Johann Heinrich "Henry" WURM

May 24, 1907---------Zurich Herald
(as recorded in The Wurm Story -- 1801 to the Present, by Robert P. Reid)

OBITUARY FOR LATE HENRY WURM, SR. --- 97 YRS, 5 MTHS. 28 DAYS

After an illness extending over six weeks the spirit of the late Henry Wurm Sr., passed peacefully to rest on Thursday of last week. He was taken down with the grip, and this, coupled with the infirmaties of old age made his recovery doubtful from the first. Mr. Wurm was born in BLIEHROT, HESS DARMSTADT, GERMANY on the 20th of November, 1809. In the year 1833 he was married and his partner in life predeceased him about 15 years ago. He emigrated to Canada in 1837 and lived in BERLIN (Kitchener) and BRESLAU area until the spring of 1855, when he came to the Township of Hay and lived here until his death on the first farm south of Zurich which he obtained from the Canada Company. He was a carpenter by trade and did considerable work in that line in the early days of the village of Zurich and it is said that he built the first dwelling house in Berlin, Ontario.

For the last years he has made his home with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. M. Wurm, on the old homestead, where he received the most kind and assiduous attention during his last illness. Despite his advanced age he had all the use of his intellects to a reasonable degree up to the time of his illness. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him and a staucher or truer friend would be hard to find. In religion he was a Lutheran and in politics a life long Liberal. One son, Mattius Wurm and one daughter, Elizabeth, Mrs. Casper Weber, survive him, besides a step son, Martin Becher of Blementhal plus 48 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild and many other relatives. The funeral on Sunday was very largely attended, many paying the last respects to perhaps the oldest man in Huron County. Rev. Schulkke took for his funeral theme Verses 16 and 17 of Job 42-"After this Job lived an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his son's sons even four generations. So Job died being old and full of days." The pallbearers were John H. Schnell, John Rickbeil, John Diechert, John Kalbfleisch, Henry Kalbfleish and Henry Baur. Mr. and Mrs Martin Wurm of Detroit and Mr. M. Becher and son of Blemental attended the funeral.