Anton Kurz
Farmer and Rancher

Ron Kurz Collection

Please note that the spelling of Antone was changed during his life. Antone in the early years, Anton later on.
It was always pronounced the same,  "An - tône"

Peter Joseph Kurz    Born: November 2, 1820 in Scharen, Kr. Kastellaun, Rheinland    Married: January 27, 1856 in Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin    Died: October 1, 1898 in Town of How, Oconto County, Wisconsin Catherine Bibelhausen - wife    Born: November 25, 1835 in Valwig, Rheinland    Died: June 22, 1915 in Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wisconsin Antone Kurz - son    Born July 7, 1867 in New Denmark, Brown County, Wisconsin    Died: February 18, 1943    Burial: in Crown Hill Cemetery, Coldwater Kansas Children of ANTONE KURZ and OLGA RAAZ are:        i. FRANK KURZ, b. 1909; d. 1983.           Burial: Freedom Oklahoma Cemetery        ii. LAURA KURZ, b. 1911; d. 1991.            Burial: Crown Hill Cemetery in Coldwater Kansas      iii. BERTHA KURZ, b. 1913; d. 1984.            Burial: Crown Hill Cemetery in Coldwater Kansas       iv. VIOLET KURZ WESTOVER, b. 1924; d. 1958,            Burial : Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Norristown, Montgomery, PA.

OKLAHOMA Antone Kurz Homestead

Antone Kurz was from the farming community of New Denmark, Wisconsin. He was the sixth child of 10 born to Peter Joseph Kurz and his wife Catherine Bibelhausen, in what was then a Danish community with only a few new German immigrant families.  In the mid 1800's families in northeastern Wisconsin were often the first to break ground for homesteading.  Without a doubt, Anton watched, participated in, and learned as members of the community went about building first crude shacks for shelter and barns, using the simplest of tools, clearing stumps from the land, digging water wells, and breaking virgin soil for farming and pasture land. Then fencing and more adequate homes, barns and outbuildings came as he grew older. What he learned there served him well throughout his life, as he repeated the process in adulthood on the unsettled lands of Oklahoma.
 
 
 

Oklahoma Homestead  Photo by Jerry Eagan

This is Anton's homestead 2004. The house was where the pile of rocks is on the left side of the picture. The barn built into the side of the hill is the location of Anton's first dugout house  built in 1900 when he homesteaded there.  A new one room house was build in 1908 when he married Olga Raaz.  Son Frank  was born in 1909 in that one room. A two-story addition was build in 1910.  The flat top hills in the background of the picture are about 1 mile to the east of the homestead.

Anton homesteaded in Northwest Oklahoma Territory in 1900, after mining a few years in Colorado and Wyoming. During a visit to his brother Jacob's,  who had a ranch in southern Kansas, Jacob showed him open land a short distance away in Oklahoma. This is where Anton stood atop Lookout Mountain for the best possible view of the surrounding area, choosing a long narrow strip of flat, green  land to settle.  Local lore states he was the first to claim and settle land in the area. Anton homesteaded 160 acres 6 miles south of Kansas state line in Oklahoma, about 15 miles from brother Jake's Ranch in Kansas. His 1900 homestead was originally in the Township of Webster, Woodword County. After making his claim, he dug an indentation in a small hill and built walls and a roof on it which he used as the shelter for his first home. This "Dugout" later became the foundation for his barn.
 
 
 
 

Olga Raaz Kurz 1889 - 1933 Ron Kurz Collection

 
 
 

Once establish on his land and with the local population growing, Anton met Olga Raaz.  She was from a local homesteading family that had come from a German community in St. Petersburg,  Russia. Olga's father was a military musician in the Czar of Russia's personal band before bringing his family to the United States. His instrument remains in his great grandson's family collection.
 

