Better late than never
BY DUKE WENZEL – TRUE DAKOTAN EDITOR
When William Henry Schultz (1864-1909) died 100 years ago. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery near Lane. For some reason, his grave was never marked and for the next century his body lay in its unknown place near Lane in Jerauld County. Jerauld Schultz who lives in Cupertino, CA is the grandson of William Henry. His father, Harley William Schultz, by the way, was born in Wessington Springs in 1885 and is the one that named Jerauld (named for his home county) Thomas Schultz when he was born on November 12, 1923. Jerauld Schultz sent a letter to the True Dakotan last week telling us about how his grandfather finally got a grave marker after 100 years. He wrote, “While doing genealogical research, I came in contact with a gentleman from Colorado. He owns a ranch in Wessington Springs. He was kind enough to do research, leg work and have a grave stone placed on my grandfather’s resting place. What a nice, compassionate person.” It doesn’t take much of a detective to figure out that the gentleman from Colorado with a ranch in Wessington Springs is our own Bob Shultz (same last name as Jerauld but without the “c”.) Bob more than likely asked Jerauld not to use his name but we thought that the big-hearted Bob Shultz deserved a little credit. Bob is always doing historical research and has helped the True Dakotan on a number of stories over the years..
on Mar 23rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Doing the Shultz family genealogy I met Bob Shultz ,visited at
turtle Peak and enjoyed his company. At that time we were searching for William’s grave as he is an uncle to my Dad.
There was no marker but a Mr. Brandenberg took us to the spot and I have pictures when it had no tombstone. I am very close to Jerauld and we keep in touch all the time. I get emotional when at long lost we are family again Wessington Springs is a wonderful place and I am glad my grandfather,John Wesley and his Dad Jesse Lee homesteaded there in 1884.