Francis Eugene & John Franklin Kunz

Francis Eugene was the oldest son of Michael and Josephine Kunz. He was born on October 15, 1875 in Hancock County, IL. He was not even fifteen years old when he mother passed away. When he was twenty years old he moved with his family to Washington State and lived with them at Sherman. He helped his father with farming for three years, until 1898, when Gene moved to Wilbur from Sherman to work for M.E. & E.T. Hays Department Store in the hardware department.

            In 1900 the parish priest, Father Faust, was raising money to build parish churches in both Wilbur and Hartline. Fr.Faust lived in Cheney therefore commissioned Eugene, as a local parishioner, to look after the specs and plans for the churches, and to accept bids for the work at his place of work at Hays Store.¹

            Gene's success was also evidenced at work, where he was promoted to the position of manager of the Hay Department Store in Almira in February 1901. By April 1903, he went into business for himself in Almira in a partnership with John Jones and Harry Hughes in the hardware business. A year later, he entered a partnership with A.F. Kramer that lasted for 25 years. He bought out Mr. Kramer's interest in 1930 and continued the business on his own until he retired in 1942. His establishment handled automobile supplies, hardware, furniture, harness, oils, paints, Community silverware, Monarch ranges, and Holt and Best Combined harvesters.


            Gene also studied embalming and assisted the local undertaker. There are ads in the 1913 Almira High School annual for "C.W. Phillips, Licensed Embalmer. Fine Funeral Furnishings. Calls answered day or night. F.E. Kunz, Assistant Embalmer." Another ad read: "Where School Children Receive Courteous Treatment! Our specialties are Zenith Cutlery and Tools, Monarch Ranges, Howard and German Heaters, Heath & Milligan Paints, Star Compounds and Oils. We manufacture our own Harness and Strap Work, Automobile Supplies. Gest Combined Harvesters and Extras. Kunz & Kramer."


            Gene was civic-minded and active in his community. He served as an Almira city clerk for 25 years.

Gene married Jennie Brown Evans on November 28, 1905. She was the daughter of Francis Jones Evans and Sarah Ellis Nain. Jennie's family came from North Dakota, arriving in Almira in 1889. The day after Gene and Jennie's wedding, they came by train to Wilbur and were driven out to Sherman where they were given a big reception by Gene's parents, Michael and Amelia Kunz: "All of Gene's boyhood friends were present. Everybody about Sherman, Wilbur, and Almira knows and respects Gene Kunz and his bride is also well known."² Gene and his wife Jennie later took a wedding trip to Canada.

Their first child, a daughter, was born on June 27 1909 in Almira. She was named Frances Ethelyn. Their second daughter was Marjorie Adelle, born on May 20, 1920 in Davenport.

Ethelyn married Major Charles Weil in 1942 at the age of thirty-four. That same year, on September 30, Ethelyn died suddenly in Clearwater, Florida. She and her husband had moved there several weeks before, since he had been there stationed with the Army. Her body was returned to Almira where services were held.³

Adele married Douglas Gibson on May 2, 1943, in Almira. Adele and Doug had known each other from early childhood. Doug worked for the U.S. Corps of Engineers for sometime. He later retired from that job and began working

for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee for a number of years. Dough and Adele had a daughter named Claire. After their retirement, Douglas and Adele Gibson lived in Wilbur. During some of his retirement years, Douglas worked as the caretaker at the Sherman Cemetery.

Gene died on April 6, 1951 after a lengthy illness. He had worked extensively to help build Sacred Heart, the first Catholic Church in Wilbur. It burned to the ground in February 1950. The loss of the building grieved Gene's long-time friends, since Gene was not able to be buried out of the church he helped build. In fact, Gene was the first person to be buried out of the new church that had been built to replace it. Gene's wife Jennie continued to live in Almira until she died on August 25, 1956. She is buried in the Almira Cemetery alongside her husband.

John Franklin, son of Josephine and Michael Kunz, was born on January 10, 1878 in Elvaston, Illinois. He came to Sherman with his family at the age of seventeen. In 1901, Frank followed in the footsteps of his older brother Gene and moved to Wilbur in order to work in business. Frank worked for H. M. Hanson, buying grain from the local farmers for sale in the market. Within three years, Frank "took charge of the Farmers Grain and Supply [Company], until it discontinued. When the Graingrowers [Warehouse Company] was organized [in 1909], he was given the management of that concern, superintending the building of the warehouse and the concrete grain tanks." Frank, ever the business man, while continuing the work at the Graingrowers, "took the agency for the Ford car [dealership', then only an infant industry. That business grew to such proportions that he resigned from the warehouse business [in 1914] and embarked in the garage and auto sales agency, adding other lines to those already carried."⁴ It was housed at the southeast portion of the intersection of the main street crossing the Wilbur Cemetery road.

            Frank married Lydia Thompson on July 17, 1906. Lydia was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole K. Thompson, prominent early pioneers of Sherman and owners of a dry goods store in Wilbur. Frank and Lydia didn't have any children. Down the years, Frank's nephew Charles, remembers Frank and Lydia. They would come to the place and the kids would have to show their muscles before they got any candy.

            Frank and his wife Lydia were both energetic supporters of public welfare work. During the World War, both were very useful. Frank sold his garage and auto dealership and enlisted in the armoured tank division of the army, but did not receive notification to report for duty until November 11, 1918 -- the day peace was announced.⁵ Lydia made application for Red Cross service overseas but the signing of the armistice came before her acceptance.

            In 1919, Frank assisted in the incorporation of the Farmers' State Bank, which was opened for business in a rented room on October 13, 1919. During that winter, the bank erected a new building. Frank was first elected vice-president of the bank and later served as president, a position which he filled until his death.

            In April 1923, Frank came down with influenza, which later relapsed, and typhoid fever, which developed into tubercular meningitis. He was sick for five weeks prior to his death on May 8, 1923.

J. Franklin

Kunz

1878 - 1922

Wilbur Cemetery, WA

Lydia

Kunz

1879 - 1936

Wilbur Cemetery, WA