Person:Joseph Schertz (2)

Joseph William Schertz, Sr., was the son of Joseph and Catherine (Stauffer) Schertz. He was born on 18 July 1882 in Tiskilwa, Bureau County, Illinois. He was the second youngest of nine children. His family was Mennonite and he followed that faith growing up. They were more liberal Mennonites and tended to not follow the dressing customs of many Mennonites. His parents were farmers and Joseph was the first person in the family to attend and graduate from college. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. He was a civil engineer and was involved in the design of many Chicago skyscrapers during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Joseph also designed Wrigley Field and Soldiers Field in Chicago. He lived at a boarding house, which was operated by Elizabeth Patten Ordway. It was here that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Blanche Ordway. The Ordways were members of the Seventh Day Baptist Church.

In 1915 Joseph, Elizabeth and their baby daughter, Elizabeth May moved to Oak Park, Illinois where they bought a home at 704 South Clinton Avenue.  At that time or shortly afterwards, Elizabeth’s Mother, Elizabeth Patten Ordway also made her home with the family. A second child, Joseph William Schertz, Jr. was also born in to this family. The Ordway family had belonged to the Seventh Day Baptist Church, however, after moving to Oak Park they joined the regular Baptist church in Oak Park. The family’s friends and social life however was strongly based on members of the Seventh Day Baptist church. They frequently went to Lake Geneva Wisconsin and Milton Wisconsin where they camped and picnicked with many of the church members. Shortly after Elizabeth’s death in 1934 Joseph went to Washington D.C. where he worked for the federal government. In 1946, after World War II, his son Joseph and Joseph’s new bride made their home with Joseph and soon after his granddaughter Sherry Schertz joined the family.  Joseph is said to have enjoyed his little granddaughter living with him. In 1949 Joseph married a longtime family friend, Agnes Post. Joseph died on 8 January 1950 in Oak Park. Joseph and Elizabeth are buried at Milton Cemetery in Milton Wisconsin.

Schertz home Oak Park, IL