Harry Shiretzki

Harry Shiretzki was known in early‑20th century Anniston as a young man who took public responsibility seriously. By his late twenties he had become chief of police, a role in which he was visible in downtown life and in civic affairs. Local histories and community records describe him as a member of Anniston’s Jewish community and note that his efforts against illegal liquor operations earned him local renown. Those same accounts record that he was thirty or thereabouts at the time of his death, placing him among the city’s younger civic leaders.

Shiretzki’s death on May 23, 1914, prompted a citywide response: stores closed, public officials attended his funeral, and hundreds — by some contemporary accounts, thousands — gathered to honor him. His funeral services were held at Temple Beth El in Anniston, where community leaders and neighbors came together to mourn a life cut short. The scale of that turnout suggests he was a well‑known figure whose work and presence mattered to many people across the town.

Beyond the headlines of the day, the surviving records emphasize that Shiretzki was a real person rooted in family and faith. Temple histories and Jewish community accounts reference the deep impression his death made on the congregation and the wider town — a reminder of the close‑knit civic and religious life of Anniston’s residents in that era. He is remembered today in local law‑enforcement memorial lists and cemetery records that preserve his name among those who served the city.

Public documentation about Shiretzki’s private life — such as a full birthdate, details of immediate family, or personal recollections — is limited in the online record. What remains clear from contemporary newspapers, synagogue histories, and later memorial compilations is a portrait of a young municipal leader invested in his community. That service, and the communal grief at his passing, are the enduring elements of his story.

For those creating a memorial: emphasize his role as a committed public servant and his ties to Temple Beth El and the Anniston community. Note respectfully that he died May 23, 1914, at age 28, and that his funeral drew many townspeople — an indication of the respect he had earned. Where specifics are not available in reliable sources, avoid conjecture; instead, allow the verified facts and the evident regard of his community to communicate the value of his life.