Tucked away in a box of family photos for Barry’s family was a photo of the grave of Robert Shultz. Robert is his great-great Uncle. In March of 1887 the Shultz family left Macoupin County, Illinois headed to Kansas. The timeline of arriving in Reno County is between 1895 and 1900, but they first went to Kearny County. While there Robert died and was buried at the Lakin Cemetery.
Robert was the 5th child of 13 born to Alexander and Elenora Glotfelty Shultz. On that spring day in May 1895 they buried their fourth child. Sarah, John and Nancy died before Robert and were buried in Maryland and Illinois.
Over the years I have been drawn to this photo of his grave. Perhaps it is because of my interest in cemeteries. I have always felt he had been forgotten after his immediate family had passed on. Barry and I like to take weekend trips to see different parts of Kansas so this was a good time to incorporate my search for Robert into a trip. [For those of you that know me well enough you know that a cemetery stop or two, usually more, can always be counted on during our little trips]. I used the Kearny County message board to locate the cemetery name and with that information in hand Barry and I headed out for Kearny County last fall and visited Western Kansas. We arrived to a well kept cemetery that had a kiosk to aid us in finding his lot. It was a good thing because his headstone had changed some in the last 100 plus years. At the time of the photo his headstone was painted out to enhance the images and text on it. Today it is a weathered gray headstone. Barry and I used the photo to compare to the burials around Robert and determined the photo was taken about 5 to 10 years after his death.
Photo of grave - 100 + years old
Barry at Robert's grave
The feeling I had was that of bringing him home again. We spent some time there visiting his resting place and took a stroll through the rest of the cemetery before heading off on our trip to see castle rock and the monument rocks.
Robert's grave in 2009
Over the holidays I followed up on trying to locate his obituary in hopes of finding his cause of death. Through the Hutchinson Public Library I ordered microfilmed copies of two Kearny County newspapers and found the answer to my question. I’m glad that we were able to find his burial location and pay our respects.
Robert's Bible
We regret to learn that our energetic friend Robert Schultz is confined to his home with a spell of sickness. Dr. Lovin was called to see him Wednesday. Kearny County Advocate, 4/18/1895.
Died. At the home of his parents in Southside township, May 2d, of consumption. Robert E. Shultz, age 32 years three months and 16 days. Deceased was born in Grantsville, Alleghany County, Maryland, Jan 14, 1863. Some two years since while following his occupation, he was exposed to a severe snow storm and was taken with the “grip” and since that time has been in failing health. Two months since he was compelled to cease work entirely and up to his death, that he was ready and willing to go to his Master, and be free from the pains and cares of this life. Funeral services were held at the home of his parents by Rev. C. E. Williams, and the unusually large procession that followed his remains to Lakin Cemetery, testified the respect and sorrow our citizens felt over his early and untimely death. Mr. and Mrs. Shultz request us to convey to the friends their heartfelt sympathy for the neighborly kindness manifested in their sore trial, and especially to H. P. Gaumaer and J. F. McDowell in the untiring help and aid during the illness of their son. Robert Shultz will be remembered by many friends for his diligence and energy in all the he undertook, and his disposition to aid and assist others when the opportunity offered, was one of his chief characteristics. Kearny County Advocate, 5/9/1895.
Robert E. Shultz, son of Alexander and Eleanora Shultz, was born in Grantsville, Alleghany County, MD on January 14th 1863, and died in Kearny county, Kansas on May 2nd 1895 and was buried, Saturday May 4th in the Lakin Cemetery. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Williams and a large concourse of sorrowing friends followed his remains to their last resting place. The deceased came to Kansas in 1887 settling first in north Kearny, but for the last four or five years he has lived near Lakin where he was a respected citizen. Father, mother, four sisters and five brothers survive him. They have the sympathy of all their neighbors and the prayers of their Christian friends that God may sustain and comfort them. When questioned a short time before his departure, in regard to his souls welfare he answered, “I have been trusting in Jesus for about eight months”. “Trusting in Jesus”, he said at the last, when the sorrows of earth were soon to be past. Trusting in Jesus, the savior who died that all who are ready with him may abide. Trusting through anguish and physical pain, ah, surely our loss is his greatest gain. And to each weeping mourner I’m sure he would say if across the deep water we could hear him today, “Trust in Jesus, be ready when the angel shall come, to go with him gladly to the soul’s happy home”*…. The Lakin Index, 5/10/1895. [* shortened here]
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Shultz Family Information
Name: Alexander SHULTZ
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Birth: 14 Nov 1829 Elk Lick, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Death: 25 Nov 1906 Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas
Burial: 27 Nov 1906 Eastside Cemetery, Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas
Father: Adam SHULTZ (1789-1864)
Mother: Nancy SHOCKEY (1802-1893)
Spouse:
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1: Elenora GLOTFELTY
Birth: 24 Jul 1835 Grantsville, Maryland
Death: 1 Apr 1909 Varner, Kingman County, Kansas
Burial: 3 Apr 1909 Eastside Cemetery, Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas
Father: Joseph GLOTFELTY Sr. (1802-1864)
Mother: Sarah Ann COMPTON (1809-1864)
Marriage: 31 Aug 1850 Allegany County, Maryland
Children:
Sarah A. (1852-1870)
Joseph Adam (1854-1930)
Lydia C. (1857-)
John C. (Died as Child) (1860-1865)
Robert E. (1863-1895)
Nancy L. (Died as Infant) (1865-1865)
Andrew Bailey (1866-1947)
Kitty May (1869-1953)
Meshach Alexander (1871-1955)
Henry Edwin "Harry" (1875-1943)
Rosella Belle (1877-1941)
Elsie Viola (1879-1951)
Chauncy F. (1881-1962)
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI am part of the Shultz family in IL. I am doing research on the family and came across this article and loved reading it. I am so happy that you did this research and was so successful in finding the grave. I am very interested in the family that moved to Kansas from IL. Thank you again for doing this work and sharing your story.