This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
Death of John A. Sheetz
In the death of Mr. Sheetz, Crawford county suffers the loss of one of its pioneer settlers. Trace his history back to his arrival in the vicinity of New Washington and you will almost come to the time when the Village itself was founded. Since his arrival in the Village in 1842, be has been a prominent figure until his decease. On his arrival at this place,he at once embarked in tile mercantile business, which he followed until 1874, when he left his sons in charge of that business. At that time he became president of the Farmers Exchange Bank at this place which position he held at his death. As a business man, he has a beautiful and honorable career; as a citizen he was public spirited and as a neighbor kind and true. No name commands more respect than that of the deceased. He lived to a ripe age but his years were marked with activity and honest toil. The remains of the decased were interred in the Lutheran cemetery last Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock, in the presence of a vast concourse of people who paid their respect to one who had been their friend for many years. The funeral services were held from the Lutheran church, Rev. Dannecker officiating, addressing the congregation in both the English and German languages. During the services the following notice of Mr. Sheetz career was read by Rev. Dannerker:
JOHN ANDREW SHEETZ
was born Sept. 6,’09, in Hohenhasbach, County of Waihingen, Wuertemberg, Germany, and baptized in infancy. In 1830, at the age of 21 he left Europe and came to America, residing for the first two years in Columbiana county, Ohio. Thence he went to Lebanon in which vicinity he labored on the farm. Here he was married to Mary Weisenbacher in March of 1836, whose parents lived near Lebanon. This union was of very short duration, his wife dying two months after the wedding, in Auburn township, Richland county, where the deceased had purchased a home of 93 acres of land. He was married again in Sept. 1837, to Agatha Weber, but was equally unfortunate, his second wife dying the following year, 1838, leaving him and an infant 8 days old griefstricken and alone. He moved to this vicinity and took up his abode near Waynesburg. April 8, 1842, he was married to Mary Donnenwirth of New Washington, with whom by the grace of God he lived happily up to the time of his death. He now took up his abode in New Washington continuing the business which so far had been conducted by his wife. This union was blessed With 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls, two of whom have since died.
Grandfather Sheetz was an old member of this congregation, always zealous for its welfare, and serving it in its church council at various times. At one time he was also its treasurer. He was a member of the vestry in 1853 when the St. John’s church was newly organized on a purely Lutheran basis, and the building in which we now worship was built. He also took a great interest in the welfare of the church in general, and tendered his assistance with a charitable hand.
Six weeks ago today he took to his bed with a severe attack of throat trouble and it was decreed that he should not leave it alive again. After a season of intense suffering, however, he fell asleep in Jesus on Saturday, Dec. 7, at about 7:30 in the morning, aged 80 yrs., 3 mo., 1 da. His loss is mourned by an aged wife, 5 children and 18 grandchildren, 2 children and 7 grandchildren having gone before him. His death was that of a christian and therefore …. (article ends)
