Biographies of World War I Veterans: Abel – Isdell

World War I, also called the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, began in Europe in 1914. But it was not until April 6, 1917—100 years ago—that the United States Congress declared war against Germany. The American Expeditionary Force was organized and sent off to France to join the fight; by the time an armistice was declared, in November of 1918, more than 4.7 million Americans had served, 53,000 of whom were killed in action, 63,000 had died of disease, and 205,000 had been wounded.

In 2017, Green-Wood decided, in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I, to identify and honor as many as possible of those who had served in that conflict, whether civilian or military, and are interred here. For the last year, our volunteers and staff have searched Green-Wood’s grounds, its records, and various online databases, in order to accomplish this goal. As of this writing, we have identified 161 men and women and written a biography for each. Their dramatic stories cover a wide range: the Cromwell twins, Red Cross nurses who served in France, then committed suicide as they began their journey home; Intelligence Officer Louis Abel, who wrote just before he was killed in battle, “As the war goes on and as I come out of each engagement still alive, I think often of those at home and wonder if I will ever see them again”; Lieutenant Kenneth Culbert, who while flying with the First Aero Squadron, photographed enemy trenches under heavy fire, only to be shot down as his plane returned to its base; Robert Bayard Cutting, associate organizing secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), who volunteered to serve in France, only to die there of disease; aeronaut Private Lloyd Ludwig, who was flying over France, went into a spin, and had a wing on his plane fall off as he plummeted to his death; many men killed in the trenches of France in 1918, interred in France, then brought back home to Brooklyn in 1921; and those who served in World War I and went on to live long lives, including Louis Belmer, the last of our surviving veterans, who died in 1980. We remember them and honor their sacrifices.

On November 13, 1917, three members of the American Expeditionary Force became the first United States casualties of World War I, killed near Verdun, France. They were quickly buried near where they had fallen. This was in accord with the orders from General John Pershing, commanding American forces. Pershing had dictated that, with no time to set up logistics and no space on ships going back to America, as well as with a desire to spare survivors from seeing the corpses of their loved ones, no bodies would be sent back to the States. He decreed that all American troops who were killed in France would have their final resting place there.

But then something happened. Congressmen began to hear from their constituents—when would these men, their loved one who had died for their country, be brought home? The popular sentiment was strong: bring the bodies of the fallen home.

The British, who had lost 700,000 men, were opposed to the idea of bringing their fallen home—it would be a monumental task. The French, fearing the spectacle of bodies dug up and transported across their land, and hoping to concentrate on rebuilding, were aghast—and banned the transportation of bodies for three years.

As the debate raged, ex-President Theodore Roosevelt and his wife, Edith, wrote that they wanted their son Quentin, who had died in battle, to remain interred in France:  “To us it is painful and harrowing long after death to move the poor body from which the soul has fled,” he wrote. “We greatly prefer that Quentin shall continue to lie on the spot where he fell in battle and where the foeman buried him.”

But thousands of Americans who had lost their loved ones were of a different mind: they wanted the United States government to return their sons to them for burial at home. A Brooklyn mother wrote: “My son sacrificed his life to America’s call, and now you must as a duty of yours bring my son back to me.”

In October, 1919, the U.S. War Department announced a compromise: next of kin would decide whether their fallen would remain interred in American cemeteries in France or be sent back to them. Late in 1920, France relented and agreed to allow bodies to be removed. It would take the next two years for the Americans, at great cost, to bring remains home. In all, 46,000 bodies of the fallen were brought back from France; 30,000 still remain there.

On July 21, 1921, General John Pershing was on the dock in Hoboken, New Jersey, when the first transport ship, bearing the remains of the men who had served and died under him, arrived. Pershing spoke at a ceremony honoring the first three men who had died while under his command in France—with their caskets in front of him, having returned to their native land. “They gave all,” he said, “and they have left us their example. It remains for us with fitting ceremonies, tenderly with our flowers and our tears, to lay them to rest on the American soil for which they died.” In 1921 and 1922, many of the fallen would be interred at Green-Wood Cemetery.

Great thanks to our volunteers—Susan Rudin, Ed Damato, Lou Saverese, Jim Lambert, Wallace G. Lane Jr., and all the others, as well as researcher Vincent Katinas, who made these identifications and biographies possible. Volunteers searched through Green-Wood’s chronological books, looking for men who died in France and were brought back to Green-Wood. We have searched Green-Wood’s grounds, looking for monuments dedicated to those who served in World War I. And we have gone through applications to the United States government, filled out by widows and parents, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, for Veterans Affairs markers for their World War I veterans. Many of these veterans died in France; others lived to a ripe old age. In all, we offer biographies of 161 men and women, the last of whom died in 1980, in two sections, alphabetically; there was just too much data to put all of this into one document.

The biographies below are Green-Wood’s tribute to the men and women who served in World War I—as pilots, nurses, infantryman, gunners, pay clerks, intelligence officers, and more, who are interred at Green-Wood or who have cenotaphs here. We honor their service and sacrifice with the stories of their lives. We invite you to browse or search these biographies.

Biographies

ABEL, LOUIS RAYMOND (1881-1918). Lieutenant and intelligence officer, 112th Infantry, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A Brooklynite by birth and an electrical engineer by trade, Abel applied for a passport in 1905 on which he stated that he would return to the United States in about three years. A resident of Lebanon, Connecticut, he described himself as 5′ 10½” tall with gray eyes, brown hair, Roman nose, broad forehead, light complexion and oval face. He was an electrical engineer in the contracting business living in Brooklyn at the time of the 1910 census; his house on 86th Street was mortgaged. According to his great-grand-daughter, his electric contracting business took him to many cities in the Northeast. His great-grand-daughter states that he was working in Boston for two years prior to his induction into the Army.

Abel enlisted at New York City and was sent abroad in May 1918. As per his Military Service Record for the State of Connecticut, he was married with one child and was affiliated with the Baptist religion. That document indicates that Abel had served with the 13th Regiment, Heavy Artillery National Guard in Brooklyn, was a Freemason and was employed as an electrical engineer. During World War I, he was a first lieutenant and intelligence officer with responsibility for reconnaissance behind German lines. He wrote this letter to his brother on September 14, 1918, thirteen days before his death.

My dear brother Eugene,

As the war goes on and as I come out of each engagement still alive, I think often of those at home and wonder if I will ever see them again.

You all are in my thoughts continually when I have time to think of other things besides the continual shellfire and fighting.

You may readily believe brother of mine that we think of nothing but shells, gas, and bullets and bayonets when we are in action and when a man says differently you can believe he has never been under fire. All one thinks of is where the next shell is going to land.

It gives one a great feeling of comfort to know that there is a competent doctor near at hand and enough stretcher bearers and ambulances to carry one to the rear when hurt. I have been gased once and was ill for a short while but did not go out of action. I also got a scratch from a machine gun bullet but it is all O.K. now. Have been troubled with diarrhea for several weeks but am getting better. That is a common complaint here. So many dead bodies both horses and men and the doctors say the flys (sic) carry the germs to the food we eat. With the coming of cold weather the flys will disappear and we will be rid of this I am sure.

Many of our fine boys have gone never to return. And of my first Scout Platoon of 28 men I had 20 casualties and only 8 men were left after our advance at the Marne and I now have a new Platoon of 40 men and have lost a few of these.

My work takes me in front of the advance and the lines reconnoitering in the Boche lines for enemy positions. It is awe inspiring work especially in the darkness of night. The best times are the darkest nights when it is stormy.

I recently lay several hours with four men in a ditch partially submerged in water and mud while the Boche were all around me. I thought I was a gone goose that night.

My nerves have been sorely tried and many officers and men have lost out completely due to nervous strain making them useless.

I sincerely hope all is well with you and yours. Love to all and may the God who watches over us all bring us together again.

Lovingly your brother

Louis

Abel was killed in battle in Argonne, France, on September 27, 1918. His mother was notified of his death by telegram on November 3, 1918. His body was returned to the United States and he was interred on September 25, 1921. Section 141, lot 23506, grave N, Front Right Corner.

Louis Abel
Louis Abel

ABRAHAMSEN (or ABRAHAMSON), GEORGE CHRISTIAN (1889-1918). Acting pay clerk, United States Navy. A native of Mandal, Norway, one of his New York Abstracts of World War I Military Service indicates that he was born in Brooklyn. Abrahamsen’s World War I Draft Registration Card dated June 5, 1917, notes that he was single, worked on a boat in New York City and lived on 49th Street in Brooklyn. He described himself as tall, of medium build with blue eyes and light hair (not bald). As per one New York State Abstract of World War I service, in which his name is spelled “Abrahamson,” he enlisted in the United States Navy as a chief yeoman on the USS Ozark on February 9, 1916. From April 6, 1917 through September 30, 1917, he was stationed as a chief yeoman at the receiving ship in New York. He was then assigned to the Navy Recruiting Bureau in New York until July 12, 1918, at which time he was appointed acting pay clerk (temporary). From July 12, to September 11, 1918, he was stationed at the Naval Air Station at Brunswick, Georgia. Abrahamsen then served in Washington, D.C., at Naval Operations under Supply Officer of Northern Bombing, Squadron, France, until November 8, 1918 (another document lists the expiration of that assignment as the date of the armistice, November 11, 1918). He returned to the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Georgia, where he died on December 13, 1918. He last lived at 747 43rd Street in Brooklyn. At some point during his service, he received a good conduct medal. Helen Abrahamsen, his niece, applied for a government-issued marble headstone with a Christian cross on September 22, 1962. Section 203, lot 35169.

abrahamsen-george-stone

ACHELIS, JOHNFRITZ (1890-1965). First lieutenant, 6th Field Artillery; 7th Field Artillery, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Originally from Seabright, New Jersey, Achelis was a 1913 graduate of Yale University where he had been enrolled in the Reserve Army Training Corps (ROTC). In June 1914, he registered as an American citizen at the United States Consulate in Lyon, France, while on business there as a merchant. As per his New York Guard Service Card, he entered service on November 25, 1914. On June 30, 1916, he mustered into Troop A, Squadron A, a Cavalry unit in the Mexican Punitive Campaign and mustered out with his company as a private first class at New York City on June 19, 1916. As per his muster roll, he was described as a merchant who was 6′ 1½” tall with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair. He was discharged on June 25, 1917.

Two months later, on August 29, 1917, Achelis entered the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant and went to Plattsburg, New York. Subsequently, he was stationed in Camp Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp McClellan, Alabama. On September 17, 1917, he went overseas with the 6th Field Artillery assigned to the 1st Expeditionary Force. He was later assigned to the 7th Field Artillery.

