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Josephine Strauly Gerharz

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Josephine Strauly Gerharz

Birth	:	Jan 1870 Illinois, USA
Death	:	13 Apr 1922 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA
Burial	:	Saint Bonaventure Cemetery, Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.4301630, -97.3406640
Description	:	Married Andrew Gerharz on January 7, 1888 in Lamont, Ill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Evening World-Herald (Omaha, Nebr.), April 13, 1922, p. 1, col. 8 SOUTH SIDE WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH IN MYSTERY BLAZE Mrs. Josephine Gerharz Is Found Dying in Hallway of Burning Residence ORIGIN UNDETERMINED; GASOLINE, ONE THEORY Mrs. Josephine Strahl Gerharz, 52, 4414 South Twenty-third street, was burned to death in her home shortly before 10 o’clock today. Origin of the fire has not been definitely determined. Mrs. Gerharz had returned from mass at St. Bridget’s church less than half an hour before. Read More	Married Andrew Gerharz on January 7, 1888 in Lamont, Ill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Evening World-Herald (Omaha, Nebr.), April 13, 1922, p. 1, col. 8 SOUTH SIDE WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH IN MYSTERY BLAZE Mrs. Josephine Gerharz Is Found Dying in Hallway of Burning Residence ORIGIN UNDETERMINED; GASOLINE, ONE THEORY Mrs. Josephine Strahl Gerharz, 52, 4414 South Twenty-third street, was burned to death in her home shortly before 10 o’clock today. Origin of the fire has not been definitely determined. Mrs. Gerharz had returned from mass at St. Bridget’s church less than half an hour before. A bucket, containing the odor of gasoline, was found beneath one of the windows. The interior of the house was extremely warm because of a hot furnace fire. Trying to Escape. Firemen advanced a theory that Mrs. Gerharz was cleaning window drapes in gasoline and that friction due to the rubbing, combined with the heat may have ignited the curtains and set fire to Mrs. Gerharz’s clothing. Neighbors said they believed the fire started from gasoline used in housecleaning. There was a hot fire in the furnace. Mrs. Gerharz was found by firemen, who had broken in the front door. She was huddled in a corner of the hallway, her clothing burned from her body and the flesh, charred. She is believed to have been attempting to flee from the house when she fell unconscious. “I saw her sitting at a table in the kitchen,” said Mrs. W. B. Taylor, 4412 South Twenty-third, a neighbor whose house is only about six feet away. “She was eating breakfast. A few minutes later I heard what I thought were groans. I looked across. She was not at the table and flames were leaping about the kitchen. The curtains were afire.” Sacrament on Lawn. “I ran and tried to get in the front door,” said Mrs. George Zimm, Mrs. Taylor’s mother. “It was locked. I screamed and called the neighbors. In the meantime, my daughter had summoned firemen.” T. Jensen and Joe Murphy, firemen from Station No. 5, carried Mrs. Gerharz from the house to the lawn, where she expired in a few minutes. A priest administered the last sacrament as she lay dying on the lawn. Mrs. Gerharz was a devout Catholic, and had been a regular attendant at Holy Week services. She had been president of the New Century club of St. Bridget’s parish for eighteen years. Mr. Gerharz and his brother, Frank, now of Columbus, married sisters. He is a cabinet maker and has lived on the South Side for many years. _______ The Columbus Daily Telegram, April 13, 1922, p. 1, col. 7 SISTER OF COLUMBUS WOMANN IS KILLED BY EXPLOSION IN OMAHA Mrs. Andrew Gerharz Dead From Burns Caused by Ignition of Gasoline Fumes CLEANING CURTAINS WITH GAS Mrs. Andrew Gerharz is dead as result of an explosion at 10 o’clock this morning at her home in South Omaha. She is a sister of Mrs. Frank Gerharz, of Columbus, and Mr. and Mrs. Gerharz and son, Leo, are leaving this evening for Omaha to be with his brother, Andrew, and attend the funeral services, which have not yet been arranged. Word of the fatal accident reached Mr. and Mrs. Gerharz soon after it happened, but the details did become known until the arrival of John Flynn from the metropolis. As soon as he learned of Mrs. Gerharz’ death and the attendant circumstances, he took the 11:15 train out of Omaha, reaching Columbus at 1:15 to take charge of the Flynn-Gerharz company’s store here while Mr. Gerharz would be absent. Mr. Flynn states that Mrs. Andrew Gerharz was at work cleaning curtains with gasoline. It is believed that the fumes of the inflammable liquid were ignited by a store in the room, causing the explosion. Firemen were called to save the house from burning. They carried Mrs. Gerharz outside, but she died five minutes later from the effects of the burns. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Gerharz are numbered among the oldest settlers of South Omaha. She was a devout Catholic and always interested in all the works of that church. She leaves her husband and her sister, Mrs. Frank Gerharz, of Columbus, to mourn her tragic death. _______ The Columbus Daily Telegram, April 15, 1922, p. 1, col. 2 UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN CAUSE OF EXPLOSION Fire Which Caused Mrs. Gerharz’ Death Remains Mystery – Will Be Buried Here That the origin of explosion and resultant fire which burned to death Mrs. Andrew Gerharz in her home in South Omaha Thursday morning will never be known, in the opinion of Frank Gerharz, who returned from Omaha last night. He and his wife had gone there following word of the tragic death of Mrs. Gerharz’ sister, his wife remaining until the body is shipped to Columbus Monday. “My brother and I went over the ground thoroughly,” said Mr. Gerharz, “and we were unable to find a solution of the problem. The report that Mrs. Gerharz had been cleaning curtains with gasoline must be a mistake, for in the basement of the house we found the curtains, dry, in a tub, waiting to be washed. A gasoline tank in a workshop at the rear of the home, where my brother kept his supply of gasoline, was just as full as when he left it, so evidently none of the fuel had been removed. The only possible cause that we could figure out was that there must have been a leak in the gas range, located in the kitchen where a neighbor said she had seen Mrs. Gerharz preparing a little breakfast upon her return from Good Friday services at the church. That seems the most plausible theory, although the truth now will never be known. “What I can’t understand about it is that this neighbor, whose house is only a few feet from my brother’s, didn’t hear the explosion, for the concussion blew out nearly a dozen windows. She says, though, that she didn’t hear a thing. She saw my sister-in-law getting a bite to eat, and the next time she saw her was when the firemen were carrying her body out onto the lawn.” Mr. Gerharz states that he will go to Omaha probably tomorrow morning and will return with his wife and brother with the body the following afternoon. Arrangements have been made to hold the funeral services t St. Bonaventure’s church at 9:30 Tuesday morning, with burial in the Catholic cemetery. It is likely that a number of friends from Omaha will be here for the funeral. Besides her husband, Mrs. Andrew Gerharz is survived by two sisters living in Lockport, Ill., and her sister, Mrs. Frank Gerharz, of Columbus. It is not yet known whether the sisters in Illinois will be here for the funeral or not. _____ The Columbus Daily Telegram, April 17, 1922, p. 2, col. 2 Funeral Tomorrow – The funeral of the late Mrs. Andrew Gerharz, whose death was caused by an explosion in her home in Omaha last week, will be held in Columbus tomorrow, with services at the Frank Gerharz home at 9 a.m., and at St. Bonaventure’s church at 9:30. The body was brought to Columbus on No. 17 this noon and had been taken to the Frank Gerharz home. Relatives and friends here from a distance to attend the funeral are, her husband, Andrew Gerharz, of Omaha; her brother-in-law, Henry Gerharz, and niece, Mrs. Frank Hegg, of Lamont, Ill.; her sister, Mrs. Chas. Wittenkeller, of LaPorte, Ill.,; Mr. and Mrs. John Flynn and Frank Johnson, of Omaha.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Josephine Strauly Gerharz's memorial?
Josephine Strauly Gerharz's memorial is located at: Saint Bonaventure Cemetery, Columbus, Platte County, USA.
When did Josephine Strauly Gerharz death?
Josephine Strauly Gerharz death on 13 Apr 1922 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Josephine Strauly Gerharz's memorial?
Latitude: 41.4301630
Longitude: -97.3406640

