Isaac Kurtz bio

from “The History of Montgomery County,” 1903
ISAAC KURTZ - One of the leading and extensive farmers in Fawn Creek township, was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, August 14, 1832, a son of Isaac Kurtz, born in Chester county, that state, near the close of the eighteenth century. His mother was Rachel Longacre, of Chester county, and the parents moved to Illinois in 1861, where the father died, from a fall on the icy streets, at the age of ninety-two years. The mother died in 1869, at the age of eighty years, leaving five surviving children, viz: D. B. and E. T. Kurtz, lawyers of New Castle, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Frances McMeen, of Fawn Creek township; Mrs. Deborah Lochman, of Illinois; and Isaac, our subject, who is the second oldest of the surviving children.
Mr. Kurtz, of this sketch, lived in Pennsylvania for the first twenty-seven years of his life, and received his education there. He came to Illinois, in 1859, and settled in Bureau county, where he bought land and farmed and raised stock. He came to Kansas, in 1885, and located on a farm of one hundred and seventeen acres, on the state line, eight miles west and two miles south of Coffeyville. He located on the state line, to be near the Territory and have pasture for his stock, having six hundred acres of leased land in the Territory, for that purpose. He has several large fruit orchards of apples, pears, and peaches, never failing to have plenty of fine apples to sell, when apples are high. He has erected, on his farm, a beautiful cottage, and has many good substantial granaries and other out-buildings, on the place. He has a number one gas well on the place, which supplies his house with natural gas. At this time, he is one of the largest stock dealers in the county, buying and shipping to the Chicago market.
Mr. Kurtz was married on the 14th day of March, 1867, to Mary J. Ross, a native of New Philadelphia, Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob and Mary Ross. Mrs. Ross died many years ago, and Mr. Ross is living at Emporia, with one of his sons, and is ninety-three years old.
There are three children: Alcie, wife of Charles Engles; Jennie, wife of F. M. Anderson; John, living on the home farm, is married to Prudie Pollet, a native of Montgomery county, Kansas, and has two children.