After Achelis returned to the United States on June 30, 1918, he got married on November 2, 1918, and was discharged from the Army on December 3, 1918. On September 13, 1924, he and his wife sailed to Europe aboard the Olympic for a three month excursion with stops in England, France and Italy; his passport application noted that this was a pleasure trip. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, shows that he was living on Rumson Road in Monmouth, New Jersey, had a home phone was working for Commercial Factors Corporation located at 2 Park Avenue in New York City. In 1959, he lived at 151 East 79th Street, Manhattan, when he travelled to Hamilton, Bermuda. Section G, lot 32199.

ADAMS, CHARLES RASQUIN (1895-1961). Private first class, 104th Field Signal Battalion, Company C, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A Brooklyn native, Adams enlisted in the United States Army on May 3, 1918, and was assigned to Company C, 104th Field Signal Battalion. While overseas, he was wounded and received a Purple Heart and was also awarded a Victory Medal. Adams was honorably discharged on May 28, 1919.

At the age of 47, Adama registered for the draft during World War II, while residing at 46 Fairlawn Street in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. At that time, he was self-employed, working at 31 North Broad Street in Ridgewood, New Jersey. His last address was 44 Carlton Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus. On October 1, 1961, Alma K. Adams, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian cross, citing his World War I service and medals earned. Section 131, lot 33207, grave 1.

AITKEN, MARY M. (1888-1971). Yeoman second class, United States Navy Reserve Force. A New York City native, the 1910 census and the 1915 New York State census report that she lived with her parents and four siblings on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan and worked as a saleslady in a department store. As per the inscription on her gravestone, she was a yeoman second class in the United States Naval Reserve Force during World War I. The 1920 census notes that she was single, lived on West 30th Street in Manhattan with her parents and two siblings, and worked as a clerk for the Boy Scouts. Section 187, lot 20079.

AITKEN, VINCENT L. (1899–1918). Sergeant, 55th Infantry, Company A, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, Aitken enlisted at Fort Slocum, New York, on June 10, 1917. On September 8, he was promoted to private first class. Private Aitken shipped out to Europe on August 3, 1918, and was promoted to sergeant on August 21. On November 3, 1918, just eight days shy of the armistice that ended World War I, Sergeant Aitken was killed in action in France. His last residence was 85 Hudson Avenue in Brooklyn. His body was returned to New York and was interred on April 8, 1922. Section 4, lot 35965, grave 2.

ANDERSON, FRISBY GRIFFIN (1894-1978). United States Navy. Anderson was born in New York. At the time of the 1900 census, he lived at 856 Glenmore Street in Brooklyn with his parents and siblings and attended school. The 1910 census reports that he lived on Harway Avenue in Brooklyn with his mother and siblings and was still a student; his father died in 1909. The 1915 New York State census indicates that he lived with his siblings in Brooklyn and worked as a drug clerk.

Anderson’s World War I Draft Registration Card, filed in Brooklyn on June 5, 1917, indicates that he lived at 92 Sterling Place in Brooklyn and worked as a clerk in the export shipping business. He claimed exemption from service because he supported his sister and brother; he described himself as 5′ 6″ tall with brown eyes and brown hair. Nonetheless, as per his gravestone, he served in the United States Navy during World War I. No other details are known about that service. Naval records show that he enlisted on March 24, 1920 and was discharged on March 18, 1921.

The 1930 census shows that Anderson was single, was a patient at the Veterans Hospital in the Bronx, and was a veteran of the World War. The 1940 census reports that he was at the Veterans Administration Facility, Mental Hospital, in Huntington, New York; that census notes that he had completed two years of high school. He died at the Veterans Hospital in Montrose, New York. Section 49, lot 7727.

ANDRES (or ANDRIKIDES, ANDROKIDIS), STEVE (or STULIANOS, SHILIANOS, STEPHEN, STYLIANOS) (1896-1970). Private first class, 152nd Depot Brigade; 346th Infantry, Company L, 87th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. According to his daughter, who has researched her father’s genealogy, he was born in Smyrna (now Izmir), Turkey; his soldier records and census data list his place of birth as Greece. His birth name was Stulianos Andrikides. He immigrated to the United States on the Themistocles on August 23, 1914; his name was spelled Stylianos Androkidis on that ship’s manifest. His name, spelled Shilianos Andrikides, is on the manifest of the Morro Castle, a mail ship from Havana, Cuba, arriving in New York on February 26, 1917; he was a seaman on that vessel until his induction into the Army. (The captain of the ocean liner, also named the Morro Castle, which traveled between Havana and New York in the 1930s, is buried at Green-Wood; he died when that ship caught fire and ran aground in Asbury, New Jersey, with many lives lost, on September 8, 1934.)

Andrikides served in World War I under the name Stulianos or Shilianos Andrikides. His Draft Registration Card, dated June 5, 1917, reports that Shilianos Andrikides, born in Piraeus,  Greece, was a seaman and cook with alien (non-citizen) status; he was single, 5′ 6″ tall, of medium build with brown hair and brown eyes.  At that time, he lived at 4 James Slip in New York City. As per his New York Abstract of World War I Military service, which spells his given name as Stulianos, he was inducted at Local Board #91 in New York on June 28, 1918, and assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade until July 18, 1918, at which time he was transferred to Company L of the 346th Infantry. He shipped out to Europe onboard the Anstephen Castle on August 26, 1918, and was promoted to private first class on October 7, 1918. In March 1919, he returned from Nazaire, France, onboard the Alaskan. He was honorably discharged on April 10, 1919. According to his daughter, he was awarded the World War I Victory Medal although he was not wounded in battle.

He married in 1920, became a naturalized citizen in 1922, and remarried in 1932 and in 1938. The census of 1940, which states his name as Stephen Andres, indicates that he was married with five children, lived at 8121 Fourteenth Avenue in Brooklyn, was a naturalized citizen, and worked as a chef. He reported that he rented his residence for $51 per month, had completed an eighth grade education, and had earned $2,800 the previous year. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942 under the name Steve Andrikides, notes that he still lived at the Fourteenth Avenue address and was self-employed at 410 86th Street in Brooklyn. He became the owner of Andres Catering Corporation, a well-known enterprise in the Bay Ridge/Fort Hamilton neighborhood of Brooklyn with five catering halls hosting weddings and other special events. He was interred under the name Steve Andres. Section 170, lot 41089, grave 1.

Steve Andres (Andrikides) in 1921
Steve Andres (born Stulianos Andrikides) in 1921.

ANDREWS, RUFUS (or RUBEN) F. (1895-1950). Private, 22nd Infantry, Company K; 2nd Developmental Battalion, Company G, United States Army. A native of New York City, Andrews completed two years of high school and worked as a clerk for the American Tobacco Company, according to his Draft Registration Card filed on June 5, 1917, at Manual Training High School (now John Jay High School) in Brooklyn. The aforementioned document also notes that he was 5′ 3″ tall, weighed 125 pounds, and had gray eyes and brown hair. His home address was 416 2nd Street in Brooklyn. He was subsequently drafted into the Army on May 21, 1918, and assigned as a private to Company K of the 22nd Infantry until September 13, when he was transferred to Company G, 2nd Developmental Battalion, from which he received an honorable discharge on November 22, 1918, eleven days after the armistice. Andrews did not serve overseas. His discharge included a 12.5 % disability “in view of occupation.” Development battalions were organized for soldiers who had literacy issues or minor mental or physical problems that would normally preclude them from service.

According to the 1930 census, Andrews was single, lived in Brooklyn with his aging parents, and was employed as a clerk for lawyers. Although the 1940 census shows him to be unemployed and living at home in Brooklyn with his 80 year old step-mother, his military records indicate that he was admitted to the Roseburg Branch of the Home for Disabled Soldiers in Hampton, Virginia, in 1933; it is unclear if he was discharged from the Soldiers’ Home before 1940. The paperwork at the Soldiers’ Home noted that Andrews could read and write, worked as a clerk for a lawyer, and was Catholic. He died at the Northport Veterans Hospital in Northport, New York. On November 6, 1950, shortly after his death, Helen Andrews of 149 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn, applied for a government-issued upright granite headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Rufus Andrews’s World War I service. Section 160, lot 11712.

andrews-rufus

ANKELMAN (or ANKELMANN), RUDOLPH D. (1895-1918). Private first class, 307th Infantry, Company H, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native Brooklynite, Ankelman’s Draft Registration Card reports that he was of medium height and weight with brown eyes and light hair. He was unmarried and was employed as a clerk at that time. Ankelman was inducted into the Army on July 17, 1917, and assigned to Company H of the 307th Infantry. He was shipped out to France on April 7, 1918.

During World War I, the 307th Infantry was assigned to the 154th Infantry Brigade and became part of the 77th Infantry Division and served with distinction in the following campaigns in France: Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne, and Lorraine. Ankelman was killed in action on August 27, 1918. His last residence was 459 6 Avenue in Brooklyn. His remains were returned to the United States in 1921 and were interred on June 6, 1921. On April 16, 1932, Lavinia Adami applied for a government-issued headstone citing Ankelmann’s World War I service. His surname was spelled with two n’s on the headstone paperwork. Section 206, lot 27769, grave 1.

ANNABLE, OLIVER STEVENSON (1890-1952). Field clerk, Headquarters Eastern Department, United States Army. Annable was born in Brooklyn. According to the 1910 census, he was employed as a stenographer at a heating company. As per his Draft Registration Card for World War I, filed at Manual Training High School (now John Jay High School), he claimed exemption from military service because of bad eyesight and the aftereffects of infantile paralysis (polio). At that time, he was described as of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair and lived at 411 3rd Street in Brooklyn. Although he asked for an exemption, he nonetheless entered the United States Army on July 23, 1917. He was assigned as an Army field clerk at Headquarters of the Eastern Department located on Governor’s Island in New York Harbor. He was honorably discharged on September 12, 1919, having served stateside.

The Registrar’s Report from his World War II Draft Registration on April 25, 1942, notes that Annable was 5′ 9″ tall, 175 pounds with blue eyes, brown and gray hair, and a ruddy, freckled complexion. He lived at 2807 Farragut Road in Brooklyn at that time. His last residence was 628 East 28th Street in Brooklyn. He died at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn. On December 14, 1953, a year after his death, his family applied for a government-issued upright marble headstone and cited his World War I service at Headquarters. Section 202, lot 25915.

annable-oscar

ARCHER, ROBERT (or ROB) A. (1892-1922). Private first class, 48th Infantry, Company A and Quartermaster Corps, United States Army. Archer was born in New York City. According to the census of 1910, he lived on Third Avenue in Manhattan with his parents and siblings and worked as a clerk for a jeweler. The 1915 New York State census reports that he was living in Brooklyn with his mother and siblings and working as a bookkeeper. As per his World War I Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, Archer lived at 39 Prospect Place in Brooklyn, was single, worked as a clerk and claimed an exemption from the draft because he was supporting his mother. On that aforementioned form, he described himself as tall and slender with blue eyes and brown hair. Although he asked for an exemption, he was inducted into the Army at Brooklyn on May 21, 1918, and assigned to Company A of the 48th Infantry until August 6, 1918, when he was promoted to private first class. He was then detached to the Quartermaster Corps #2 at Newport News, Virginia, until August 28 when he was transferred to the Quartermaster Corps #5 until October 30, 1918, and then returned to the Quartermaster Corps #2 until his discharge on December 14, 1918. Archer did not serve overseas.

