Kurtz Funeral Home Records

985 WFCHS

Inventory created by Archives Staff 03/1998. Last revised 02/2021.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: Collection is open to all researchers.

USE RESTRICTIONS: Restrictions may apply concerning the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult a member of the archives staff for information concerning these restrictions. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. Note: Record books are fragile and may not be photocopied. Photography or overhead scanning is permissible. Abstracts of records may be photocopied.

EXTENT: 4.5 linear feet.

DATE: 1867 - 1955

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The Kurtz Funeral Home Records is comprised of the account books from Kurtz Funeral and Furniture business from 1867 to 1948. The funeral records provide information about a number of Winchester residents. The volume Extant Funeral Records of Winchester-Frederick County, compiled by James Hutton Jr. and Ben Ritter (2010) has abstracts of Kurtz Funeral Home records from 1867 to 1937 [929.5 Fre].

The collection also includes papers of the Kurtz family and an account of the Valley Campaign written by Captain George W. Kurtz around 1900.

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL: Captain George W. Kurtz established the Kurtz Funeral and Furniture business in 1868 as the first post-Civil War business in Winchester. It was located at 2-4 North Cameron Street. Kurtz moved to a location on Cameron Street in 1877 and it remained there until his death in 1926.

CITE AS: Kurtz Funeral Home Records, 985 WFCHS, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA, USA.

ACQUISITION INFORMATION: Acquired as a gift.

ORGANIZATION:

BOX 1

Volume I - account book, George W. Kurtz, 1867-1875, cabinet-making and funeral records, manuscript

Volume II - cash book, George W. Kurtz, 1874-1901, manuscript: furniture, inventory, undertakers' supplies, 1893-1901; funeral records, 1874-1878

Volume III – VOLUME NOT DONATED

Day book #1 - furniture sales records, 1880-1888

BOX 2

Volume IV - ledger, 1881-1890, funeral records, manuscript

Ledger #2 - furniture sales records, 1889-1896, manuscript

Volume V - ledger, 1890-1898, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 3

Volume VI - ledger, 1898-1904, funeral records, manuscript

Volume VII - ledger, 1904-1908, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 4

Volume VIII - ledger, 1908-1913, funeral records, manuscript

Volume IX - ledger, 1913-1918, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 5

Ledger - funeral records, 1918-1922, manuscript

Volume XI - ledger, 1922-1924, funeral records, manuscript

Volume XII - ledger, 1924-1926, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 6

Volume XIII - day book undertaking, 1926-1935, funeral records, manuscript

Volume XIV - day book undertaking, 1935-1937, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 7

Ledger - undertaking, 1926-1942, funeral records, manuscript

BOX 8

Post binder - furniture and funeral records, 1938-1948, manuscript

BOX 9

Ledger - furniture records, 1910-1926, manuscript

BOX 10 - Abstracts of records, unnumbered leaves, typescript (photocopy)

Folder 1: Abstracts of Volume 1, 1867-1875
Abstracts of Volume 2, 1874-1878

Folder 2: Abstracts of Volume 4, 1881-1890
Abstracts of Volume 5, 1890-1898

Folder 3: Abstracts of Volume 6, 1898-1904
Abstracts of Volume 7, 1904-1906

Folder 4: Abstracts of Volume 8, 1908-1913
Abstracts of Volume 9, 1913-1918

Folder 5: Abstracts of Volume 10, 1918-1922
Abstracts of Volume 11, 1922-1924

Folder 6: Abstracts of Volume 12, 1924-1926
Abstracts of Volume 13, 1926-1935
Abstracts of Volume 14, 1935-1937

BOX 11 - Business Papers

Miscellaneous Papers

Agreements-Kurtz/Eddy, 2 leaves typescript (copy), 3 leaves typescript

Bank Books, 2 items

Business Licenses-Local and state, 1942-1952, 12 pages typescript on printed form, 12 leaves typescript on printed form

Clevenger, Grover H. - Funeral Director's Permit- 1945, 1 envelope, 1 card manuscript on printed form

Correspondence, 1 leaf typescript; envelope with print of building

Deed- Rice and Largent-1939, 2 leaves typescript

Forney, Grace—Morgue Record, August 2, 1955

Jacobs, Stuart I.-Mount Hebron Lot Deed - 1942, 1 leaf typescript

Kurtz Employee and Tax Records- 1918 and 1938 to 1952, 1 envelope, 1 leaf printed, 12 leaves typescript, 7 pages typescript on printed form, 13 pages manuscript on printed form, 2 pages printed

Kurtz, George Washington-Tax letter- 1914, 2 leaves typescript (copy), 1 page manuscript on printed form

Mount Hebron Cemetery-grave receipts- February 11, 1939 and March 29, 1943, 4 items, 169 leaves manuscript on printed form

Mount Hebron-Lot 65 Deed-1920, 1 leaf manuscript, 2 envelopes

Permits-Burial and Removal- 1941 to 1953, 2 leaves typescript on printed form, 8 leaves manuscript on printed form, 1 leaf manuscript, 1 envelope

Receipts and Miscellaneous Papers- 1891 to 1952, 4 envelopes, 28 leaves manuscript on printed form, 5 leaves typescript on printed form, 9 leaves printed, 4 leaves typescript, 5 leaves manuscript, 1 page manuscript

Vorous, Holmes M.-Training Papers- 1946 to 1947, 1 envelope, 10 leaves printed, 8 leaves typescript, 2 pages typescript on printed form

BOX 12 - George Kurtz Personal Papers/Family Papers

Insurance Policies- 1942 to 1948, 1 booklet, 1 envelope, 13 pages typescript on printed form, 8 leaves typescript on printed form

Inventory- 1949 and 1952, 12 leaves, typescript manuscript on printed form

Kurtz, Mary—Notice of Payment from The Confederate States for service as chief matron for CS hospitals at Winchester, July 8, 1864-January 1, 1865; 1 leaf, manuscript

"Maps of the Bible Lands"-Promotional literature, 1 item printed

Stock Certificates-George W. Kurtz, Inc.-1948, 2 leaves typescript on printed form

Vehicle Papers-War Necessity and Title- 1943 to 1948, 1 card, 4 leaves typescript on printed form, 1 envelope

Capt. George W. Kurtz- Accounts of Valley Campaign of 1862, 8 leaves manuscript, 4 leaves typescript transcript, 1 leaf typescript, 1 leaf manuscript (photocopy)

BOX 13 - Duplicate Extracts

Abstracts of Kurtz Funeral Home Records, vol. 1-5, 1867-1898

OVERSIZE

MAPCASE 5 DRAWER 14

Kurtz, George Washington – certificate from Richmond School of Embalming, October 18, 1818, 1 leaf, printed

PHOTOGRAPHS: Photographs and other images belonging to this collection may be accessed online through http://handley.pastperfectonline.com/