Not only has he been
signally successful in the prosecution and management of his own affairs, but
as a public official his name is deserving to rank with the capable and
conscientious men of Montgomery County who have been entrusted with public
offices here. He is widely and favorably known throughout the Wabash Valley
district of which this history treats, while in the discharge of every duty of
citizenship he lends his active support and hearty cooperation to every
movement having for its object the public good.
Mr. Kritz was born in Montgomery
County Dec. 22, 1861. He is a son of Prof. Henry Seymour Kritz, who for many
years was principal of the preparatory department of Wabash College,
Crawfordsville and in view of his eminence as an educator in western Indinaa for more than 1/2 a century and his popularity as a man and citizen a record
of his life and labors will be given before resuming that of our immediate
subject. Professor Kritz was born in Jefferson County, Indiana Feb 14, 1825 the
son of Henry and Sarah (Sherman) Kritz, the former a native of Pennsylvania and
latter of NY. The parents came t Indiana in 1820, locating among the early
settlers in Jefferson County and there spent the rest of their lives. The
father learned cabinet making when young and followed that for some years. He
eventually became a man of wealth and retired from active life a number of years
before his death. He had one child, Henry S. Professor Kritz was educated in
the common schools of his native county and in a seminary at Madison, Indiana
and while there was apprenticed to a paper mill manufacturer and learned the
trade. While working at the same in Indianapolis in 1845, he was caught in the
machinery and so disabled in his right hand as to be disqualified for working
longer at his employment. Finding a change of occupation necessary, he decided
upon a career as a teacher, thus what was seemingly a very untoward
circumstance proved to be a great blessing in disguise, for had the accident
not have occurred he probably would have spent his life in a vocation that
would have resulted in little if any good to humanity and education would have lost
a most worthy exponent. In order to prepare himself for a professional teacher,
Mr. Kritz entered Hanover College in 1847. Here he applied himself with such
diligence that although he was working his way through college by tutoring the
preparatory classes two hours a day, he completed the full classical course in
a year's lesst ime than that usually required and was graduated second in a
class of 20. Previous to entering college he had taught in a public school two
years. In 1852 he took charge of the Presbyterian Academy at Waveland,
Montgomery County and remained there more than 20 years or until 1873, his long
retention in this most trying and responsible position being evidence of his
ability as an instructor and of the confidence and esteem reposed in him by the
pupils and patrons of the school; which in those days was widely known of its
tuype, being of high school grade, preparing students also for college. At that
time it employed a corps of four teachers and had from 150 to 250 students.
Under the administration of Professor Kritz, the school became widely popular,
known all over this section of the Middle West, receiving students from 10
different states, many of whom have since become distinguished in the
professions, and in the various pursuits of business life. The school also made
a splendid record during the War of the Rebellion, furnishing not only a large
number who served in the ranks, but also many who attained distinction as
colonels, majors and captation sfor the union armies. In 1873 Prof. Kritz came
to Crawfordsville as principal of the high school and 3 years later was made
superintendent of the city schools. While serving in this capacity, he was at
the earnest request of Professor Bassett, then principal of the preparatory
department of Wabash College, made his associate. Entering Wabash College in
1877 with the rank of full professor he taught the preparatory Greek &
English until 1881. On the resignation of Prof. Bassett in that year he was
made principal of the department and continued to have charge of the
preparatory Greek & latin classes until several years alter. He was aided
by various assistants. The department has always had from 75 to 100 studnets
annually and has required a reputation for efficiency and thoroughness enjoyed
by very few preparatory schools andt his prestige has been ? in no small
measure to the efficient worKnights of Pythiasrof. Kritz. However, this
department has been practically abandoned at Wabash, for several reasons not
implicating the quality of the department. Prof. Kritz retired from this work
in 1896. While engaged in the public school work,, Prof. Kritz was a frequent
and very acceptable institute worker and teacher and was long and widely known
as an enthusiastic, progressive educator. He was one of the most valuable men
of Wabash College, for his task was that of laying the foundation for later
instructors to build upon. Personally, he is a very pleasant, genial gentleman
and by his earnest, conscientious devotion to duty won the confidence and good
will alike of professors, students and citizens. He always took a great
interest in public affairs and although he never sought or desired office, he
was a constant and intelligent reader of political journals and always voted
the Republican ticket. He also has very decided religious convictions and is a
worthy member of the Presbyterian church, having been a ruling elder in the
same for 40 years. But few professional teachers in western Indian a made so
long and so successful a record, and still fewer have so impressed their
personality on their pupils. Hundreds of men and women now in middle life,
widely scattered in many states, who had the opportunity of studying under him,
reverence his name. Professor Kritz was married in 1855 to Mary A. Brush of Waveland.