On November 25, 1919, Archer married Lena H. Baumer in Manhattan. His obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which confirms his service in the 48th Infantry in the World War, notes that he was a clerk in the Engineering Department of the New York Central Railroad. Archer was a member of the American Legion and the Hanson Place Methodist Episcopal Church. His funeral took place at the home of his mother, Annie Archer, at 1644 New York Avenue in Brooklyn. He last lived at 1485 Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn. Section C, lot 36067.

ARMSTRONG, FRANK (or FRANCIS) EDWARD (1896-1969). Sergeant, 104th Field Artillery, Battery E, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army; 1st Field Artillery, New York State National Guard, Battery E. Armstrong was born in Brooklyn. According to his grandson, one of his ancestors was John Armstrong Jr., the Secretary of War in President James Madison’s cabinet. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, he enlisted as a private in the New York State National Guard on February 5, 1914, and was assigned to Battery E of the 1st Field Artillery when he mustered in on June 28, 1916. Armstrong’s muster roll for the Mexican Punitive Campaign reports that he was a clerk who lived at 1289 St. John’s Place in Brooklyn, and was 5′ 7″ tall with blue eyes and brown hair; his mother, Alice Armstrong, was listed as his next of kin. He mustered out with his battery on November 15, 1916, at New York City, and entered the Reserves on February 26, 1917.

On July 20, 1917, Armstrong returned to the National Guard for service in World War I; his unit was designated as the 104th Field Artillery on October 1, 1917, and was later part of the 27th Division. He was promoted to corporal on November 6, 1917, and to sergeant on April 14, 1918. On June 30, 1918, he was shipped overseas and served until March 13, 1919; he was honorably discharged on April 1, 1919. Armstrong was awarded the Silver Star for his valor in World War I. His soldier record for World War I notes that on December 27, 1919, he was cited “for gallantry in action during operations in the vicinity of Brabant-sur-Meuse, France, October 14, 1918, for repairing and maintaining telephone lines under heavy enemy shell fire.”

The 1924 Voter List shows that Armstrong lived at 570 St. Marks Avenue in Brooklyn. In 1927, he married Marjorie Wilkes. The 1940 census reports that he was married with two children, and owned his house, valued at $6,ooo, at 2984 Avenue T in Brooklyn. He was employed as a switchman and had earned $4,000 in 1939; that census also indicates that he had graduated high school. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, reports that he still lived on Avenue T with his wife, had a home telephone, and worked for the New York Telephone Company at 335 14th Street in Brooklyn. He died in Lakewood, New Jersey. As per his descendant, Frank Armstrong was buried in the family lot which was purchased by his ancestors, James (a cousin of the aforementioned Secretary of War) and Margaret Armstrong on February 15, 1848, for $80. Section 57, lot 2283.

Frank Armstrong in his New York State National Guard uniform, circa 1916.

ARNESEN, ERLING (1890-1945). Sergeant, 14th Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company C, United States Army. Originally from Stavanger, Norway, Arnesen’s family immigrated to the United States in 1904 and settled in Brooklyn. As per the census of 1910, he was single, living with his parents and siblings on 29th Street in Brooklyn, able to read and write, and working as a clerk. According to his Abstract of World War I Military Service, he enlisted as a corporal in the New York National Guard on April 20, 1914, and was assigned to the 14th New York Infantry. His muster roll reports that he worked as a correspondent. His family’s application for a government-issued headstone and his muster roll indicate that he was in Federal Service from July 31 to October 11, 1916, in the Mexican Punitive Campaign. During the Mexican Campaign, he was promoted to sergeant on September 6, 1916. He was honorably discharged on July 17, 1917.

His World War I Abstract notes that he did not serve overseas or suffer any wounds during his military duty. Arnesen’s World War I Draft Registration Card, filed at Brooklyn on May 14, 1918, notes that he was employed by A.F. Langhorst as a salesman who worked at 100 Hudson Street in Manhattan, was a naturalized citizen, and lived at 204 33rd Street in Brooklyn with his wife and child. Arnesen was described on that form as 5′ 5 ½” tall with a fair complexion, slender build, blond hair and blue eyes. He also claimed an exemption from the draft and stated that he had served three years in New York State National Guard. He last lived at 37 South Union Avenue in Cranford, New Jersey; he died at Norwegian Hospital in Brooklyn. On February 27, 1945, Alpha Arnesen applied for a government-issued marble headstone citing his Federal Service. Section 3, lot 37192.

ARRISON, JR., ANDREW SWAYZE (1885-1959). Corporal, 11th Regiment, Company C, United States Marine Corps. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1909, and then in Jersey City as of 1910. As per the 1905 New Jersey State census, Arrison’s family lived at 83 Kensington, Jersey City. His father, a widower and a ticket agent for the railroad, was listed as head of household. Residing in that home was Arrison, nineteen years old and not employed, and his older sister, Jean, a school teacher. The 1910 federal census records the family living at 166 Belmont Avenue, Jersey City. Arrison’s father, now retired, is documented as head of household and Arrison was a draughtsman for a house roofing company. The 1915 New Jersey State census indicates that Arrison and his father resided at 58 Belmont Avenue, Jersey City, and that Arrison was single and a clerk.

Arrison enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on July 21, 1918, three months after the United States declaration of war against Germany. He was assigned to Company “U” at the Marine Barracks, Port Royale, South Carolina, where Marine recruits were sent to train. The facility was expanded extensively during the war and re-designated as Marine Barracks, Paris Island. According to the November 1918 Marine Corps muster roll, Arrison was assigned to Company “C,” 11th Regiment. Also appearing next to his name on the muster roll is this notation: “6 to 30 Military Police at Mehua.” Company C’s deployment during World War I was brief. As per the website on the 11th Marine Regiment’s history:

The present 11th Marine Regiment has been preceded by three other organizations having similar designations. The first was activated during World War I on 3 January 1918 as the 11th Marine Regiment. Originally planned as a light artillery regiment, it was converted to an infantry unit and went to France as part of the 5th Marine Brigade in the waning days of the war. It failed to see combat and returned home to be disbanded on 11 August 1919.

A 1919 muster roll, month unknown, reveals Arrison was promoted to corporal.

The 1920 census shows him to be single, able to read and write, and living on Belmont Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his father and Arrison’s older brother and wife, and their four children. Arrison married Kathryn E. Schaefer on September 4, 1926.  The 1930 census notes that he was the head of household, a wholesale grocery merchant, and lived in Hudson City, New York, with his wife and son. The Hudson City Directory of 1931 shows Arrison to be married and employed as a salesman. At the time of the 1940 census, Arrison, now a salesman for a biscuit company, still lived in Hudson City with his wife and son. 

As per his World War II Draft Registration Card filed in 1942, he was living at 39 Parkwood Boulevard in Hudson, New York, and was employed by the Ontario Biscuit Company in Albany; his wife, Kathryn, was designated as the contact person. His registrar’s report, dated April 26, 1942, describes him as 5′ 7″ tall, 170 pounds with hazel eyes, gray hair, and light complexion. According to the New York death index, Kathryn passed away on August 25, 1944. On November 3, 1945, as per the New York State marriage index, he married Lorraine Lawler. He lived in Hudson at the time of the 1950 census. His last address was 20 Hanes Street in Albany, New York; he died at Albany Hospital. Four days after his death, Lorraine Arrison applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing his World War I service. As indicated on the United States Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, Arrison served in the Marines from July 21, 1918 to August 11, 1919 and was honorably discharged. Section 92, lot 1900.

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BAHAN, CHESTER THOMAS (1874-1936). Plumber and fitter, United States Navy. Bahan was born in New York. At 43 years of age, he enlisted in the United States Navy on April 3, 1917, at the 3rd Naval Base located at Tompkinsville, Staten Island. He worked as a plumber and fitter for Mine Sweeping Squadron No. 10. Bahan received a citation for efficiency. He was honorably discharged on April 2, 1921.

According to the 1930 census, Bahan was employed as a master plumber for Sun business, owned his home valued at $6,500, and owned a radio set. His last address was 10 Edwin Street, Bay Shore, New York. The town of Islip, Long Island, included his name and service record in their archives honoring local veterans who served in World War I. The archive was dedicated to General of Armies John J. Pershing and includes this quote attributed to Pershing, “…I pay supreme tribute to our officers and soldiers of the line. When I think of their heroism, their patience under hardship, their unflinching spirit of offensive action, I am filled with emotion which I am unable to express. Their deeds are immortal and they have earned the eternal gratitude of our country.” On March 10, 1936, soon after his death, Bahan’s family applied for a government-issued marble headstone, citing his Naval service in World War I. Section 143, lot 27674.

Chester Bahan
Chester Bahan
General of Armies John J. Pershing

BAKER, HAROLD V. (1899-1918). Seaman 2nd class, United States Navy. Baker was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was unmarried. He enrolled at the Federal Rendezvous in Brooklyn on March 5, 1918, and joined the United States Navy as a seaman 2nd class. He began training at the Naval Training Camp in Pelham Bay Park, New York, on March 22. On October 7, 1918, he fell ill and was admitted to the Naval Hospital there; he died of pleurisy on November 11. His last address was 1237 83rd Street, Brooklyn. Section 131, lot 35146, grave 1.

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BARNABY, HENRY T. (1898-1918). Corporal, 14th Regiment, New York State National Guard, Company G; 106th Infantry, Company G, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Barnaby, who was born in Brooklyn, was listed as single and living with his parents according to the census of 1910. On April 16, 1917, he enlisted in the 14th Regiment of the New York State National Guard and was promoted to corporal on October 9 of that year. Barnaby was sent overseas with the 106th Infantry (a unit that had its roots in the 23rd Regiment with strong support from the 14th Regiment) on May 10, 1918. On September 27, 1918, he was killed in France while his unit was engaged in action along the Hindenburg Line, a German defensive position along their Western Front. His father was notified of his death. He last lived at 12 Waldorf Court in Brooklyn. After his remains were returned to the United States, Barnaby was re-interred on April 19. 1921. Section 5, lot 34355, grave 3.

