Died

At the Asylum at Hastings, Nebraska, Tuesday morning August 15th, 1893, John B. W. Vertz of some affection of the brain.

Mr. Vertz was a veteran of the late war and served first as a private of the 10th Illinoise* and afterward as a private of Co. ‘F’ 16th, Illinoise* volunteers. He was taken to the asylum hopelessly insane about three years ago where he has constantly remained in a harmless but helpless condition. He will probably be buried this afternoon at Blair.

*This is the way it was spelled in the article.

Pilot 17 Aug. 1893

John B. Vertz, one of the old and well known citizens of this county, died at the Hastings insane hospital Tuesday. Mr. Vertz was an old soldier who was sent to Norfolk insane some three years ago, and recently removed to the Hastings hospital as an incurable. He leaves a wife and child here in straightened circumstances. The body came in from the west yesterday afternoon and was interred in the Blair cemetery.

Another obituary but cannot read the newspaper name or date.

The funeral of John B. Vertz was singularly postponed from yesterday afternoon till today. When the body arrived at 4:50 friends and members of the G.A.R. were at the depot to receive it, but there was a $60 C.O.D. express charge for casket and embalming, wholly unexpected and which the friends were not prepared to pay. They tendered the carrying cost, but Agent Farr had no alternative but to hold the body and telegraph to the parties who shipped it. This A.M. an order came releasing the undertaker’s $60.00 claim and the funeral proceeded.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #57412194