Lake County Indiana   


                   Peter Lennertz Blacksmith Dies

MERRILLVILLE -
Former "village smithy" Peter Lennertz, 87, a long-time businessman here 
and a descendant of one of Merrillville's oldest families, died Thursday 
night (12/6/1973) at Hobart Mercy Hospital. Lennertz, who lived at 400 W. 
57th Ave., was born in Merrillville in 1886. He was the grandson of 
Nicholas and Elizabeth Lennertz, who immigrated to the United States In 
1846 and settled in Hobart Township in 1846, where they purchased 40 acres 
for $1,25 an acre.  
His father also lived in Merrillville and was the village blacksmith for 
60 years. Lennertz and his wife, the former Bertha Kramer of Crown Point, 
were married in 1917 and became homesteaders in Montana in 1919.The couple 
returned to Merrillville in 1925, when Lennertz took over his father's 
blacksmith business. Lennertz later converted the blacksmith shop to a 
feed manufacturing and retail feed store, which he operated for 40 years.  
It was located on 73rd Avenue between Broadway and Madison. Both Lennertz
and his wife were active in civic and religious organizations through the 
years.  He was a member of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, the parish 
his grandparents helped to build. Besides his wife, Lennertz is survived 
by two sons, Charles and Raymond, both of Merrillville; a daughter, Mrs. 
Marie Ehrsam, also of Merrillville; two sisters, Mrs. Martha McGrath and 
Mrs. Mary Prieb, both of Chicago Heights, Ill; 11 grandchildren, and two
great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday at 
Pruzin Funeral Home, 6360 Broadway, and at 10 a.m.  at, SS, Peter and Paul 
Church, 5855 Harrison St. Burial will be in Calumet Park Cemetery. Friends
may call at the funeral home from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday.  The rosary will be 
recited at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.Memorials may be made to St. Anthony's Rest 
Home in Crown Point.




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Submitted By Thomas E. Darga
Email - darga@umich.edu

(copyright 1998 Thomas E. Darga)