BARNETT, SAMUEL (1978-1918). Private, Depot Battalion (Central Ontario), Canadian Infantry. Of Irish birth, Barnett was a founder of Empire City Wheelman, a bicycle club. An article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on July 14, 1918, reports that a service flag with one gold star was hung at the entrance to Prospect Park in honor of the thirty members of the aforementioned club, one of whom was Barnett, who had enlisted in the World War. That article identifies Barnett, who had the gold star by his name, as one of the best-known judges of bicycle racing in the East. In addition, it notes that he enlisted in the Canadian Officers Training Corps and that he died from pneumonia.

His name appears on an online list, Commonwealth War Graves, of the final resting places of British Commonwealth veterans. He died in Toronto, Canada. Section J, lot 33488, grave 1.

BARNUM, WILLIAM PECK (1861-1929). Boatswain’s mate, United States Navy. A Brooklynite by birth, Barnum was stationed as a boatswain’s mate on the USS Wilmington during World War I. As per the 1920 census, he was married, able to read and write, living at 21 Clinton Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, and working as a boatswain’s mate in the United States Navy; the 1925 Newport City Directory lists him at the same home address and his occupation as helper. He last lived at 21 Clinton Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island; his death was attributed to senility. On July 16, 1931, Loretta Barnum, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s World War I service. Section 68, lot 3844.

BARRERA (or BARRESO, BARRERS), RUFINO (or RUFFINA, ROBERT) E. (1898-1982). Seaman, United States Navy. Barrera was born in the Philippines. During World War I, he enlisted at Cavite in the Philippines as a seaman on April 24, 1916. Military Transport Records indicate that he was aboard the USS Thomas which departed Manila for San Francisco, California. He was discharged at Brooklyn on April 23, 1920.

At the time of the 1920 census, Barrera was single, lived in Brooklyn, was literate and worked as a servant. As per his application for a Seaman’s Certificate of American Citizenship, filed on March 2, 1922, he lived at 125 Riverside Drive in New York City. He indicated that he last served as a yeoman on the USS Champlin, and was awaiting assignment on a receiving ship at Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Barrera described himself as 5′ 4¾” tall with brown eyes, black hair, Filipino complexion, mole on left lower lip and a scar on back of right hand. On November 12, 1943, he became a naturalized citizen; he then lived at 14 Sutton Place South in Manhattan. Rufino Barrera Jr., his son, served in the Navy during World War II. Section 76, lot 4141.

BARTHMAN, HENRY CHARLES (1868-1941). Commander, Depot Battalion, 47th New York State National Guard. Barthman was born in Brooklyn. As per his obituary in The New York Times, he enlisted as a private at Brooklyn in the old 47th Regiment of the New York State National Guard in 1886 and served as a major in Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War and was a colonel of that regiment until retiring in 1913. When the 47th was federalized in 1917 during World War I, Barthman organized a depot battalion of the regiment, now known as the new 47th Regiment; he served as its commander. The depot battalion was responsible for the New York National Guard’s wartime duty within the State. He retired in 1919 as a brigadier general.

In civilian life, he was a senior member of the prominent Barthman jewelry store at 174 Broadway. That establishment was founded in 1884 by him and his father, Frederick William Barthman (a Civil War veteran with whom he is buried) and brother, who bore his father’s name. In addition, he was treasurer of the Jewelers Security Alliance and the Maiden Lane Historical Society.

Barthman’s obituary notes that he was an avid fisherman. He spent three months of the year fishing in Maine and three months in Florida, where in 1939, he caught the largest  tarpon off the Useppa Island area on the west coast, in the last 10 years. (He had previously landed another 150 pound fish two years earlier.) The huge tarpon was 6′ 6″ long and 155 pounds and earned him a diamond tarpon button awarded by the Izaak Walton Club of Useppa Island. He last lived at the Hotel St. Moritz. Barthman died in Miami. His death was attributed to a stroke. A widower, he was survived by his son and a sister. Section 88, lot 36491.

Henry Barthman

BEALE, SETH (1902-1954). Private, Quartermaster Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Beale was born in Bayville, New Jersey, as per his Military Abstract and the 1830 census, though some documents list his birthplace as New York. He lived in New York at the time of the 1910 census. Beale enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Slocum, New York, on June 6, 1918, when he was in fact only 16 years old, although the minimum age of enlistment was 18. But his Army paperwork indicates that he was 19 at the time of his enlistment. He lived at 33 West 127th Street at that time. Beale was assigned to Motor Truck Company 453 until August 6, 1918, probably at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. He was then transferred to the Replacement Draft Camp in Johnston, Florida, before being re-assigned to the Quartermaster Corps-at-Large. According to his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, Beale served abroad, in a non-combat role, from September 1, 1918 until July 19, 1919, when he was honorably discharged.

The 1920 census shows that Beale was single, lived in the Bronx with his mother, and was employed as a factory laborer. The 1930 census shows him to be married, living in a rooming house in New York City, able to read and write, and employed as a taxi driver. He last lived at 131 West 70th Street in New York City. Beale died at the Veterans Hospital #81 in Bronx, New York. On November 11, 1954, Alma Noonan, his sister, applied for a government-issued headstone with Christian emblem, citing his World War I service. Section 69, lot 3580.

BELL, EDWARD JAMES (1896-1920). Unknown soldier history. A Bronx native, Bell died in France of pneumonia on July 21, 1918. The details of his service are unknown. He last lived at 10 Sherman Avenue in the Inwood section of New York City. After the war, his body was returned to the United States and he was interred on December 23, 1920. Section 177, lot 14025.

BELL, JR., ROBERT JOHN (1888-1930). First lieutenant, 104th Infantry, 26th Division; 107th Infantry, Supply Company, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Bell was a native of New York City. According to the census of 1900, he lived in Manhattan; the census of 1910 reports that he was single and lived with his parents on West 18th Street in Manhattan. He enlisted on April 2, 1917. His New York State Abstract of Military Service notes that he was appointed a second lieutenant on July 17, 1918, from the National Guard. He trained at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, assigned to the 104th Infantry. He was shipped overseas on May 9, 1918, where his unit served in France. The 104th, which was part of the 26th Division, suffered heavy casualties and participated in many offensives including Chemin Des Dames, Apremont, Campagne-Marne, Aisne Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne; Bell’s Military Abstract notes that he was not wounded during his duty. Bell was appointed first lieutenant on December 8, 1918. As per his family’s application to the War Department, which acknowledged his service in the 104th Infantry, Bell also served as a first lieutenant in the Supply Company of the 107th Infantry. The 107th was a regiment of the New York State National Guard that was called into federal service in 1917. They went overseas as part of the 27th Division. Bell returned to the United States on April 19, 1919, and was discharged on April 28, 1919.

The census of 1920 indicates that Bell was still living on West 18th Street with his parents and sister, and worked as an inspector. According to the census of 1930, he had married at age 30, lived at 308 West 18th Street, was a salesman in the trucking industry, and was a veteran of the World War. He died from heart failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As per his obituary, he was an employee of the Brazilian branch of the Electric Bond and Share Company of New York; the obituary noted that his body would be shipped home. As per the report of the American Consular Service, his embalmed body, as well as his personal effects, were to be shipped to his sister, Ruth Bell, who was an employee of that same company. On June 11, 1940, Ruth Bell applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her brother’s wartime service. Section 187, lot 18772, grave 3.

BELMER, LOUIS G. (1895-1980). Unknown rank, United States Army. Belmer was born in New York. As per the census of 1915, he was living in Queens. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs Death Files, Belmer enlisted in the United States Army on September 28, 1917, and served until his discharge on May 9, 1919. No other information is known.

The 1930 census reports that Belmer was married and lived at 5911 Fourth Avenue in a rental with his wife and daughter; that census reports that he owned a radio set, was a veteran of the World War and worked as a tax searcher for a real estate company. The census of 1940 notes that he was living with his wife, Christina, and teenage daughter at 5705 Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, where the rent was $23.00 per month. At that time, he was employed as a tax searcher at a trust company; that census noted that he had completed eighth grade and had earned $1,650 in 1939. Section 127, lot 16311, grave 3.

BENDIKSEN, JALMAR BENJAMIN (1895-1961). Private first class, 305 Infantry, Company M, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Kristiansand, Norway, Bendiksen immigrated to Brooklyn in about 1914. He was inducted into the United States Army on September 20, 1917, and assigned to Company M of the 305th Infantry, 77th Division, receiving his basic training at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. The 77th, known as the “Statue of Liberty Division” and consisting mostly of New York City draftees, was the first division composed of draftees to arrive in France in April 1918. Bendiksen shipped out with his unit on April 16. He was promoted to private first class on August 1, 1918, and saw action at Baccarat, Vesle, Oise-Aisne, and Meuse-Argonne. The 77th Division sustained 10,194 casualties during its service in France. Bendiksen was wounded on August 16, 1918, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. He returned from France on April 24, 1919, and was honorably discharged on May 9, 1919, upon his unit’s demobilization.

On June 6, 1919, Bendiksen became a naturalized citizen. The 1920 census shows that he was single, lived with his brother-in-law’s family in Brooklyn, and worked as a shipmate on a tug boat. In 1920, he applied for a passport to visit his parents in Europe and indicated that he was a naturalized citizen and had served in World War I. The 1940 census lists him as married with a son, living in a rented apartment on 78th Street in Brooklyn, having completed eighth grade, and working as a barge captain. His World War II Draft Registration Form, filed in 1942, reports that he lived at 473 78th Street in Brooklyn and worked for the Marine Department of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Jersey City; that document indicated that he had no telephone. He last lived at 473 78th Street in Brooklyn and died at the Brooklyn Veterans Hospital. One month after his death, his widow, Susan Bendiksen, applied for a government-issued headstone with Latin cross, citing her husband’s World War I service. Section 39, lot 38325.

BENNETT, CATHERINE MARY (1894-1931). Nurse, United States Army. A Brooklyn native, her obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes that she was educated there in the public schools, Manual Training High School (now known as John Jay), and was a 1915 graduate of the Nurses’ School of St. John’s Hospital. Bennett served as a nurse in the United States Army during World War I. She began her duty on March 18, 1918, and served at the Base Hospital at Camp Devens, Massachusetts though April 12, 1918. Bennett was shipped overseas to England and France and served at Base Hospital #37 from May 18, 1918 through February 1919, and subsequently at Base Hospital #119 until August 3, 1919. Bennett was at the Demobilization Station in New York City until August 27, 1919; her record states that she was a reserve nurse relieved from active duty but not discharged.

