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Show I w Springville man, 87 today, still 'young, happy' Back from general conference, confer-ence, Salt Lake City, where he spent four days and appeared on the DUP National Convention Conven-tion program playing a dolci-mer, dolci-mer, is Ambrose Shurtz, a resident res-ident of Springville since June 1957, who is celebrating his 87th birthday today. Mr. Shurtz has just .completed .com-pleted writing and had published pub-lished a history of the Peter Shirts (Shurtz) family which comprises many of his ancestors. ances-tors. The dolcimer, which he played in Salt Lake was made by his father over a hundred years ago. He recently presented pre-sented it to the DUP Pioneer Museum in Salt Lake. Born in Escalante April 8, 1878, his parents, Don Carlos and Elizabeth Williams Shirts were among the first 25 families fam-ilies in that community. They drew lots to determine which parcel of land they should have as a farm and which as a town lot. He was the third child born in Escalante and the 12th in a family of 14 children. As a youngster he herded cattle, cat-tle, his pay being every 4th calf, and by the time he was Ambrose Shurtz celebrating his 87th birthday today, played his father's 100-year old dolcimer at the DUP National Convention in Salt Lake City on Monday. 22, he owned about 45 head of cattle. He married Clarice McKean November 23, 1898, at Escalante Esca-lante and the next day they began the trip to Salina, to get house-hold goods and go to the Manti Temple. The trip, which could have been termed a honeymoon, took five days by wagon. Less than a year and a half after their marriage, Mr. Shurtz was called to serve in the Eastern States Mission from which he returned two years later. He has always been active in the LDS Church, serving in numerous offices member of Seventy, in the wsilie ceyto okoof:o ripcbish bishopric, president of the YMMIA, a high priest and high councilor. His father was named and blessed by the LDS Prophet Joseph F. Smith. Mr. Shurtz attended school only for a short time in a one-room one-room cabin. He recalls learning to tell time with an old clock with hands that could be moved mov-ed around. The birch switch, the dunce cap and other means of punishment in school, he also remembers many other interesting in-teresting stories of pioneer life. Mr. Shurtz moved considerably consider-ably with his family. He lived at one time in Murray, later in Parawan, in Circleville, where he had a ranch, in Salt Lake City and in Vernon before be-fore moving to Springville. His wife died Nov.15, 1964. He lives at 175 North Seventh East. His church work and playing the violin and dolcimer furnish pleasant pastime. He has a young Swedish boy, a convert to the LDS Church, presently making his home with him. A daughter, Mrs. Eunice (Maxine) Hansen, who had a shoe store in Springville for a time, lives in Tempe, Arizona, and a son, Theodore, resides in Tooele. Mr. Shurtz has seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Persons on active duty in the Armed Forces, not eligible to purchase the new NSLI insurance, in-surance, available May 1, 1965, may apply, if they are separated separ-ated from active duty before that date. A three to four pound leg of veal will take about eight strips of bacon to cover the top of the meat while roasting The melting bacon provides 8 basting for the roast while il cooks. Roast in a slow over (300 degrees F. to 325 degrees F.) 25 to 35 minutes per pound or until the roast meat thermometer ther-mometer registers 170 degrees F. |