Shultz, Alva

Posted By: Dale Motschman
Date: 16 July 2003

The Shultz Family of Darke County, Ohio

The Biography of Alva Shultz
Son of William Sherman Shultz and Whilemena "Lillie" Mae Petersime
by Francis D. Motschman, Sr.

The fourth child to be born to Sherman and Lillie Shultz was Alva Shultz. He entered this life on Tue., January 12, 1897 in Greenville Twp., Darke County, Ohio.

Alva was the favorite brother of my father-in-law, Sherman H. Shultz, while he was growing up. Alva loved to hunt and fish and he had the patience to put up with his little brother in these activities.

These foray's came to an unhappy end with Alva leaving for service with the US Army in late summer of 1918. He was stationed at Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio. Frank Boze, a cousin, went into the service at the same time and was also stationed at the same place.

The sadness of his going into the service turned tragic when both he and his cousin contracted the Spanish Influenza that was an epidemic in the United States at the time. Both men died. Lillie Mae and Sherman were notified of Alva's illness and traveled to Camp Sherman to see him. They said things in the hospital there, were a mess. Alva begged them to try and get him out of there and into a civilian hospital, "If you can do that", he said, "I'll make it... if I have to stay here I'm going to die". They did everything they could but the Army wouldn't release Alva. He died on Mon., October 7, 1918. One week later, on Tue., October 15, 1918, his cousin, Frank Boze also died from the flu. There were thousands of soldiers that died from this Spanish Flu.

Both the French Government and the United States Government sent the family framed Commendation for his service to the War Effort and some time later Sherman and Lillie also received a $10,000 insurance check from the United States Government.

DCOWeb Biography & Family History Board is maintained by Wayne Nichols with WebBBS 5.12.