Her obituary notes that when Bennett returned to the United States, she became assistant director of nurses at St. John’s Hospital in 1922. The following year, she was appointed to missionary duty in Wu Chang China, at the Church General Hospital; she remained there during the Chinese Revolution of 1927 until all foreigners were forced to leave. She then was a missionary nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in the Philippines until September 1928; she returned to the United States at Seattle, Washington, from Manila, on the Empress of Asia. In 1929, she returned to China as a nurse at St. Andrew’s Hospital in Wu Sih. After falling ill, Bennett returned to New York in 1930 and spent the last year of her life working at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan and St. John’s Hospital in Brooklyn. She died at St. John’s Hospital; her funeral took place at the hospital’s chapel at 490 Herkimer Street. Section 197, lot 27363.

Catherine Mary Bennett-1923 Passport Photo.

BERBENICH, CHARLES JOHN (or L.) (1889-1938). Private, 343rd Machine Gun Battalion, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A New York City native, Berbenich had been working as a special deputy sheriff for Kings County when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. At that time, he was single and described himself as short and slender with blue eyes and brown hair; he then lived at 271 East 9th Street in Brooklyn. He was inducted into the United States Army on May 25, 1918, and was sent to Camp Hancock in Georgia for training with the Provisional Machine Gun Company 5. On July 29, 1918, he went overseas and was assigned to the 343rd Machine Gun Battalion, part of the 90th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces. The division was stationed in the IV Corps with headquarters in Neufchateau, France. They formed part of the Saint Mihiel salient, an area projecting into enemy territory surrounded on three sides by German forces. After the armistice on November 11, 1918, the unit moved into Germany on November 17 and stayed until demobilized on May 11, 1919. Berbenich returned to the United States on June 27, 1919, and was honorably discharged at Camp Upton, New York, on July 4.

After marrying in 1925, the census of 1930 reports that Berbenich lived at 1501 East 10th Street in Brooklyn, was employed as a chauffeur in the taxi industry, owned a radio set, and was a World War veteran. Berbenich last lived at 778 East 10th Street in Brooklyn. He died at the Veterans Hospital in the Bronx. The cause of his death was nephritis. Belle Berbenich, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem on July 11, 1939, citing her husband’s World War I service. Section 163, lot 14666.

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BERNTSEN, BERNARD (1896-1958). Seaman second class, United States Navy. Berntsen was born in Brooklyn, the son of immigrant parents from Norway. As per his Draft Registration Form of June 5, 1917, he was single, worked as a shipping clerk in Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, and lived at 562 49th Street in Brooklyn. The tall, medium-built young man with blue eyes and brown hair enlisted in the United States Navy on May 24, 1918, and was assigned to the Receiving Barracks, 2nd Naval District in Newport, Rhode Island, for training as a seaman second class. On August 27, 1918, Berntsen was transferred to a receiving ship in New York Harbor. During World War I, a receiving ship housed newly recruited sailors awaiting assignment. On October 21, 1918, he shipped out to the Naval Air Station at the port of Pauillac, France. The air station served as an assembly and repair facility until the end of the war. Berntsen returned to the States on November 11, 1918, the day of the armistice. He received his honorable discharge from 3rd Naval District Headquarters, New York City, on September 29, 1919.

According to the 1920 census, Berntsen was single, worked in the wholesale hardware business, and lived with his parents and five siblings on 6th Avenue in Brooklyn. The 1930 census shows him to be single, able to read and write, working as a clerk for the Gas Company, and living with his father and five siblings at 570 Senator Street in Brooklyn. The 1940 census reports that he was married and living with his wife and two sons in a rented apartment at 552 62nd Street in Brooklyn; he was employed in the shipping business and had completed 8th grade. Bernsten’s World War II Draft Registration Card notes that he worked for the Kresge Company and lived at 630 49th Street in Brooklyn. He last lived at 437 16th Street in Brooklyn. He died in a subway station; further details are not known. Section 134, lot 34462.

BLAD (or BLAB), HARRY CARL (1889-1927). Electrician second class, United States Navy. A Brooklyn native, the 1910 census reports that he was single, living in a boardinghouse on Pearl Street, and working as a bookkeeper for an electrical company. As per his Draft Registration Card in 1917 he was living at 29½ Eastern Avenue in Waterbury, Connecticut, and working as an electrician for the Scovill Manufacturing Company in Waterbury. At that time, he described himself as single, tall, slender, with blue eyes and brown hair. At the time of enlistment he was back in New York living at 2114 Tiebout Avenue in the Bronx. He entered the United States Navy on April 26, 1918, at the Naval Training Camp in Pelham Bay Park, New York, with the rank of electrician second class. As of July 31, 1918, he was on board the USS Wilhelmina, a receiving ship, where he was stationed until November 11, 1918. After the armistice, he was on inactive duty within the 3rd Naval District and received an honorable discharge on March 21, 1922.

The 1925 New York State census reports that Blad was an electrician, living in the Bronx. His last address was in Los Angeles, California. His death was attributed to electrocution. Shortly after his death, Elsie Blad, his widow, applied to the War Department for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Blad’s World War I service. Section 205, lot 31059, grave 3.

BLAISDELL, WILLIAM E. (1887-1918). Captain, 14th New York State National Guard, Company L; 106th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Originally from Gloucester, Massachusetts, Blaisdell joined the 14th New York State National Guard as a second lieutenant on January 15, 1909, rose to first lieutenant on November 11, and resigned on September 16, 1910. During a period of unrest between the United States and Mexico, he re-enlisted as a captain at the 14th Armory on June 27, 1916, and mustered into U.S. service on August 2. As per his muster roll for the Mexican Punitive Campaign of 1916-1917, an unsuccessful attempt to capture Pancho Villa which was ultimately handled diplomatically, Blaisdell was married and worked as a broker. He was 5′ 7½” tall with red hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. He mustered out with his company at Brooklyn on October 11, 1916.

During World War I, Blaisdell returned to the 14th National Guard on July 15, 1917, and was mustered into Federal service with the 106th Infantry (a unit that had its roots in the 23rd Regiment with strong support from the 14th Regiment). The 106th trained in Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, and Hoboken, New Jersey, before being sent overseas on May 21, 1918, to join the American Expeditionary Forces. Blaisdell was killed in action in France on September 29, 1918, along the Hindenburg Line, a German defensive position along their Western Front. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was awarded a silver star citation. George F. Blaisdell, his father, who lived at 45 Hampton Place in Brooklyn, was notified of his death. He last lived at 1807 Avenue K in Brooklyn. His body was returned to the United States and he was re-interred on March 20, 1921. Section 131, lot 32408, grave 3.

BLUNT, HAROLD EDMUND (1892-1971). Seaman, United States Navy. Blunt was born in East Orange, New Jersey. As per New York State National Guard Records, he served in the 4th Division, 2nd Battalion, Naval Militia, from June 14, 1912 through August 4, 1917. He apparently continued his service in the United States Navy during World War I. On September 25, 1919, he applied for a Seaman’s certificate of American Citizenship. As per that certificate, he had been discharged from the Navy at Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on September 6, 1919. He was described as 5′ 9″ tall with a ruddy complexion, light brown eyes, dark brown hair, and scars on his right wrist, upper lip and over his left eye. He had last served on the USS Lakeview which arrived in New York City on July 4, 1919. The Lakeview was a cargo ship that carried mines and other military supplies from Norfolk, Virginia, to Scotland for use on the North Sea Mine Barrage.

During the early 1920s, he was working on ships running from Tampico, Mexico, to New York; his name appears on the manifest of the George W. Barnes which arrived in New York City on September 24, 1923. On April 10, 1924, he married Madeline Carter in Brooklyn. The New York State census for 1925 reports that he lived in Brooklyn with his wife and was employed as a chief officer. As per the 1940 census, he lived at 7002 Ridge Boulevard in Brooklyn in a rental with his wife, had graduated high school, worked as a first mate and had earned $2,400 in 1939. Blunt’s World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, notes that lived with his wife at the same address on Ridge Boulevard, had a home telephone and worked for the American Oil Company in Carteret, New Jersey. Section 119, lot 158.

BOGGS, FRANK SEELY (1896-1952). Corporal, 114th Infantry, Company E, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Weston, New Jersey, Boggs’s Draft Registration Form, dated June 5, 1917, shows him to be tall, of medium build, with grey eyes and light hair. He was single, living in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and was employed as an auto machinist. Boggs claimed an exemption from the draft because his family depended on him for support. Nonetheless, he entered the Army on July 24, 1917, and was assigned to Company E of the 114th Infantry, 29th Division. The 29th, which was formed in 1917 and nicknamed the “Blue and Grey” division, and was deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. By June 1918, it was serving on the Western Front and joined the Meuse-Argonne offensive in September. During 21 days of combat, the 29th Division suffered 30 percent casualties. Before Boggs’s honorable discharge on May 16, 1919, he achieved the rank of corporal.

According to the 1930 census, Boggs was living at 122 Park Place in Bradley Beach, New Jersey, with his wife and two adult children, could read and write, was a World War veteran, and was employed as a machinist in the auto industry. His World War II Registration Card indicates that he was living in Neptune, New Jersey, had a telephone, and was a self-employed farmer. His last address was 400 Sycamore Street in Neptune, New Jersey. Shortly after his death, Mary K. Boggs, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Boggs’s World War I service. Section 156, lot 24847.

BOTHWELL, HAROLD EWING (1886–1918). Second lieutenant, 306th Infantry; sergeant, Headquarters Department; private, 350th Machine Gun Battalion, Company C, United States Army, American Expeditionary Forces. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Bothwell attended P.S. 78 and Manual Training High School (now John Jay High School). According to the 1910 census, he was single, living with his parents and brother, Roy Bothwell (see), and employed as a linotype machinist for a printing house. By the time he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, he was married and was working as a supervisor in the printing business. His Draft Registration Card lists him as tall and of medium build with grey eyes and brown hair. Bothwell was inducted into the army on September 19, 1917, assigned to Company C of the 350th Machine Gun Battalion, transferred to the Headquarters Detachment on November 2, and was promoted to private first class on November 15. Subsequent promotions were to corporal on December 3, and to sergeant on June 15, 1918.

According to New York Abstracts of World War I Military Service records, Bothwell was discharged to accept a commission prior to leaving for overseas duty. Bothwell was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 306th Infantry on July 12, 1918. As per an article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on August 9, 1918, he had graduated from officers’ training school at Camp Upton, Long Island. He was killed in action on August 14, 1918, in the Bois de Dole, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, an area of much carnage in France throughout the entire war. His father, Thomas Bothwell, was notified of his death. The article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that he was named on the Baptist Temple Honor Roll. His last residence was 167 Wycoff Street in Brooklyn. After his remains were returned to the United States, he was re-interred on June 5, 1921. Section 187, lot 35771, grave 2.

