Francis Andrews Schurtz

Died at 1:50 p.m. Saturday, May 17, 2008, at his home, the Haven at Windermere in Baton Rouge. He was 92, born Oct. 23, 1915, in Sugar Grove, in the southeastern foothills of Ohio and raised in the Worthington and Arlington area northwest of Columbus. He was a 28-year resident of Covington and for the last 14 years, a resident of Baton Rouge. For 55 years, Francis was the loving husband of Doris Arlene Ware, a native of Linworth, Ohio, who predeceased him in 1995. He was also preceded in death by his third son, Timothy Ware Schurtz, in May 1975. Francis is survived by a son, Francis Andrews Schurtz Jr., of Hollywood, Fla.; son and daughter-in-law, Michael Henry Schurtz and Cherry McCraine Schurtz; daughter Delores Schurtz Stokes; and daughter, Deborah Schurtz Simpson, all of Baton Rouge. Grandchildren are Francis Andrews Schurtz III, of Fort Lauderhill, Fla., and Kirsten Schurtz Palmer, Sarah Schurtz Sheely, Daniel Joseph Stokes, Jr., Schoen Matthew Stokes, Tyler Ware Stokes, Timothy William Stokes, Joshua David Simpson, Todd Andrew Simpson and Lucas William Simpson, all of Baton Rouge. Great-grandchildren are Michael Garrett Palmer, Macon McCraine Palmer, Hudson Andrews Sonnier, Mason Brommer Sheely and Merritt McCraine Sheely, all of Baton Rouge. Francis was married for nine years to Charlotte Beard Southard, of Linworth, Ohio, a childhood friend of both Doris and him and who preceded him in death in March 2007. Francis was also preceded in death by his parents, William Ray Schurtz and Margaret Lenora Andrews; brothers, William Ray Schurtz, Paul Bernard Schurtz and Joseph Orville Schurtz; and sister, Margaret Schurtz Stainer, who were all natives of the Columbus, Ohio, area. Francis, known as Andy to his friends, was a 1934 graduate of Worthington High School, where he lettered in six sports during both his junior and senior years. In 1939, he earned his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in mining engineering with a major in petroleum engineering. He played football for Ohio State for two years. Upon graduation, after four years of ROTC training at OSU, he received a reserve officer's commission as a second lieutenant of field artillery in the U.S. Army. He began a career with Shell Oil Co. in July 1939. In October 1941, Francis was called to active service in the Army as an artillery officer, reporting to Fort Sill, Okla. At Fort Sill, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment. In March 1943, the 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment was redesignated as the 689th Battalion. From 1941 to October 1943, his battalion performed artillery school preparing units for overseas deployment. In July 1944, Francis and the 689th Battalion were deployed to the United Kingdom, then in August 1944 to Normandy, France, landing at Utah Beach on Aug. 20, 1944. The 689th Battalion was assigned to the 195th Field Artillery Group, XX Corps, of the Third Army under the command of Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Francis was with the Third Army, XX Corps, (the 689th being variously assigned to the 195th, 193rd, and 40th Field Artillery groups) from the breakout from Normandy through V.E. Day, May 8, 1945. In Europe, Capt. Schurtz was the staff intelligence officer combat S-2 for the 689th Battalion, then commander of Battery A (155 mm howitzers). Francis was authorized battle stars for the Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe major campaigns. In December 1944, he was awarded the Bronze Star with a citation that read in part ""¦ for meritorious service in connection with military operations against the enemy in France between 12 September 1944 and 22 September 1944. During this period, Capt. Schurtz served as battalion intelligence officer with a fearlessness and initiative that enabled him to render valuable aid to Group and Corps Artillery in registering their fire. His frequent trips to the front lines to obtain information of enemy installations often took him into areas under heavy fire. But, ignoring the danger, he pursued his searches for information with a vigor that reflected credit upon himself and the Army of the United States "¦." Francis served with the Third Army in the occupation of southern Germany and Austria from V.E. Day to December 1945, when he was reassigned back to the United States and released from active duty in January 1946. He remained in the U.S. Army Reserves until final separation from military service in 1953 with the rank of major of field artillery. Francis returned to employment with Shell Oil Co. in January 1946 and worked in many engineering and management positions in several states throughout the United States during his 31 years with the company, including an assignment to The Hague in the Netherlands during 1951. He was division production manager for Mississippi in the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. Later, he was the manager for Joint Ventures and Unitization for Shell's Southeast Region, retiring from that position with Shell in New Orleans in late 1970. He immediately began a second career with an appointment as the vice president for operations of Energy Corp. of America, a Louisiana independent oil company that merged with a New York City independent oil company in 1973. He retired from Energy Corp. of America as president in December 1984. Throughout his civilian career, Francis was a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and was made an honorary lifetime member by the society in 2004. Francis was a 28-year member of the Covington United Methodist Church and a member and past president of the Methodist Men's Association. In recent years, he was a member of the Jefferson United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge. Francis was an avid golfer from his teenage years, growing up on golf courses that his father built in and around Columbus, Ohio, into his early 80s. His family and many friends throughout the United States loved and respected him. With Francis having been a longtime resident of Louisiana and four of his children being graduates of LSU, his family was not quite sure whether he rooted for OSU or LSU for the 2007 BCS National Championship. Pallbearers will be his eight grandsons, Francis Andrews Schurtz III, Daniel Joseph Stokes Jr., Schoen Matthew Stokes, Tyler Ware Stokes, Timothy William Stokes, Joshua David Simpson, Todd Andrew Simpson and Lucas William Simpson. His eldest great-grandson, Michael Garrett Palmer, will be an honorary pallbearer. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Thursday, May 22, from 11 a.m. until funeral service at noon, conducted by the Rev. John Phelps and the Rev. Tim Lawson. A military burial will take place at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Theodore Dendinger Memorial Cemetery, Madisonville.