Chapter 1
"Coach"
"The term 'COACH' meant a lot to me. When my team call me Coach, it was the highest honor I could have had."
My life, as I remember it.
by Bert Kurth
Beginning Years
Fred Kurth, Jr. - Father
Annie Schmeltzer Kurth - Mother
I was born on February 18, 1915 at home. I had a brother Elliott that was born August 1, 1913. We lived in Madison, South Dakota. Father worked at the Railroad and at a Flour Mill plus some other jobs. Mother was a housewife until her death in 1917.
After my mothers death, Elliott (Chick) and I lived with our Grandparents, Fred and Mini Kurth, at 126 Van Eps Street. Grandfather was been born in Eu Claire, WI to immigrants from Germany. Grandmother was born in Racine, WI, also to German immigrants. They met in Watertown, SD and were married.
My Grandfather had several businesses in his lifetime. He was a talented cigar maker. He also took advantage of the Government's Tree Land Claim program in South Dakota, actually in Lily, South Dakota. Lily was a small town northwest of Watertown, S.D.
A Tree Land Claim consisted of 160 acres of land. A Claimer had to plant one of those acres with trees, as trees are not native to South Dakota, and live on the land for five years. Grandfather built a shanty on his land, just enough to get out of the weather and qualify to claim his 160 acres. Once he owned it, he sold it and made enough money to set himself up in a business.
They moved to Madison, SD where Grandfather purchased a Saloon bar that worked well for him until the 18th Amendment to U.S. Government was passed. At that time, he opened a family grocery store. It was successful until 1932 when we experienced the depression.
Grandfather was a good business man for the most part, but I do remember the box car of coffee he bought. He had not realized that the town had been offered the coffee first. We had a lot of coffee for a very long time.
Grandfather purchased an automobile, but he never adjusted to driving it. He would run into poles, garage doors and other cars all the time. When Chick was old enough to drive, Grandfather finally had a chauffeur.
Grandfather didn't give up the spittoons and we had to clean them out daily. We would return to the store after school and Chick and I would alternate working evenings with Grandfather until store closing. It was important to Grandfather to keep the grocery store warm in the winter. We learned to greet the customers and help them because it was not a self-serve store. We did anything we had to in order to keep the store open.
GrandFather would bring home items from the store for us to use in our home. One of the items he brought home for me was a pair of orange button top shoes. When I wore them I had to carry a button hook with me to hook the laces over the hooks when they would come loose. Hence my childhood nick name "Buttonhook." As an adult, some friends shortened that to "Bud."
At some point during high school Harold, our cousin, came from Flandreau to help in the store over the summer. Harold and Chick were about the same age and their two high schools, Flandreau and Madison, were scheduled to meet the coming year on the football field. The two of them spent the summer sparing over who would win that game. Harold promised Chick he would personally stop him in his tracks and Flandreau would surely win. We could hardly wait for the great game where Chick and Harold would finally have it out. The world would soon know who was the better athlete. Finally, the day arrived and the game was played. Harold spent the entire game, on the bench.
Those two guys argued constantly. One time their argument reached a point where they agreed to meet in the back alley. The challenge had been made and the scene was set. We found some boxing gloves (which I still have) and the two of them went at it, swinging wildly. Many punches were thrown, but not many landed. I watched them swing at each other for at least thirty minutes before they stopped. The next morning and for years to come, each told how they beat the other to a pulp.
Grandmother passed away in 1932 and Grandfather passed away in 1933, Chick and I were on our own. Grandfather lost everything during the depression except the three houses that Grandmother had purchased. She had saved small amounts of cash and when she had collected for a while, she would invest her money towards a house. By the time she died, she owned three houses.