Harold E. Bothwell
Harold E. Bothwell

BOTHWELL, HAROLD SOMEINLLE  (1893–1921). Private, 150th Machine Gun Battalion, Company D, 306th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in New York City to John and Ellen (Nellie) née Someinlle Bothwell, he was baptized at the Ascension Memorial Church in New York City on December 24, 1893, when he was two months old. As per the 1900 census, Harold was living at 449 St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx with his parents, sister and maternal grandmother. The 1905 New York State census shows that he was living with his parents and three younger siblings in the Bronx. At the time of the 1910 census, Harold was attending school and the family was living on East 141st Street in the Bronx.

Bothwell’s Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, in Westchester County, New York, shows that he was employed as a railroad office clerk at the Barclay Street Freight Station prior to military service. At that time, he lived at 144 South 13th Avenue in Mount Vernon and described himself as single, of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. He indicated that he helped support his father, mother and brother.

Bothwell was inducted into the Army on September 10, 1917, at Mount Vernon, New York. According to his World War I Veterans’ Service Data for Westchester County, he was a private in Company D of  the 150th Machine Gun Battalion and detached to basic training at Camp Upton on Long Island before shipping out to France from Hoboken, New Jersey, on February 17, 1918, with the 306th Infantry. Bothwell fought in all the major U.S. engagements: Champagne, Alsace Lorraine, St. Mihiel, and Chateau Thierry, and was slightly wounded on September 12, 1918. He returned to the States on April 20, 1919, and was discharged at Camp Upton on April 26.

As per the 1920 census, he was living with his parents and siblings at 142 East 3rd Street in Mount Vernon, New York, and worked as an office clerk in the railroad industry. His obituary in the New York Herald confirms his service in World War I. His last residence was 144 South 13th Avenue, Mount Vernon. Bothwell died of a chronic cardiac condition at Fox Hill Hospital on Staten Island. Section 17, lot 17245, grave 1441.

BOTHWELL, ROY ACKERMAN (1890-1918). Second lieutenant, United States Coast Guard. Bothwell is not buried at Green-Wood; a cenotaph honoring his memory is in the family’s lot. A Brooklyn native, Bothwell graduated from Manual Training High School (now known as John Jay High School) in Brooklyn in 1908 and was appointed to the Training School of the Revenue Cutter Service at Fort Trumball in New London, Connecticut, being one of two men selected from 120 applicants. The census of 1910 lists him as living in Brooklyn with his parents and older brother, Harold (see). Roy Bothwell graduated from training at Fort Trumball in 1911 and was assigned as a lieutenant to the Rush. He then was assigned to the Thetis where he spent three years in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea. In 1914, he was assigned to the USS Tampa, a Coast Guard cutter.

Although re-assigned in the fall of 1918 to the USS Algonquin, Bothwell requested that he remain on the Tampa because of his friendship with its captain, Charles Satterlee, a request granted by the Navy. He was among the 14 men from Brooklyn and Long Island reported as missing and lost at sea when the Tampa was torpedoed in the English Channel on September 26, 1918; everyone on board perished. As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on October 4, 1918, Bothwell was the oldest officer in terms of service on the US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa and had just recently been promoted to senior lieutenant. His elder brother, Harold E. Bothwell (see), was a first lieutenant in Company K of the 306th Infantry, and received his commission while under fire in Lorraine, France. Roy last lived at 167 Wycoff Street in Brooklyn. A cenotaph to all the men lost on the Tampa is at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Bothwell is also remembered on Tablets of the Missing at Brookwood American Cemetery in Brookwood, England. In addition, he is memorialized with a tree honoring him and other local World War I heroes on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. Section 187, lot 35771.

BOWNE (or BONNE), HAROLD S. (1895-1958). Private first class, 305th Infantry, Company B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A Brooklynite by birth, Bowne attended Boys Commercial High School there. Bowne was inducted into the United States Army at Local Board 22 on February 27, 1918, and was assigned to Company B of the 305th Infantry Regiment. Subsequently, he was transferred to Headquarters Company of the 305th. On April 16, 1918, he went overseas with the unit as part of the 77th Infantry Division under the command of Major General George Duncan. In June of that year, Bowne was promoted to private first class. The 77th Infantry was assigned to the II Corps and participated in the second battle of the Somme and the third battle of Albert, mostly serving alongside the New Zealand Division and the Australian Corps. After the armistice in November, they were reassigned to the 3rd Army before being demobilized on February 1, 1919. On July 29, 1919, Bowne returned to the United States and on August 4, 1919, he was honorably discharged.

According to the 1930 census, Bowne was single, living in Brooklyn at 493 Decatur Street with his mother, was a World War veteran and was employed as a manager at a steam company. As per his Draft Registration Form for World War II in 1942, he was still living at 493 Decatur Street, was not employed and had a telephone. He last lived at 493 Decatur Street. On April 8, 1958, shortly after his death, Frida Bowne applied for a government-issued gravestone citing Bowne’s World War I service. Section 95, lot 9952.

BOYD, ARNOLD R. (1892–1922). Private first class, School of Military Aeronautics, United States Army. Born in South Carolina, Boyd relocated to New York City. On February 6, 1918, he joined the Army as a private first class at the Enlisted Reserve Corps in New York City. Boyd was sent to the Aviation Concentration Center in Dallas, Texas, until June 27 when he was assigned to the School of Military Aeronautics in Austin, Texas. He did not see service abroad and was honorably discharged on December 13, 1918. According to the 1920 census, he was single and worked as a lawyer. Boyd’s last residence was 56 8th Avenue, New York City. He died at the U.S. Naval Hospital. Section 126, lot 5047, grave 508.

BOYLE, ROBERT JOSEPH (1897-1938). Fireman third class, United States Navy. A Brooklyn native, he lived at 3130 Ocean Avenue when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. As per his Draft Registration Card, Boyle was described as of medium height, slender build, with brown eyes and brown hair. At that time, he was working as a clerk for Bert McLaughlin on Ocean Avenue. He joined the United States Navy and served from April 16, 1918 through May 5, 1919, achieving the rank of fireman third class aboard the USS Agamemnon, a troopship that delivered soldiers to the front and later brought troops home to the United States.

According to the 1920 census, Boyle lived with his mother and two brothers and was employed as a teacher; he lived at 3130 Ocean Avenue at the time of the New York State census of 1925. He last lived at 3130 Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. On March 14, 1938, he was found drowned at the foot of Gain Court and Broad Creek in Brooklyn. Upon his death, his mother, Margaret Boyle, applied to the War Department for a government-issued gravestone, citing her son’s service in the World War. Section 188, lot 15886.

BOYLES, ROBERT EDWIN (1899-1947). Rank unknown, United States Navy. Boyles was born in Mannington, West Virginia. According to the 1910 census, the family was living in Franklin Township in Greene County, Pennsylvania; they were living in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, on September 12, 1918, as per Boyle’s World War I Draft Registration Card. That document states that he was a college student who had gray eyes, brown hair and was of medium height and build. Boyles enlisted in the United States Navy in September 1918. Three months after his enlistment, he was discharged from active duty on December 12, 1918, whereupon he entered the United States Naval Reserve.

In 1923, when he resided in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, he applied for a passport in order to accept a job as a teacher at the American School Foundation in Mexico City; he indicated that his wife would accompany him and that he would visit Mexico and Cuba. The school that hired Boyle utilized the most up-to-date teaching methods that were then in use in the United States. He registered at the American Consulate in Mexico City in July 1923 when he began his teaching position; at that time he reported that he had never before resided outside of the United States. He remained active in the Navy Reserves throughout his life. During World War II, he held the rank of lieutenant commander and was commanding officer of a training unit in the Navy V-12 program designed to supplement the number of officers in the Navy and the Marine Corps. He was discharged from the Reserves on December 20, 1945. He last lived at 17 Park Avenue in Manhattan. In August 1948, his family applied for a government-issued upright marble headstone citing Boyles’s service in World Wars I and II. Section 192, lot 23517, grave 1.

boyles-robert-stone

BRAUN, JOHN MELVIN (1893-1930). Sergeant, 306th Infantry, Company B, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native New Yorker, he was living with his family in Brooklyn on Pacific Street, as per the 1910 census. Braun’s Draft Registration Form, dated June 5, 1917, shows him to be single, of medium height and build, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. At that time, he was living on Sedgwick Place in Brooklyn and employed as a clerk with Johnson and Higgins, an insurance company. Braun was inducted into the United States Army on December 6, 1917, and, after training, was assigned to Company B of the 306th Infantry, 77th Division. The 77th was known familiarly as the “Statue of Liberty Division” because it was composed mostly of New York City recruits. It was also the first division made up of draftees to arrive in France. Braun was promoted to corporal on January 15, 1918, before shipping out to France on April 6, and then was promoted to sergeant on July 23, 1918. The 77th Division saw action at Chateau-Thierry and Meuse-Argonne, sustaining over 10,000 casualties during its eight months of wartime service in France. Braun returned from France on April 25, 1919, and received his honorable discharge on May 9, 1919, upon demobilization of the 77th Division.

According to the 1920 census, Braun was single, living on Sedgwick Place in Brooklyn with his parents and six siblings, and was employed as a clerk in the insurance industry. His last residence was 6650 Sedgwick Place in Brooklyn. On November 11, 1938, Helen Braun applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem for John Braun, citing his World War service. Section D, lot 21261.

Badges of the 77th Division

BRIGGS, HERBERT MILLIGAN (1895-1988). Corporal, 105th Field Artillery, Battery A, American Expeditionary Forces, New York State National Guard. Briggs was born in Brooklyn. According to the 1900 census, he lived with his parents and younger sister, Mabel, on Lefferts Avenue in Queens. The census of 1910 reports that he still lived on Lefferts Avenue in Queens with his parents and younger sister. As per the Mexican Punitive Campaign Muster Roll for the New York National Guard, Briggs enlisted as a private at Brooklyn on May 15, 1916, mustered into Company A of the 2nd Heavy Artillery on June 30, and mustered out with his battery at New York City on January 12, 1917. He was just shy of 5′ 5″ tall with blue eyes, brown hair a dark complexion and worked as a bank clerk. He then lived with his mother at 605 West 112th Street in New York City.  

Briggs’s Draft Registration Card, filed in Brooklyn on June 5, 1917, reports that he lived at 62 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn, was supporting his mother, was single and was not presently employed. He indicated that he had previously served as a private in the New York State National Guard. His Registrar’s Report shows that he was of medium height and build with blue eyes and light brown hair with no disabilities or baldness.

