Carl Herzig Obituary, Carl Herzig Has Died

Carl Herzig Obituary, Death- After a protracted battle with sickness, Carl Herzig passed away on June 30, 2023, in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by his loved ones. Carl Herzig was the son of Eva (Giard), who gave birth to him on July 20, 1940, and Howard Herzig, Sr. Both the Colrain schools and Arms Academy were on Carl’s educational path.

Carl learned the skill of animal butchery from his uncle Walt while he was a teenager while working with him. During this period, he also worked for Purington Farm, where he helped raise cattle for sale, as well as for Lively and Kinsman farms, where he assisted in the production of turkeys for sale. Carl frequently reminisced about his time spent serving as a firefighter at The Carey Cider Mill in Foundry Village during the middle of the 1950s. After graduating from high school in 1960, he moved on to pursue a career as a maintenance man at Kendall Mills in Foundry Village for the next 23 years. Carl had his own business in addition to working at the mill. His business consisted of traveling from home to house and processing cattle for the individuals who grew it.

On the property he owned in Colrain, he established Herzig Custom Slaughterhouse the next year, in 1977. Carl quit his job at the mill in 1983 to devote his entire time to running the family company, which he and his family, together with other members of the community, continued to run and attend to the needs of their numerous clients until 2014. Carl won several elections throughout the years and served the community admirably both on the selectboard and as a constable. He also served on the Colrain Council on Aging and the Conservation Commission after being nominated to those positions. Other appointments were dog officer and tax collector.

He is survived by a brother who resides in Pocahontas, Virginia, named Howard Herzig, and a sister who lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts, named Gloria Tatro. Carl also has a large number of relatives, nieces, and nephews who will miss him. His parents, brother Wallace Herzig, brother-in-law Roger Purington, Sr., sisters Roberta Purington and Leah Herzig, brother Rudolph Herzig, and sister-in-law Ruth Herzig all passed away before him. He was also preceded by his sister-in-law Ruth Herzig. The Smith-Kelleher Funeral Home, located at 40 Church Street in Shelburne Falls, will be open for visitation on Friday, July 7 from 5 to 7 o’clock in the evening.

On Saturday, July 8, at 11 a.m., a Liturgy of Christian Burial will be conducted at Our Lady of Peace Parish, which is located at 90 Seventh Street in Turners Falls. Prayers for the deceased will be held in the West Branch Cemetery in Colrain after the viewing.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Colrain Firefighters Association or the Colrain Volunteer Ambulance Association. Both organizations can be reached at the following addresses: P.O. Box 104 and P.O. Box 37 in Colrain, Massachusetts, respectively.