My Genealogy Hound

REV. IRWIN BISHOP KURTZ, pastor of the Emmanuel Lutheran church of Pottstown, was born in East Greenville, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1867. He is the son of Augustus E. and Elizabeth (Bishop) Kurtz, both natives of Montgomery county. Augustus E. and Elizabeth Kurtz had eight children, five of whom are living: Rev. Irwin B.; Calvin B., of East Greenville; Lillian E., wife of Charles Dimmig, of East Greenville; Alvin, of East Greenville; and Melvin, who entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Mt. Airy, from which he expects to graduate in 1906.

Augustus E. Kurtz was a tinsmith by trade and followed this occupation all his life. He was the first burgess of East Greenville. He died in April, 1901, aged sixty-five years, and his wife survives him. In religious faith they were Lutherans. Augustus Kurtz was succeeded in business by his son Calvin, who still carries it on.

Michael Kurtz (grandfather) was born in Falkner’s Swamp, New Hanover township, Montgomery county, and was a farmer. He died at the age of seventy-five years.

Michael Kurtz (great-grandfather) was born in Germany and became a resident of Falkner’s Swamp, Montgomery county, where he died.

William Bishop (maternal grandfather) was a native of Montgomery county and died there at the age of thirty-five years. He was a farmer. He married Mary Samsel and they had two children, a daughter and a son.

Rev. Irwin B. Kurtz has lived all of his life in Montgomery county. He attended the public schools of East Greenville, the Perkiomen Seminary, the West Chester State Normal School, the Keystone State Normal School, of Kutztown, and Muhlenberg College, from which he was graduated in 1890 as valedictorian of his class, which was the largest class graduated from the institution up to that time. He afterward engaged in teaching for some time and then entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Mount Airy, Philadelphia, graduating in 1893.

He was immediately called to be assistant pastor to the late Rev. Daniel K. Kepner, pastor of Emmanuel church, and after being in that position two years he was called, in 1895, to the Augustus Lutheran church at Trappe as pastor. He served that congregation more than two years, and at the death of Rev. Daniel K. Kepner, in May, 1897, he was called to succeed him as pastor of Emmanuel church in Pottstown, where he has since remained. The church at present has a membership of more than sixteen hundred persons.

October 9, 1894, Rev. Irwin B. Kurtz married Miss Mary E. Faust, of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, daughter of J. Tihlman and Ellen (Druckenmiller) Faust, the former now deceased. They have had three children: Luther Augustus, who was born and died at Trappe; Irwin Faust Kurtz; and Ellen Elizabeth Kurtz.

Rev. Mr. Kurtz is a member of the Royal Arcanum and also the Alpha Tau Omega, a college fraternity. Politically he is a Democrat. Mrs. Kurtz is a descendant of the Jaegers, who were noted theologians in the Lutheran church, both in Germany and America. Rev. Mr. Kurtz preaches in both the German and the English languages, alternating the two.