Records from the Department of Veterans Affairs state that he enlisted in the United States Army on July 3, 1917 and was discharged on April 3, 1919. His World War I Abstract of National Guard Service shows that he mustered into Battery A of the 2nd Field Artillery on July 11; that unit was re-designated on October 1, 1917, as Company A of the 105th Field Artillery. Briggs is on the manifest of the USS Madawaska which departed from Newport News, Virginia, on June 30, 1918. A corporal, he was assigned to Headquarters Company, 105th Field Artillery, 27th Division; he was assigned to the Headquarters Company until July 23, when he was reassigned to Battery A. The aforementioned abstract and his New York Abstract of World War I Military Service note that he served overseas until March 13, 1919. He was listed as a private when his unit was demobilized on April 3 and he was officially discharged.

As per the 1920 census, he lived on Union Street in Brooklyn with his mother, Mary née Scott, and sisters, was single and was employed as a salesman of automobile tires. When he applied for a passport in 1925, Briggs wrote that he had been in China and Japan from November 30, 1921 through November 22, 1923 and was a salesman. He planned to take a trip to China and Japan for commercial business for the Liggett Myers Tobacco Company and would sail aboard the President Lincoln on March 7, 1925, from San Francisco, California; he indicated that he would return to the United States within three years. His home address was 902 Union Street in Brooklyn. In August 1926, he departed Shanghai, China, on the Empress of Russia and arrived in Seattle, Washington.

On May 10, 1930, he married Norine (Nora) Helen Burke in Brooklyn; they had no children. Briggs’s World War II Draft Registration Card, dated 1942, reports that he still lived at 902 Union Street in Brooklyn, had a home telephone and worked for the Smith-Meeker Engineering Company at 125 Barkley Street in Manhattan. He listed Harriet B. Scott, relationship unknown, who lived at the same address, as his emergency contact. Section 189, lot 16207.

BRISTOW, ARTHUR ESTELL (1895-1918) Seaman second class, United States Navy. Born in Bristol, Rhode Island, he attended Columbia University in New York City, as per the school’s 1913 year book. He worked for the Brooklyn Trust Company before enlisting in the Naval Reserve. Bristow’s 1917 Draft Registration Card shows him to be single, tall and slender, with grey eyes and dark brown hair. He was employed in building construction in New York City. On January 22, 1918, Bristow went to the Naval Recruiting Station in Brooklyn and enrolled as a seaman second class. From February 5 to April 2, he attended the Naval Training Camp at Pelham Bay, New York. On April 2, he was admitted to the base’s Naval Hospital where he succumbed to phthisis (tuberculosis) on June 15, 1918. He was a member of the Sheepshead Bay M.E. Church and last lived at 1021 Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. Section 131, lot 34800, grave 1.

BROOKS, JR., JOHN J. (1898-1958). Corporal, Fort Hamilton, Company 26; Fort Tilden, Companies 27 and 15, Coast Defenses of Southern New York, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, Brooks enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Hamilton on August 3, 1918. He lived at 547 18th Street at that time. He served there in Company 26 and was promoted to corporal on October 17. On November 23, Brooks was transferred to Fort Tilden and assigned to Company 27 of Southern New York and then, on December 18, re-assigned to Company 15, Coast Defenses of Southern New York. While Fort Hamilton pre-dates the Civil War, Fort Tilden was established in 1917 to fortify the peninsula at Rockaway, New York. Its defenses initially consisted of two six inch pedestal mounted batteries. When the war ended on November 11, 1918, most of the troops stationed there were re-assigned; Brooks was part of a small contingent of soldiers who remained on site as caretakers, until his honorable discharge on March 20, 1919.

According to the census of 1930, Brooks was married, lived in a rented apartment with his wife and infant daughter at 19 East 21st Street in Brooklyn, owned a radio set and was a veteran of the World War. He worked as a trust officer in the banking business. By 1935, he and his family moved to Westchester, New York, where they owned their home at 60 Fernwood Road in Mamaroneck and he continued to be employed in the banking business; in 1940, he earned $5,000 a year and had completed four years of college. Brooks died in Florida where his last residence was 10387 51st Street in St. Petersburg. Five months after his death, on September 16, 1958, Florence Brooks, his widow, applied for a government-issued gravestone with no religious marking, citing his World War I service. Section 39, lot 38325, grave 329.

BROSTROM, GUSTAVE (or GEORGE) ADOLPH (1896-1960). Private first class, 336th Field Artillery, Headquarters Company; Military Police, 250th Company, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Antrim, Pennsylvania, Brostrom was employed as a comptometer (key-driven calculator) operator by the Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh Railroad when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. His Draft Registration Card indicates that he was single, of medium height and build with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was inducted into the United States Army at Rochester, New York, on May 26, 1918, and assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 336th Field Artillery. At that time, he lived at 49 Vick Park in Rochester. He shipped out to France on August 27, 1918, was re-assigned to the 250th Company of the Military Police on November 29, and was promoted to private first class on December 3, 1918. Brostrom returned home on June 28, 1919, and received an honorable discharge on July 3, 1919.

According to the 1920 census, Brostrom was a lodger in Washington, D.C., and worked as an auto mechanic. His World War II Draft Registration Card of 1942 shows that he was married, had a telephone, lived at 7511 Colonial Road in Brooklyn, and was employed by the Wall Street brokerage firm of Harris Upham & Company. He still lived at 7511 Colonial Road at the time of his death. On March 22, 1961, Lillian Brostrom, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with no religious emblem, citing her husband’s World War I service. Section 39, lot 38325, grave 919.

brostrom-artillery

BROWN, GEORGE (1876-1931). Chief water tender, United States Navy. Brown was born in Brooklyn. When Brown enlisted in the United States Navy on February 10, 1917, he was living at 394 19th Street in Brooklyn. As per his Military Abstract for World War I, he enlisted in the United States Navy aboard a receiving ship in New York City; receiving ships were berthed in the harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they were assigned to a ship. He first served aboard the USS Jenkins from April 6, 1917 to November 14, 1917, when he transferred to the USS Jarvis and served aboard that vessel until October 26, 1918, with the rank of water tender. A water tender, also called a fireman or stoker, tended to the fires and boilers in a ship’s engine room. From October 26 to November 11 1918, Armistice Day, he served on a receiving ship in Philadelphia as chief water tender. Brown was discharged from the Navy on January 5, 1921. His last address was 394 19th Street. He succumbed to pneumonia at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. On November 19, 1931, Esther Bennert, who also lived at 394 19th Street, applied to the War Department for a government-issued headstone, citing Brown’s service in the Navy during the World War. Section 48, lot 5246.

BURNHAM, ELLIOTT RUE (1898-1950). Yeoman first class, United States Naval Reserves. Burnham was born in New York. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service and the application for a government-issued bronze marker, he enlisted as a yeoman third class at the New York Navy Yard on April 16, 1917. At that time, he lived at 1434 Carroll Street in Brooklyn. His first service, from April 17, 1917 through October 1, 1917, was at the headquarters of the 3rd Naval District of New York. From October 1, 1917 through October 4, 1918, Burnham was stationed as a yeoman second class at the Provision & Clothing Depot at Brooklyn. Subsequently, he was a yeoman first class at the District Detail Office from October 4, 1918 through October 8, 1918. Then, from October 8, 1918 through November 11, 1918, he was at the Naval Unit at Tufts College in Boston, Massachusetts. The application for his headstone indicates that the initial discharge date was December 20, 1918. A secondary discharge date of April 15, 1921, was written in. Historically, yeomen kept storerooms for the ship’s gunners, carpenters and boatswains; currently, they perform administrative and clerical duties.

According to an online family tree, he lived with his family at Fort Thomas in Campbell, Kentucky, in 1920. On June 11, 1923, he married Katharine Lagergren in New York City. At the time of the 1930 and 1940 federal censuses and 1935 Ohio State census, the couple lived in Terrace Park in Hamilton, Ohio. He filed a World War II Draft Registration Card at 44 years of age in 1942 when he lived in Birmingham, Michigan (Terrace Park was crossed out); that document listed no home telephone or workplace and indicated that his wife, who lived in Terrace Park, was his emergency contact.

As per his obituary in the Cincinnati [Ohio] Enquirer, Burnham last lived at 7100 Wing Lake Road in Birmingham, Michigan. His funeral took place at Christ Church in Cranbrook, Michigan. He was survived by his wife, Katharine, two daughters (one of whom was married in 1944), and a son. On October 30, 1950, about five weeks after his death on September 24, an application was made for a government-issued bronze marker from White Chapel Memorial Association Cemetery in Birmingham, Michigan. His online family tree indicates burial at Birmingham, Michigan; that may be his original burial site. He was buried at Green-Wood on October 30, 1950. The 1960 Birmingham Michigan Directory lists Katharine Burnham as the widow of Elliott living at 620 Bloomfield Court, Apartment 3. Section 10, lot 4199.

BUSH, IRVING T. (1869-1948). Businessman and chief executive of the War Board of the Port of New York. Born in Ridgway, Michigan, Bush entered his father’s oil refinery business at the age of nineteen. He rose to secretary of his father’s firm, and upon his father’s death he inherited a fortune and two large lots on the Brooklyn waterfront. These lots had been used for the dumping of ash and other refuse from the refinery. In 1902, despite those who called it “Bush’s Folly” because they believed that it was too far from transportation and therefore doomed to failure, he founded Bush Terminal Co. This soon grew into a city unto itself, with its own railroad system, steam and power plants, and its own fire department. In its heyday, Bush Terminal covered over 200 acres, had twenty-one miles of railway, 125 warehouses, eighteen industrial buildings, 300 manufacturing and wholesale businesses, and eight of the largest piers in the world.

In 1918, Bush’s mastery of transportation matters resulted in his appointment as chief of embarkation for the Port of New York, director of the Harbor and Terminal Facility, and chief executive of the War Board of the Port of New York. He established systems for the adjacent Brooklyn Army base which allowed for the dispatch and return of millions of troops during World Wars I and II. He was the president of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York (1922-24) and also served as its vice president. Section 149, lot 27409.

