Obituary
The following obituary appears in the Earlham Library Obituary Collection. It is dated February 1951.
This transcript is taken from an online posting at http://iagenweb.org/boards/madison/obituaries/index.cgi?read=168748.
William Benedict Fritz son of Christian and Mary Ellen Fritz was born at Blakesburg, Iowa, July 12, 1864, and passed away at Dexter, February 13, 1951 at the age of 86 years, seven months and one day.
He moved to Orilla, Iowa with his parents when he was quite young and it was at Pleasant Ridge, a country church near there, that he became a member of the Methodist church. Later his membership was transferred to the Penn Center Methodist church and from there he transferred to the Dexter Methodist church and continued in that faith at the time of his death.
He with his parents, moved to the Penn Center neighborhood in Madison county in 1888 and lived there eleven years.
On March 18, 1897 he was united in marriage to Emma Shumaker. To this union, six children were born, three sons and three daughters. He was preceded in death by his wife and two sons.
In 1899 he moved to a farm one mile south of Dexter where he lived 45 years. At the age of 80 he had the misfortune of losing his eye sight and because of this he moved to his present home in Dexter in 1945 and has made his home with his daughter Gertrude Alice Fritz.
Surviving him are four children, a son, Arlie of Perry, Iowa; Mrs. Calla Couch of Dexter; Mrs. Evelyn Dennis of Boone, Iowa; Mrs. Gertrude Brinton of Dexter and five grandchildren. Also two brothers survive Frank of Earlham and Fred of Van Meter.
The funeral service for Mr. Fritz was held Friday, February 16th at his home and from his church with the pastor officiating. What was mortal of our departed brother and friend was tenderly laid to rest at the Dexter cemetery under a blanket of beautiful flowers.
The following obituary is from a newspaper clipping collection compiled by Gertrude Alice Brinton.
The following funeral card is from a newspaper clipping collection compiled by Gertrude Alice Brinton.
Notes
His "five grandchildren" would have been his son William's son Calvin Wayne Fritz and daughter Barbara Jean Fritz; his daughter Caroline's son Leland Merrill Couch; and his daughter Evelyn's daughter Karen Dennis and son Roger Dennis.