Pierre Burt
February 26, 1850-January 27, 1927
The Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Monday, January 31, 1927, page 1 col. 3
PIERRE BURT DIES AFTER APOPLECTIC STROKE IN CALIF.
Pierre Burt, a former resident of Niles for 20 years, died on Thursday, January 27, at Glendale, Calif., after being stricken with apoplexy on January 23.
During his residence in Niles Mr. Burt was deeply interested in city affairs and had served for two terms as supervisor from the third ward. He worked diligently developing which is now known as Riverview addition. He engaged in gardening in a small way and in raising chickens. In the fall Mr. and Mrs. Burt went to Glendale and upon his health began to improve rapidly. His sudden affliction and resulting death therefore, comes as a shock to relatives and many friends.
Mr. Burt was born in New York state, February 26, 1850. When he was four years of age, his parents moved to Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, which at that time was a wilderness and very sparsely settled, the neighbors being chiefly the Indians. It was here that the Burt family built their log cabin, cleared the land for tilling, raised their twelve children and endured the many hardships common to the pioneer.
Mr. Burt was married to Mary E. Peck in 1873 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Seven children were born to them, five girls and two boys, the boys dying in their infancy. Besides the widow, he is survived by the following daughters: Mrs. Jay Hall, Manitowoc, Wisc. ; Mrs. Laura Luth, Niles; Mrs (Dr.) L.K. Atherton, Washington, D.C.; Mrs. Harl Searl, Spokane, Wash., and Mrs. Austin Hayward, Fond du Lac, Wis.. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
After his children had grown to young womanhood he moved from this farm to the city of Manitowoc where he spent several years actively engaged in politics and business. For two terms he served as sheriff of Manitowoc county. During the remaining years he lived in Wisconsin and operated shoe stores at Manitowoc and Fond du Lac.
Contemplating a change of resident, he and Mrs. Burt made a tour of the country in 1908 seeking a favorable place to locate. After visiting many places on the way back to Wisconsin, when the train stopped at Niles, they were so impressed with the beautiful Michigan Central park, that they got off for a further inspection of the city. They did not leave Niles until after they purchased the Dye property known as the Colonel Bond place. Since then Niles had been his home and he has often expressed his opinion that Niles was the most beautiful city he had visited.
The Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, February 4, 1927, page 4 col. 1
News in Brief: BURIAL TO BE DELAYED
Mrs. Laura Luth has been advised the body of her father, Pierre Burt, who died in January will be placed in a mausoleum in Glendale but will be brought to Niles for burial or as soon as Mrs. Burt can close her business affairs there.
The Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, February 15, 1927, page 4 col. 1
News in Brief: BRINGING BODY TO NILES
The body of Pierre Burt is being brought to Niles from Glendale, Calif., by his daughter, Mrs. Austin Hayward , of Fond du Lac, Wis., and is expected here on Michigan Central train due at 11o'clcok tomorrow morning. The body will be taken directly to mausoleum in Silver Brook cemetery and the funeral services will be conducted there at 2:30 o'clock by Rev. H.T. Scherer, pastor of the Presbyterian church. The body will be entombed in the masoleum [sic] crypt. Mrs. Burt, widow of the deceased was unable to make this trip to Niles on account of illness, but she plans after the disposal of their property there to return to Niles later.