When the Raaz Family left Russia, the Russian government  would not allow them to bring money, gold or other valuables out of Russia.  Jacob Raaz was a carpenter, as well as being a musician. He built large wood boxes to pack up their personal items that they would allow to take. Elizabeth Bissa and husband Jacob sold everything they could and bought precious stones such as Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, hiding them in concealed hollowed out corners in the wood boxes he built.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Raaz Homestead left to right Mother Elizabeth, father Jacob, daughter Pauline  and Jacob's brother Anton Kurz on the far right. Ron Kurz Collection

Olga's sisters Pauline and Anna. Henry Kurz Collection

  These jewels were what they used for money the first few years in the USA.  A few gems remained in the family for two generations with Laura Kurz.  The Raaz family had 15 children but only two made it to adulthood, Olga & Pauline. Beside Paul, 19 and Anna 20, all the rest died at birth or at a very young age. One child died on the boat when they came over from Russia and is buried at sea.

In America, Olga lived with parents Elizabeth and Jacob Raaz, sister Pauline and brother Paul. The family settled on this homestead, 4 miles north of Anton's homestead and 2 miles south of the Kansas state line, in 1904.  This 160 acres is still in the family.  Olga was 3 when they came to the USA in 1892 from St Petersburg Russia.  Pauline, born in America, died just 3 or 4 years ago at close to 100 years old. Anna, also a younger sister born in America, died as a young woman in the worldwide flu epidemic of  1920.  Olga's brother Paul  was a year younger than Olga.  He was killed by a lightening strike about 20 months after Anton and Olga's marriage, and is the Paul Raaz that signed as a witness on Anton and Olga's marriage certificate. While standing in a field with his father, Paul pointed up and said, "Look at that funny little cloud" and was immediately struck. The family dog "Carlo" was also killed instantly and great granddad was knocked to the ground, stunned, but not injured. There was no storm at the time.

Insights into her Raaz grandparents , as told to a descendant by the late Laura Kurz:
"The Raaz family always served wine with meals, this included even the young children as they got a very small glass of wine too.. With Oklahoma always being a dry state until just a few years ago, prohibition didn't change Oklahoma much.  So the Raaz's always had homemade wine.  In their later years 1920's and 1930's the Raaz family moved about 100 miles south to a small German community in the little town of Bessie OK.

Life for the Raaz's centered around the large German Lutheran church there. During the depression everyone was poor and had no cars, but everyone in
Bessie lived close enough together they could walk everywhere in town.  A typical Sunday they all would go to church services in the morning then,
they as a group, after church would go to one of their homes, have a snack and a little sip of homemade wine, then they would walk, as a group to someone else's house, eat a little more and sip a little more.  As the day went on the group had visited several homes and had a lot of snacks and sips
of wine. By time for evening services some were not walking very well.

Laura also talked about her grandparents not learning to speak English and she would get in arguments about it with her granddad, of course these argument were always in German, and Laura would refer to her granddad as a 'stubborn old fart'.  Jacob Raaz died in 1938, he was in his late 80's and Elizabeth (Bissa) Raaz died in 1951 in her mid 90's. Both are buried at the German Lutheran Church Cemetery in Bessie, OK.
 
 
 

Anton was 42 years old when the oldest, Frank, was born. This part of the country was undergoing years of rapid change. The 1910 U.S. Census shows that Oklahoma had achieved statehood and the homestead was now officially redesignated in Patterson Township, Woods County. Although living in another state, Kansas, brother Jacob and his family were only 15 miles away.
 
 
 
 
 