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Andrew Gerharz

(1862 - 1924)

Siblings

Julia Strauly Gerharz

(1872 - 1956)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Columbus Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4267883, -97.3406677

2. All Saints Catholic Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4346800, -97.3331200

3. Roselawn Memorial Park
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4371986, -97.3317032

4. Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4362000, -97.3551500

5. Old Saint Joseph Cemetery
Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3738800, -97.3519300

6. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3508800, -97.3407100

7. Calvary Cemetery
Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5106010, -97.2624969

8. Richland Cemetery
Richland, Colfax County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4599991, -97.2138977

9. Bellwood Cemetery
Bellwood, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3450012, -97.2549973

10. Saint Patricks Cemetery
Platte Center, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5032997, -97.4452972

11. Jackson Cemetery
Duncan, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3946991, -97.4822006

12. Saint Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery
Duncan, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3926000, -97.4962000

13. Pleasant View Cemetery
Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3093987, -97.3118973

14. Christ Lutheran Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5544000, -97.2825000

15. Shell Creek Baptist Cemetery
Platte Center, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5692000, -97.3887000

16. Saint Pauls Lutheran Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5728200, -97.3062500

17. Catholic Cemetery of Presentation Church and Saint
Bellwood, Butler County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3369000, -97.1683000

18. Saint Mary Cemetery
Osceola, Polk County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3233580, -97.5124280

19. Saint Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery
Polk County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3427940, -97.5421140

20. Streeter Cemetery
Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5988998, -97.4085999

21. Saint Andrews Catholic Church Cemetery #1
Osceola, Polk County, USA
Coordinate: 41.2923500, -97.4891000

22. Gruetli Cemetery
Monroe, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4290000, -97.5810000

23. Saint Andrews Catholic Cemetery #2
Osceola, Polk County, USA
Coordinate: 41.2787000, -97.4822000

24. Saint Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery
Columbus, Platte County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6225000, -97.3873000