Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Wortman, Fred T. 1949
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net May 20, 2013, 8:24 pm

The Ionia Daily Sentinel-Standard, Wednesday, February 2, 1949
Fred T. Wortman, 72, for nearly 55 years a merchant of Ionia and a former 
mayor, died Tuesday night at 8:10 o’clock following an illness of about two 
weeks.  Mr. Wortman submitted to an operation in Ann Arbor on January 15 for 
removal of a cataract from his eye.  He was returned to his home on Union 
street about a week ago.  

Long an important business and political figure in Ionia and Ionia county, Mr. 
Wortman was the owner of the Ionia Hardware company, a business which he 
founded in 1907 with Edward Thompson of Ionia as a partner.

Born in Palo, December 23, 1876, he was the son of Charles E. and Lydia 
Wortman of Palo.  He attended the schools there through the eighth grade and 
then came to Ionia and was graduated from Ionia high school in 1892.  He began 
work in 1894 in the H.B. Webber and company hardware, predecessor of his own 
firm, and has been in that location since.  The business later became known as 
the Webber Hardware company and later the Ionia Hardware company which he 
founded.

During his stay on Main street the store underwent two fires.  The first was 
in 1898 when the entire stock was destroyed including the hardware store and 
again in 1906 when only the store burned but the damage was virtually complete 
when the floors fell in.

In politics Mr. Wortman was active in Ionia city.  As mayor for one year in 
1912 he was opposed by a council which would not approve his appointments and 
blocked his program during the year.  He was a candidate for Ionia county 
clerk but was one of two Republicans defeated in that election, losing to Fred 
M. Cook.

Mr. Wortman served as alderman from the first ward, for many years before and 
after being mayor.  He was an ardent Republican and until the time of his 
death was a a member of the first ward Republican committee.

As a civic leader Mr. Wortman was a member of many organizations.  His 
services were always in demand as toastmaster at civic banquets.  A past 
exalted ruler of the Ionia Elks he had been a member virtually as long as 
Ionia Elks had a lodge, joining a week after the order was organized here.  He 
belonged to the Ionia Moose and was a past president of the Ionia Rotary club 
and a former member of the Ionia Country club.  He was past president of the 
Gridley club.

As vice president of the Ionia Free Fair association, Mr. Wortman had served 
as director of that group for 14 years being elected in 1934.  He was a member 
of the Michigan Hardware association and of the  Ionia Presbyterian church.

Surviving are his wife, Lucille, a son, John, who has been associated with him 
in business, two sisters, Miss Bernice Wortman and Miss Nellie Wortman, both 
of Ionia, and a brother, Clifford, of Detroit; and two grandchildren.  A 
brother Harry died last summer.  Miss Nellie Wortman, visiting in Tacoma, 
Washington, is en route to Ionia.

Funeral services will be held from the Presbyterian church Saturday afternoon 
at 2:30 o’clock with burial at the Highland Park cemetery mausoleum.  The Rev. 
George Rentschler, pastor of he Ionia Presbyterian church, will officiate.  
The body will remain at the Boynton funeral home on Rich street until time of 
the funeral and the family will be at the funeral home Friday evening from 7 
until 8:30 p.m.  The family requested no flowers be sent.


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