Notes for Amelia SCHAFF

Notes for Amelia SCHAFF

SOURCE: Land of the Pioneers Meade County SD. Newspaper Obit
Marriage Record Book "F" Meade County page 169
RECORDS: Death.

Gerald Wetz was born on Antelope Creek in Meade County, May 30, 1893, and lived there until about 1912, when he moved with his parents and the rest of the family to a place on the Belle Fourche River. Gerald spent the rest of his life on this same place. On January 16, 1918 he married Amelia Schaff. Amelia, who was born September 29, 1895 to John and Katherine Schaff, was raised in the Volunteer area. In September 1918 Gerald entered the army and was stationed in Georgia where he was stricken with the flu that was sweeping the country at that time. As a result of this epidemic, he spent a large portion of his service time in an army hospital. After being discharge in 1919 he returned home and farmed and ranched in partnership with his brothers, through good years and bad, depressions and drought. In the late thirties, they dissolved partnership, each to operate on his own. Gerald purchased places owned by his folks, John Smith, Del McCleary and Dewey Holdren plus various leases, to form the ranch he operated until he passed away. For several years he and his brother, Max ran a threshing machine throughout the community every fall. Gerald, Max and Volmar ran a summer herd of sheep for several years during the thirties on range leases in Butte and Meade Counties. Gerald and Amelia had eight Children. They are: Julia Mullaney of Phoenix, Arizona, Harold of Spearfish, Dorothy Reuppel Boice of Sturgis, Helen Seitz of Puyallup Washington, Gerald Jr. of Vale, Geraldine Toner of Santiago, Chile, South America, James and Darrell of Dowagiac, Michigan. After Gerald passed away November 21, 1947 at the Veterans Hospital in Hot Springs, Amelia stayed on the ranch and continued to operate it and raise the family. The home place is now owned by Gerald Wetz Jr. marking the third generation of this family on the Belle Fourche River.

Written by Gerald Wetz Jr

NEWSPAPER OBIT: Sturgis Tribune dated 25 Feb 1976

Mass of Chiristian Burial of Amelia Wetz, long time Meade Conty resident who died Monday at the Sturgis Community Memorial hospital, will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church with Father Franck Vallo officiating. Burial will be in the Vale Cemetery under the direction of the F.O. Jolley Funeral Home. Amelia Schaff was born on September 29, 1895, near Sturgis to John and Katherine Schaff. She attended rural schools and St. Martin's Academy. She was married to Gerald Wetz on Jan. 15, 1918, at Sturgis and the couple moved to a ranch near Vale where she had lived since. She entered the Sturgis Community Memorial Nursing Home in 1973.She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. James (Julia) Mullaney of Phoenix, Ariz., Mrs. Cliff (Dorothy) Boice of Sturgis; Mrs. George (Helen) Seitz of Puyallup, Wash., and Mrs. Charles (Geraldine) Toner of Denver, Colorado; four sons, Harold Wetz of Poplar, Mont., Gerald Wetz, Jr., of Vale, James Wetz in the U.S. Air Force in Japan; Darrell Wetz of Morris, Minn., one brother, Albert Schaff of Chicago, Ill., 28 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, two brothers, three sisters, and one grandson.