Elmer Paul Swartz

1920 - 1988

• Born	20 Aug 1920	Maryland
  Gender	Male
  Died	10 Sep 1988	Lovettsville, Virginia
  Buried	Mount Olivet United Methodist Church Cemetery, Lovettsville, Virginia
  Person ID	I240	Virts
  Last Modified	23 Apr 2017

  
  

  Family	Althea Emma Virts,   b. 25 Jun 1924, Lovettsville, Virginia ,   d. 22 Dec 1997, Lovettsville, Virginia
  Married	5 Jun 1946	Clavary Methodist Parsonage, Frederick, Maryland   [1]
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Living
  Last Modified	22 Dec 2013
  Family ID	F151	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		A Virts Country Butchering Th hog has been scrapped clean and shaved down with a knife and ready to be hung on the gallous pole. In the foreground are Benton Stone and Theodore Roosevelt Virts, with Russell James Virts working on the hog. Behind Russell is Elmer Swartz.
  		A Virts Country Butchering Elmer Swartz, Theodore Roosevelt Virts (orange hat), Benton Stone and James Green prepare to begin cutting up the hog.
  		A Virts Country Butchering Elmer Swartz stirring the Poudin, Raymond Eugene Virts, Lester William Thomas Virts, Clarence Lanham, Benton Stone stirring Ponhaus (scrapple) and Daniel Fleming.

  
  

  Albums

  A Virts Country Butchering (14) November was the time for butchering hogs. It has been a fall tradition in the Virts family for well over 100 years. The Raymond E. Virts family on the Long Lane in Lovettsville, Virginia always butchered on Thanksgiving day. You might consider the butchering day as a family reunion held several times each November as this even would bring together siblings, cousins and friends. There was always a friendly competition amongst Raymond's brothers to see who had the largest hog. It was not uncommon to have a hog have a dressed weight of over 400 pounds. Such a hog would produce over 40 pound hams that would be sugar cured. Most local families had a butchering and would usually slaughter form 2 - 14 hogs, depending on the size of the family. Butchering is nearly extinct today. You will only find a hand full of families that still carry on the tradition. Hardly anyone even knows how to do it anymore. I would have to say it is a dying art. Just click on the picture to see it enlarged and to get a description.

  
  

• Notes

  Loudoun Times Mirror, September 15, 1988 Mr. Elmer P. Swartz, 68, of Lovettsville, Va., died Saturday, Sep. 10 at the Loudoun Hospital Center, Leesburg, Va. He was the husband of Althea E. Swartz. Born Aug. 20, 1920, in Maryland, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Mary Humerick Swartz. Surviving besides his wife are three sons, Russell Paul Swartz of Herndon, Va., William E. Swartz, James E. Swartz, both of Lovettsville; three sisters, Pauline Strevig of Frederick, Mildred Goss of Leesburg, Betty Cole of Hamilton, Va., two daughters-in-law, Terri Swartz and Debbi Swartz; and two grandchildren, Katherine Swartz and Paul Swartz. Mr. Swartz was predeceased by one sister, Margaret Kelly and one brother, John Swartz. Interment was in the Mt. Olivet Methodist Cemetery, Lovettsville.

  
  

• Sources

  [S66] The Frederick Post, June 21, 1946, Marriage announcement.