14 children were born to this union, 8 sons and six daughters, 3 sons passing
beyond in infancy. Those remaining constituted a happy household in the
pleasant family home at Waveland, where they have all attractive dwelling and
surroundings.
Mrs. Kritz was a daughter of
Blakely and Rebecca (Glenn) Brush. This family was among the first settlers in
Montgomery County and became well known and very well established here. They
had 5 children, only one of whom, the eldest John C is still living, his home
being in NY City; the others were David, William, who are deceased, Mary Ann,
the wife of Professor Kritz who passed away in 1899 and Sarah, the youngest,
also deceased. The following children constituted the family of the professor
and wife; Stella married and living in Buffalo, NY; her husband, Rev. Rice
Hunter died March 1911; Alice, wife of James Robertson of Waveland; Charles S,
merchant in Waveland; Harry W, farmer in Brown Township, Frank W, the immediate
subject of this sketch; Jessie wife of George W. Coman of Waveland; Herbert S.
is a merchant in Waveland; Victoria is the wife of Albert Kleiser, a farmer of
Brown Township; this county; William B, Nellie and Laila, twins who live in
Waveland, the former the wife of Dr. Straughan and the latter wife of Dr.
Harbeson. Professor Kritz has been spending his old age in retirement and
although he is now in his 89th year he is remarkably well preserved and
continues his studies, keeping well abreast of the times. He is a writer of no
mean ability and is the author of Greek and Latin textbooks of great merit. He
has had 3 degrees bestowed upon him - Bachelor of Philosophy; Bachelor of Arts
and Master of Arts. Politically, he was first a Whig; later a Republican; and
is now a Progressive. He had been a Bible class teacher for many years and is
an authority on Biblical subjects.
Francis W. Kritz, whose name
heads this article, grew to manhood in Waveland and he had the advantages of an
excellent education. After passing through the Waveland Academy he entered Wabash
College where he remained two years, later studied medicine two years, but has
never practiced. After leaving college he devoted himself to many trades,
finally entering the mercantile field in which he has continued active and
successful. In 1890 he formed a partnership with JD fisher, which continued
until 1896 when Mr. Kritz succeeded to the sole proprietorship, subsequently
taking in his brother, William B. Kritz and their partnership lasted from 1898
until 1902, since which time our subject has continued the business alone as a
general merchant, house furnisher and undertaker, owning a large and modernly
equipped and well stocked place of business which draws hundreds of customers
from all parts of the country. Francis W. Kritz was appointed postmaster at
Waveland July 2, 1897 under McKinely's first administration and he has been
incumbent of this office continuously to the present time giving eminent
satisfaction to the department of the people. He is a member of the executive
committee of the National League of Post Masters, and was reappointed in 1912
for two years.
Mr. Kritz was married in 1895 to
Isadora E. Thomas, daughter of Richard A. and Mary A. (Ewing) Shadrach the
father a native of Pa and mother of Ohio. When young they went to Tenn where
they remained until 1887 when they removed to Indiana. The union of our subject
and wife has been without issue, but he fathered a stepson, Murray E. Thomas.
Mr. Kritz was a member of the city council at Waveland for a period of 13 years
during which he did much for the general upbuilding of the place. He is
treasurer of the Building & Loan Association holding that position for a
period of 15 years. he has also been treasurer of the local Knights of Pythias
lodge for a period of 14 years, being an active member of the order; he also
belongs to the Tribe of Ben Hur and has been treas. of the local lodge for six
years or more. These positions indicate the high standing of our subject in the
community and the trust reposed in him. he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America, and was venerable counsel of the same for many years. Politically, he
is a Republican and has been active in local affairs. Religiously, he is
Presbyterian.