There are several humorous tales related by descendants. One cherished family story follows: "In 1910,  Anton and Olga, with baby Frank, went to visit brother Jacob and family at their ranch in Kansas.  Uncle Jake had one of the first cars in the country at that time, I heard that it was a brand new 1910 Model T Ford. The two families went for a afternoon drive.  Anton had never driven a motor car before, and may never had actually seen one.  So his brother had him driving for the very first time.  They were traveling down the dirt road and came to a closed gate across the road.  In the range land of this time, it was just the normal thing to hop down from the wagon or horse and open the fence gate that blocked the cattle from wandering down the road. Once the horse or wagon was through, a person stopped, hopped down and closed the gate behind themselves before continuing on down the road. New to these motorcars, Granddad Anton just pulled back on the steering wheel and yelled "WHOA"...... and drove on through the closed gate. Horses didn't come with brakes."       Another family tale related by a descendant: "In the 1920's the local bootlegger lived a 1/4 mile south of Anton and Olga. That place ended up being where Frank and Arline lived for 50 + years until they both died.  Anyway, during prohibition a doctor from Coldwater was in the area and wanted some good booze, not the Saturday Nite Special cheap stuff that the bootlegger sold at the local dances.  So, as the story goes Granddad Anton and the bootlegger hitched up a team of horses and wagon and went over to where the still was hidden in the hills and canyons about 3 miles east of Anton's house and got the Doctor some of the bootleggers good stuff. They had to go to the Still, hidden in the hills at night so no one ( cops, neighbors and etc.) would see them come and go. The bootleggers didn't trust any other neighbors.  It took them all night to get the good booze, but the Doctor was very pleased."

The three oldest children of Antone and Olga were, left to right, Laura, Frank and Bertha, pictured here in 1914. Violet, the youngest in the family was born in 1924, ten years after this photograph of the oldest three children was taken. Ron Kurz Collection

 

Ron Kurz Collection The one room cabin was enlarged with a two story additions making the house an "upright and wing" design. Ron Kurz Collection This is an original photo postcard of the 1910 Ford that Anton learned to drive on. It was taken at the home of his brother Jake Kurz in Kansas. Here it is filled with visiting family members and friends. It was sent to Anton's mother, Katherine Bibelhausen Kurz in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, for Christmas.

Wild Buffalo Wallows  These land indentations filled with bright green grass were left by roaming buffalo in the late 1800s.  After rains, they filled with water and the wild roaming herds would roll in the mud to form a protective coat against biting insects and sunburn; also cooling themselves.  Anton did not break this original prairie sod on his homestead. His cattle grazed the land and used the wallows as the buffalo had before them.  At the upper left corner the little flat top hill is known as Lookout Mountain.  It is about one mile west from where the picture was taken.  The story goes since Anton was the first  person to homestead there.  He went up on Lookout Mountain to see the best land in the area,. His 160 acre homestead was 1/4 mile wide by 1 mile long.  This is how it looked in 2004. Photo by Jerry Eagan

Photo by Jerry Eagan Anton's grandson stands in the Freedom, Oklahoma, Pioneer Museum with Anton Kurz's old Scythe. It was used to cut grain for harvest. At the end of the wooden handle is a long curved very sharp blade. Standing in the dried, ripened wheat, the scythe was swung in a low half circle around the front of the farmer to cut the stalks close to the ground. It was then gathered by hand in "shocks" or bundles which were placed together. tee pee style. This method is still used across the U.S. by such groups as Amish farmers.

Laura Kurz standing beside her father Anton's 1936 Chevy. It was the last car he owned. Ron Kurz Collection

Anton shows off his grandson, Ron Kurz Ron Kurz Collection

Obituary of Anton Kurz  Anton Kurz, who had lived near Lookout, Okla, for about 44 years died in the Wichita hospital Thursday afternoon, February 18, 1943, as noted in the Star last week. He had been in the hospital several weeks. The body was brought to Coldwater, and on Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock services were held at the home of Jacob Kurz in this city. Burial was made in Crown Hill cemetery beside the wife, who died on February 6, 1933. The service was in charge of Father A. B. Dziemian, Catholic priest of Sitka, and the casket bearers were neighbors of the deceased - Ed. Mahoney, Arden Hall, Lynn Fross, Arthur Doty, William Johnson and Henry Neukirch. Mr. Kurz was born in New Denmark, Wis, on July 7, 1867 and at the time of his death was 75 years, 7 months and 11 days of age. Mr. Kurz was a good neighbor and friend. He leaves to mourn his loss one son Frank, whose home is near Lookout, and three daughters, Laura, Bertha and Violet Kurz, all of Wichita; his brother Jacob Kurz, and many other relatives and friends. Mr. Kurz was a successful rancher, a loving husband and father and thoughtful neighbor.

