OBIT: Fred H. PETRY, Sr., 1943, Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.
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FRED H. PETRY, SR.

  The sudden death of Fred H. Petry, Sr., Thursday evening of last week, which 
occurred at about 6:40 o'clock, while attending a dinner of the Salisbury Lions 
Club in the Salisbury I.O.O.F. Hall, gave the town a very great shock, as he was 
not known to be ill.
  While the Ladies' Bible Class of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Sunday 
School was almost ready to begin serving the meal, the club members in 
attendance surrounded the table and began to sing one of the club songs.  Soon 
after the song was started, a member sitting near Mr. Petry saw him slump in his 
chair and heard him faintly mutter something about not being able to see.
  His slumping posture was noticed about the same time by other members.  The 
singing ceased, and those who were nearest to him soon found that he was 
apparently dead.  His body was carried to another room, and about three-fourths 
of an hour elapsed before a doctor could be gotten for an examination.  Dr. B. 
H. Hoke, Sr., of Meyersdale, hastened to the scene of dissolution as soon as 
contacted, and his verdict was that Mr. Petry's death was caused by coronary 
occlusion, a form of heart disease, and that death was instantaneous.
  Stanley M. Thomas took charge of the body and embalmed it as quickly as 
possible.
  Fred H. Petry was born in Salisbury, Feb. 25, 1887, and died at the age of 56 
years, 3 months and 8 days.  He was a son of the late Frank Petry, Sr., and Mary 
Walker Petry, natives of Germany, who located in Salisbury in 1883, coming here 
from Lonaconing, Md., where they had formerly lived.  He is survived by his 
wife, Grace, a daughter of Mrs. Annie Petry and her first husband, the late 
Morris Wagner, and by two sons, Jack Petry, civilian coordinator of the Aircraft 
Radio branch at Scott Field, Ill., and Fred Petry, Jr., Baltimore, Md.  He is 
also survived by two grandchildren, two brothers and one sister, namely: Frank 
and William Petry of Salisbury, and Emma, wife of George DeLozier, Glencoe.
  Funeral services were held at the Petry home, Sunday at 5:30 p.m., conducted 
by Rev. Ira S. Monn, pastor of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church, of 
which Mr. Petry was a member, assisted by Rev. S. D. Sigler, pastor of St. 
John's Lutheran Church.
  Mr. Petry was also a prominent member of the Salisbury Lions Club, and was the 
first member of that flourishing club since it was organized within the last 
three years, to be called by death.
  Interment was in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery, under the direction of Stanley M. 
Thomas and was very largely attended.  There were many beautiful floral 
tributes.
  Mr. Petry was much devoted to his family, was a person of jovial disposition 
and always took much interest in civic affairs.  Practically all his life was 
lived in Salisbury, and he served the community well as an expert barber, having 
learned that trade when still a very young man, while spending about a year in 
the Middle West.

Meyersdale Republican, June 10, 1943