Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Neitz, William May 24, 1928 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilynn Johnson texas26@gmail.com January 28, 2020, 3:16 pm Portland Review May 29, 1928 William Neitz Dies; Ill but a Short Time Well Known Resident of the North Hill Often Referred to as "Mayor of Neitztown." Once Manufactured Brick Taken From Grand River Bank. Always Active in Politics; A Picturesque Character Who Will Be Missed. Taken ill the day after the township election, William Neitz, resident of Portland for nearly 70 years died at his home on the north hill Thursday. Funeral services were held Saturday and burial was in the Portland Cemetery. Mr. Neitz was one of the best known men in the community. Early in life he showed an interest in politics and there were few campaigns, state or local, in which he did not participate. "The mayor of Neitztown" was a title which someone applied to him years ago and it stuck. When improvements were needed in his part of the village it was usually "Bill" Neitz who led the taxpayers of his neighborhood to the council chamber and made their wants known. A son of Philip Neitz, he was born in Pennsylvania 72 years ago, coming to Portland when he was but a few months old. His father was a stone mason and the son worked with him for a time. Then he became interested in a brickyard which was located on the high bank, not far from his home. Blue clay was to be found in abundance down the incline, close to the Grand River, and a number of buildings in the business district were built from the product of this yard. Lacking the capital with which to develop the manufacture of brick he finally quit the business. Minerva Lumbert was the maiden name of his first wife, who died five years ago. Two years later he married Emma Moss, who survives him. There are no children. Mrs. Mort Reed who died a year ago was his only sister. Through lacking in the sort of education one gets from books, Mr. Neitz had plenty of native ability and could see through a proposition as clearly as others who that the advantage of a better education. He affected a style which might be said to have been picturesque and was a familiar figure downtown in his later years. Additional Comments: Memorial on findagrave. "Neitztown" was on Divine Hwy, before the intersection with Maynard Rd., the area on high bank File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/n/neitz34822nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 2.7 Kb