Milton "Mitz" Carl Kurth

June 5, 1921 – December 9, 2015

Milton Carl Kurth was called by our Lord to his Heavenly home on Wednesday afternoon, December 9. He died peacefully in the presence of his family.

Milton, or Mitz, as many people knew him, was born June 5, 1921, to Carl and Clara Kurth on the family farm near Dumont, Minnesota. He was the second of three children. Milton was baptized on June 19, 1921, and confirmed on April 17, 1935, both at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Dumont. As a child, Mitz, walked to school every day and was the smartest (but only) one in his class. He attended Wheaton High School where he played football, graduating in 1939. The note about him in his high school yearbook was, “Men will come and men will go, but I’ll talk on forever.” After high school, Mitz said he continued his studies in the school of hard knocks.

Mitz lived or worked on a farm until 1944 when he joined the Navy. After training at Camp Farragut, Idaho, he served in the Pacific as a Radarman 3rd Class, on the USS Sevier. He helped evacuate marines who had participated in the battle for Iwo Jima and transport marines and equipment to Okinawa for the recapture of that island. He finished his naval career on a “pleasure cruise” through the Panama Canal ferrying the USS LSM 33 (which he called a floating cork) from San Diego to Charleston, South Carolina for decommissioning. After discharge from the Navy, Mitz spent 4 ½ years building electric lines for the Rural Electrification Administration in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

In November 1948, Mitz met Mildred (Millie) Kloster when he visited the Style Shop in Breckenridge, Minnesota. He had heard that Millie’s mother had a room he could rent while he was building REA lines in the area. Over the next few months, “the cat was smitten by the canary.” Even though Mitz was five years younger than Millie, he convinced her to marry him with the promise they could grow old together. They were married on November 22, 1949 and spent 63 wonderful years together until Millie’s death on March 15, 2013. Mitz and Millie were blessed with two sons, Carlton and David. In early 1951, the family moved to Denver where they bought a home (“not a house”) in southwest Denver. Mitz worked for the Colorado Builders’ Supply Company until 1955.

Mitz spent 30 years “and one day” at the University of Denver where he enjoyed being maintenance foreman of the stadium, arena, field house and athletic fields. He enjoyed solving maintenance problems on a limited budget and could lay out and mark any athletic field required. He built a paint sprayer to line the football field at DU when others were still using lime to mark the lines. He timed basketball games and hockey games, and, one time, helped break up a fight between two opposing hockey players when the only penalty box was beside the timer’s bench. After relinquishing the timer duties, Mitz was recognizable at DU hockey games by the colorful knit stocking cap he wore, and students tried to snatch, when he drove the Zamboni to make ice between periods. Mitz befriended many of the student athletes and enjoyed watching their practices and games. In 2014, former athletes honored Mitz by voting to induct him into the Department of Athletics Sports Hall of Fame.

After retirement, Mitz and Millie were volunteer drivers for the Red Cross for 23 years.

Millie and Mitz joined Christ Lutheran Church on Easter Sunday 1951, and were active members here until, in 1956, they joined Trinity Lutheran Church in southwest Denver as charter members. Mitz served on church council, taught Sunday School, and was the Boy Scout Troop Leader while at Trinity. Millie and Mitz transferred back to Christ after their move to Clermont Christian Communities in January 2010.

Mitz continued his worship and prayer life to the end of his life here on earth. On the morning he died, he appeared to be sleeping or unconscious when his pastor visited. When the pastor said, “let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer,” his hands came out from under the sheets and clasped in prayer above his chest.

Milton will be dearly missed by his children, Carlton and David (Pam), his grandchildren, Rachel and Jonah (Betsy), step-grandchildren Katy (Jeremy) and Sarah, his great-grandchildren, Fiona and Otto, his nephew, Dean Highsmith, and numerous friends.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 2695 S. Franklin, Denver, on Saturday, December 19, at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Christ Lutheran Early Childhood Center, the American Red Cross – Mile Hi Chapter, or Christian Living Communities at Clermont Park.