Lawrence H. Kurtz

Lawrence Henry Kurtz was born October 14, 1907, in Monroe Twp., Henry County, Ohio. He was the son of George Kurtz (1879-1927) and Catherine nee Reimund (1888-1950).

Lawrence and Doras Kurtz

Lawrence's paternal grandparents were Martin Kurtz (1845-1926) and Elizabeth nee Germann (1850-1935). Martin was born in Betzinger, Witten-burg, Germany. He came to the United States in 1865. He was naturalized in 1881 in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to Cleveland because his older brother, George, and a sister, Mary, were there.

During the winter months Martin worked for his brother, George, who was a blacksmith. In the spring Martin would come to Monroe Township to try to farm and clear the land. The land was a black swamp and it was too wet for the crops to grow. He said he would come back one more time and try to farm. During that time, a ditch was dug, which drained the land, and the crops began to grow. Thus he settled in Monroe Township and cleared more land. His brother, George, stayed in Cleveland and continued to follow the blacksmith trade. His sister, Mary Kurtz, came to Monroe Township and married Fred Hipp.

Lawrence's maternal grandparents were George Reimund (1853-1910) and Elizabeth E. nee Eberly (1856-1916). Their parents were natives of Germany.

Lawrence's father, George, farmed in Monroe Township.

Lawrence had three sisters, Frieda, Florence, and Rosella, and two brothers, Arnold, and Carlton. Frieda Kurtz married Paul Orthwein. Their two children are: Mary Catherine, who married Earl Carlson who died in 1972 - (Their children are Steve, Annetta, Eric, Andrew, and Amy, deceased); Helen married Charles Fisher - (Their children are Chris and Jason.).

Florence Kurtz married Orville Rettig, who had seven children, by a former marriage. They are: Robert L., Donald and Dorothy, twins, Charlotte, Margery and Margaret, twins, and Mary. Robert L. is married to Lois Nor-den. Their children are Kelly Jo and Todd Alan. Donald married Lois Vance. Their children are Daniel James, David Charles, and Dennis Clyde. Dorothy married Larry Myles. Their children are Sandra Kay, Michael Grant, and James Milton. Charlotte married William F. Wachtman, Jr. Their children are Mark, and Bradley and Barry, twins. Margery married Gary Colley. Margaret married Carl Rausch. Their children are Timothy, Philip, and Anne. Mary married Kermit Q. Thompson, Jr. They have a daughter, Hope.

Rosella Kurtz married Lawrence H. Homan. Their children are Gary, Quentin, and Kay Lynn, all of whom are living in Massachusetts. Gary is married to Georgine Dugan. Lawrence and Rosella are living in England at the present time.

Arnold Kurtz (1911-1964) married Edna Pierce. Their children are David and Dennis. David is married to Becky Knapp. Edna is a former Henry County home economics agent and teacher.

Carlton Kurtz (1915-1962) married Gertrude (Kistner) Conmay. Gertrude had a son Larry Conmay, by a former marriage, who married Carolyn Rohrs. Their children are Lisa, Todd, and Paula Jo. Carlton and Gertrude's children are Carol Ann, Charles, and Susan Jean. Carol Ann married Royce Ray Carpenter. Their children are Amy Sue and Kimberly. Charles married Donna Badenhop. They have a son, Jason. Susan married Timothy M. Katafias. They have a daughter, Julie.

Doras J. Bokerman was born Nov. 21, 1906. She and Lawrence H. Kurtz were married June 27, 1937, in Lima, Ohio, at the home of Doras's brother, Mr. and Mrs. Lester L. Bokerman, by Rev. Leo E. Albrecht. Doras was the daughter of George A. Bokerman (1878-1958) and Anna nee Harmon (1881-1966). Doras's paternal grandparents were Charles F. Bokerman (1830-1916) and Philippine nee Kemm (1843-1919). Charles was born at Osterheide, Ami Oerlinghausen, Lippe-Detmold, Germany. He came to the United States in 1848 and worked in Cleveland and Kelly's Island, Ohio. He was naturalized in 1857 in Cleveland. He came to Henry County in 1855. He was a pioneer in a primeval forest. At the time Napoleon was a village of about 700 inhabitants. In Dec. 23, 1862, he and his bride, Philippine moved into their homey log cabin of early settlers, surrounded by forests, and settled on the Hanover Road, (now road Q1), about five miles northwest from Napoleon. Philippine was three years old when she came from Grawe Gross herxogthum, Baden, Germany with her parents and settled in Crawford County, Ohio, later moving to Flatrock Township. Doras's maternal grandparents were Henry Harmon (1853-1935) and Mary Ellen nee Gehrett (1856-1921), both being of German descent.

George A. Bokerman, Doras's father, started farming in 1904, on the Hanover Road homestead. In 1917 he moved to a farm on the Bryan Pike, (now US 6 and 24 by-pass) a mile from Napoleon. In 1965 the farm buildings were bulldozed and burned to make room for the new highway. He farmed and had a dairy route until 1930, delivering milk from house to house with his horse and wagon. In 1930, the farm implement firm of Bokerman and Dunbar was formed. About 1936 the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Bokerman then formed Bokerman Sales & Service, selling farm machinery, trucks, and automobiles. When he retired in 1956, the business was taken over by Kurtz Sales & Service. It is still being operated by Lawrence and Doras Kurtz, selling and servicing farm machinery and trucks.

Doras Bokerman Kurtz has a sister Pearl, who married Leo A. Dugan; they live in Toledo. They have a daughter Gloria, and a son James. Gloria married Louis Cook. Their children are Teresa, James, and Mary Beth. They all live in California. James, a dentist, married Patricia Mariner. Their children are Jane, Judy, Joseph, John, Julie, and Jennifer. They live in Toledo.

Lester, Doras's brother, married Arlie Patterson, a former school teacher. She also is a gifted artist, painting in various media and also does china painting. Their daughter, Beverly, married Martin F. Puris, now living in Westport, Connecticut, with their two children, Kimberly and Jason.

Another sister, Lucille Elizabeth, is deceased, having died at the age of 13, (1915-1929).

Lawrence served in the Army during World War II in the Rhineland and Ordennes, Central Europe, from 1122-1943 to 12-2-1945.

Submitted by Doras J. Bokerman Kurtz