Crown Hill Cemetery in Coldwater, Kansas. Photo by Jerry Eagan

Ron Kurz Collection

Frank Kurz Family - 1979 Ron Kurz Collection

The garage/bunkhouse on Frank Kurz ranch in 1947. This is a picture of  one of Antone's grandsons with son Frank standing. It was taken  before the main house was built. Ron Kurz Collection

Photo by Jerry Eagan The house built by Frank Kurz in the late 1940's early 1950's, located 1/4 from Anton's homestead.  This picture is how it looks in 2004.  At the time it was built it was one of the nicest,  if not the nicest house, in the area for years.  The building to the left in the picture is the garage/bunkhouse.

Ron Kurz Collection

Frank and Arline were married August 24, 1933. Frank passed away August 6, 1983, only a few days before their 50 Wedding Anniversary.

Frank Kurz  (left) son of Peter (P.J.) and Rose Kurz of Argyle Minnesota visits with Frank Kurz (right) son of Anton and Olga Kurz of Freedom, Oklahoma.  Ron Kurz Collection

Frank Kurz 1983 This treasured picture was taken less than 72 hours before his sudden death. Ron Kurz Collection

Photo by Jerry Eagan The Frank and Arline Kurz grave site is located at the Freedom Cemetery, Freedom Oklahoma

Ron Kurz Collection Obituary of Frank Kurz

Frank Anton, son of Olga Raaz and Anton Kurz was born near Lookout, Oklahoma, on March 27, 1909. He passed away suddenly at his home on the 6th of August at the age of 74 years, 4  months an 10 days. He attended Lookout Rural School and worked with his father at  farming and ranching. After his father's death he continued the operation. On August 24, 1933 at Alva, Oklahoma, he was married to Miss Arline Smith. To their marriage three children were born. Following their marriage they lived in the Freedom area where he has farmed and ranched. He was a former member of the board of directors, The Freedom Coop, the Woods County Rural Water District 2, served on several Rural School Boards and a lifetime member of the Freedom Museum. Mr. Kurz was preceded in death by his parents and a sister Violet Westover.

Bertha and her mother Olga Kurz after fishing. Ron Kurz Collection

Olga Kurz and daughter Bertha show off their days catch. Ron Kurz Collection

Left to right: Laura Kurz, Margaret Holl Renier  (Veronica Kurz Holl daughter from Wisconsin),  Bertha Kurz Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection     Bertha and Laura Kurz celebrate a birthday with a niece

Photo by Jerry Eagan    Crown Hill Cemetery in Coldwater, Kansas.

Laura Margaretha, daughter of Anton and Olga (Raaz) Kurz was born December 1, 1911 near Lookout, Oklahoma on the 27th of April at the age of 79 years, 4 months and 28 days. She attended the Lookout Rural School, graduating from the Coldwater High School with the class of 1932. She then went to nurses training at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas and in 1935 received her R.N. Certificate working at St. Francis Hospital. During World War II she worked for both Beech and Boeing Aircraft in Wichita. After the war she went to California and later to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She also worked for the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, in 1974 she came to Alva to make her home where she worked at Clinton and later at the Carmen Nursing Home. Miss Kurz first became a member of the Lutheran Church at Charleston where she was baptized and confirmed. When the church closed they went to Selman and when that church closed they went to Buffalo, later she became a member of the Alva Zion Lutheran Church of which she was a member at the time of her death. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sister, Violet Westover in January of 1958 and Bertha on September 14, 1984 and a brother, Frank on August 6, 1983.

Violet Kurz and Bill Westover Ron Kurz Collection

Bertha Kurz, Violet Kurz, Bill Westover, Bob Hope (not the famous one). Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection

Ron Kurz Collection