Kurt DIERCKS

Sohn von Johann Hinrich Diercks 1838-1917 und Margaretha Matthees 1838-1920

RITES YESTERDAY FOR KURT DIERCKS, 72

Funeral services for Kurt Diercks, age 72 and resident of Goodhue township nearly all his life, were held at 1:30 at the family home and at 2:00 o'clock on Wednesday from the St. John's Lutheran church, Rev. F. W. Weindorf officiating.

Pall bearers were: Otto Rehder, Jr., Fred Luhman, Emil Rehder, George Raasch, Arthur Reese and Henry Benidt.

Kurt Diercks was born in Neuenfelde, Hanover, Germany on August 30, 1868. At the age of five, he came with his parents to Goodhue township which had been his home since. He was confirmed by Rev. W. Vomhof on April 2, 1882 and on June 3, 1897 wasunited in marriage to Margaretha Reese.

He operated the Claybank store for four years, 1900 to 1904, and otherwise had taken up the farming business. In civic affairs he served on his local school board and was an assessor for Goodhue township for 15 years.

Death came at 4:40 am last Sunday morning from complications resulting from an illness of six weeks.

Immediate survivors are his wife; six sons and three daughters, namely: Edward J. Diercks and Mrs. Jacob (Laura) Thiemann of Goodhue, Mrs. William (Cecelia) Polly of McIntosh, Minnesota, Leonard, Alvin, and Norman Diercks and Mrs. Max (Henrietta)Firl of Red Wing, Kermit Diercks of Goodhue, and Willis Diercks at home; also two sisters, Mrs. Nick Matthees of Goodhue and Mrs. John Oelkers of San Leandro, California; besides 30 grandchildren and other relatives and friends. -Red Wing DailyRepublican Apr 1941

Kurt arrived in America aboard the ship Frisia on Oct 16, 1873 barely 5 years old with his parents, 3 brothers and a sister according to a search on "Dircks" at CastleGarden.org

In addition to his other occupations, Kurt operated a gravel pit on his farm. The scars in the hillside can still be seen from the curve of Hwy. #58 just 200 yards NE of the intersection of 360th St.

"Kurt never learned to drive a car although he owned one that his children often drove." --Excerpts from Willis Diercks' --1992 book, "From Then to Now - Remembrances of 20th Century Goodhue County Life and Times"

"You may have noticed that my folks grave stone is smaller than many others. That is because my mother and I were so poor at the time of my father's death that we could not afford one. That year we heard on the radio show "Looking for Missing Heirs" about an unclaimed estate of a Johann Diercks in California that might have been my long-lost great uncle. John Banitt went to California to check it out and in 1943 I got a $12.50 inheritance check. My brothers and sisters banded together donating our checks to purchase a grave stone for my parents. However, my mother's name was misspelled." --Willis Diercks email, January 2013

Comments