Irving Bush

BYRNES, WILLIAM HARRISON (1888-1918). Private, 58th Infantry, Company 4; 116th Infantry, Company K, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Byrnes was born in Brooklyn. As per his Draft Registration Card filed on June 5, 1917, he was living at 989 Hancock Street in Brooklyn, and was described as single, 5′ 6″ tall, 138 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. At that time, he was working as an electro-typer, a tradesman who created metal plates used in printing, at a company located at 504 West 24th Street in Manhattan. Byrnes was inducted into the United States Army on May 3, 1918, and trained at Camp McClellan, Alabama, in Company 4 of the 58th Infantry. He was then assigned to Company K of the 116th Infantry Regiment on May 10, and went overseas on June 15, 1918. The 116th became part of the 29th Infantry Division and sailed for Europe aboard the USS Finland disembarking at Saint-Nazaire in France. They fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Taken ill with colitis, Byrnes died on November 7, 1918, a few days before the armistice was signed. His father, William Byrnes, was notified of his death. He was buried in France and was subsequently returned to the United States where he was re-interred on November 6, 1920. On September 26, 1927, Mrs. Rose Byrnes of 989 Hancock Street, most likely his mother, applied to the War Department for a government-issued headstone, citing William’s service in the 116th Infantry. Section 189, lot 17560.

CALDWELL, SAMUEL CAMERON SMITH (or SAMUEL C. S.) (1887-1955). Private, 51st Pioneer Infantry, Company B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A New Yorker by birth, Caldwell was single, according to the 1910 census, single, living at 125th Street in Manhattan with his parents and four siblings, and employed as a driver for a linen supply company. His Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, shows him to be of medium height and build, with brown eyes and hair, and working as a motor engineer for the Interborough Rapid Transit. He lived at 267 West 140th Street at that time. On May 28, 1918, Caldwell was inducted into the United States Army and assigned to Company B of the 51st Pioneer Infantry as a private. Consisting of mostly New York recruits, the 51st trained at Camp Wadsworth in South Carolina to provide engineering support for the 4th Corps, which was headed for service in France. The 51st arrived at Brest, France, on August 8, 1918, and saw action at St. Mihiel. Caldwell’s New York State Military Abstract for World War I shows that he served in France from July 27, 1918 until May 25, 1919. Caldwell was awarded a Victory medal and received an honorable discharge on June 19, 1919.

Upon his return to civilian life, the census for 1920 shows that Caldwell lived with his parents and two adult siblings on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan and was employed as a motorman for an electric railroad. The 1940 census recorded that he remained single and lived with his parents on University Avenue in the Bronx where the rent was $50 per month, had completed an eighth grade education, and earned $2,280 that year. At that time, he was a motorman for the subway system. His World War II Draft Registration Card of 1942 indicates that he was working as a motorman for New York City Board of Transportation and lived at 1974 University Avenue in the Bronx. He last lived at 2047 Webster Avenue in the Bronx; he died at Kingsbridge Veterans Hospital in the Bronx. On January 3, 1956, Emily Harris applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Caldwell’s World War I service. Section C, lot 35820, grave 1.

CAMPBELL, DOUGLAS NORMAN (1895-1918). Sergeant, 104th Machine Gun Battalion, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army; private, 1st New York State Cavalry, Sanitary Detachment, New York State National Guard. A native of Brooklyn, the 1910 census reports that he was single and living on St. Marks Avenue with his parents and two siblings. As per his obituary, Campbell was a graduate of P.S. 9 and attended both Boys and Commercial High Schools. He was a choirboy at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn and later became a well-known church singer, featured as a baritone soloist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan. On July 9, 1917, Campbell enlisted as a private in the New York State National Guard and was assigned to the Sanitary Detachment, 1st New York State Cavalry. After the National Guard was federalized and reorganized, Campbell was assigned to the Sanitary Detachment, 104th Machine Gun Battalion, which was part of the 27th Division. The 27th was nicknamed “The New York Division.” Promoted to sergeant on April 8, 1918, Campbell arrived in France on May 17, 1918, and saw combat in both Belgium and France.

On November 18, 1918, a week after the war ended, Campbell succumbed to pneumonia at the Army base hospital at Rouen, France. His last residence was 1230 Carroll Street in Brooklyn. His remains were returned home in July 0f 1921, and were re-interred at Green-Wood on July 19. According to his obituary in The Brooklyn Eagle, dated July 17, 1921, Campbell was a member of the Apollo Club, which dedicated a tree in his memory in front of its clubhouse on Greene and Carlton Avenues in Brooklyn. Section 199, lot 28803.

CAMPBELL, DUNCAN (1893-1918). First lieutenant, 309th Infantry, Company M, 78th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Campbell is not buried at Green-Wood; his memory is honored by a cenotaph in his family’s lot. Campbell was born in Brooklyn. As per his Draft Registration Card, filed at Manual Training High School (now John Jay High School), he was a lawyer who worked for a firm at 350 Fulton Street in Brooklyn and lived at 319 8th Street. Campbell described himself as slender, of medium height with blue eyes and black hair. During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the 309th Infantry which was assigned to the 78th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces. On November 1, 1918, he was mortally wounded at Grand Pre, France, and died three days later. His name is listed among those buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France (Plot A, Row 1, Grave 6); the cenotaph at Green-Wood notes that the location is at Villers-Daucourt, France. Section ?, lot ?.

CARD, HUBERT (or HURBERT, HERBERT, HUKET) VAN WAGENEN (1887-1965). Captain, New Jersey Infantry, United States Army. Card was born in New York City and lived there until 1900 when the family lived in Montclair, New Jersey. The 1910 census reports that he was single, lived in Manhattan with his parents and siblings and had attended school. He is listed in the 1911 yearbook, Haversack, of the Manlius School in Manlius, New York. The 1915 New Jersey State census indicates that he was single, lived at 412 Mount Pleasant Way in West Orange and worked in a pantry. His Draft Registration Card, filed in Montclair, New Jersey, in June 1917, indicates that he lived at 46 Highland Avenue in Montclair, was single and worked as a salesman. He described himself as sound, tall, of slight build with blue eyes and brown hair. Card’s marker at Green-Wood is inscribed, “Captain, New Jersey Infantry, World War I.”

As per the 1920 census, Card was married, lived on Harlem Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, and worked as a contractor for street contracting work. At the time of the 1940 census, he lived with his wife and son in a house that he owned which was valued at $5,500 at 11 Gates Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey. That census states that he was a college graduate, was in the real estate business, and had earned $1,000 in 1939. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he lived with his wife at the Gates Avenue address, had a home telephone, and worked in Belleville, New Jersey. He still lived at the Gates Avenue address at the time the Montclair Directory of 1957 was printed.

On September 6, 1960, Card applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. He indicated that he was the great-grandson of Captain Amariah Williams of Watertown, Massachusetts, who later lived in Storrs, Connecticut. As per Card’s application, a Connecticut history of its men in the American Revolution noted that Captain Williams led fifteen men who, after 33 days, needed arms, food, clothing and transportation. Card’s application also noted that he was the great-grandson of Captain William Williams and Captain Isaac Williams. He died in New York. Section 107, lot 65.

CASTLE, LEONARD S. (1893-1940). Private, 306th Regiment, Headquarters Company; Development Battalion, Company G, United States Army. Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Castle was educated through the fourth year of high school. At the time of his enlistment on December 8, 1917, at Brooklyn Local Board 66, he was married with a three-year-old daughter and lived at 2257 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. He was sent to Camp Upton, New York, where he remained for the rest of his time in the military. He was in Headquarters Company of the 306th Regiment until April 20, 1918, whereupon he transferred to Company G, Development Battalion at Camp Upton. As per the application for a government-issued headstone, Castle’s military service was listed as the 1st Company, 5th Brigade of the Enlisted Ordnance Corps. He was honorably discharged on January 8, 1919, on demobilization of forces; he did not serve overseas.

According to the 1930 census, Castle was working as a contractor in concrete, was living at 1135 East 28th Street, Brooklyn, a house that he owned, worth $14,000, and was a World War survivor. The 1940 census reports that the Castles were still living at the same address with their daughter and son-in-law and that his annual income was $2,000. He last lived at the East 28th Street address but died at 6 Woods Place in Brooklyn. The cause of his death was asphyxia. On November 13, 1940, Ruby Castle, his widow, applied for a marble headstone with Christian emblem, citing her husband’s World War service. Section 143, lot 31179.

CHEVALIER, EDWARD M. (or B.) (1894-1939). Corporal, Gas Defense Plant, United States Army. Chevalier was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. As per his Draft Registration Card dated June 5, 1917, he described himself as of medium height, slender build with blue eyes and brown hair. At that time, he lived at 12 Lott Street in Jersey City. He worked as an assistant ticketing agent for the Pullman Company in New York City. Chevalier claimed exemption from the draft noting that his parents were dependent upon him for support. Nonetheless, he entered the United States Army on March 12, 1918, and was assigned to the Gas Defense Plant, Field Testing Section. This unit was responsible for developing, testing and supplying offensive weapons using toxic or noxious gases, and developing defensive countermeasures. During his service, he attained the rank of corporal. He was discharged from the Army on December 18, 1918.

As per the census of 1920, Chevalier was single, living on Lott Street in Jersey City with his parents, and employed as a railroad clerk; he is listed as a clerk in the 1920 New York City Directory. The 1930 census notes that he was married, lived in a rental at 123 Glenwood Avenue in Jersey City, worked as a lifesaver in the hotel industry and owned a radio set. He last lived at 212 Duncan Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey. His death was attributed to a brain tumor. Richard Chevalier, a family member, applied for a government-issued upright headstone on October 31, 1939, citing Edward’s World War I service. Section 206, lot 31615, grave 1.

CHURCH, HOWARD ARLINGTON (1899-1918). Private, 14th New York State National Guard, Company L; 106th Infantry, Company D, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A lifelong Brooklynite, Church enlisted at Brooklyn on July 23, 1917, and joined Company L of the 14th New York State National Guard. On October 15, 1917, he was transferred into Company D of the 106th Infantry and sent overseas on May 10, 1918. Church fought in the Battles of Dickebusch Lake and Kimmel in Belgium, the Hindenburg Line, and Cambrai-St. Quentin. He was killed in action in France on September 27, 1918. Annie Church, his mother, was notified about his death. He last lived at 328 40th Street in Brooklyn. His body was returned to New York and he was re-interred on March 20, 1921; he was moved to the current location on April 14, 1933. Section 129, lot 37341, grave 3.

CLARK, CHARLES K. (1889-1939). Corporal, Motor Transport Corps, Mechanical Repair Shop 301, Provisional Company No. 2; private, 302nd Engineers, Company A; American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Clark, a New York native, was inducted into the United States Army on September 29, 1917, and initially assigned to Company A of the 302 Engineers until November 8, 1917, at which time he transferred into Repair Unit 301 of the Motor Transport Corps. At the time of his induction, he lived at 234 East 69th Street in Manhattan. On June 4, 1918, he departed from Hoboken, New Jersey, on the USS Mercury, for France; he was listed as a private assigned to Mechanical Repair Shop 301, Provisional Company No. 2. At that time, Clark listed his friend, Albert Anderson, as the person closest to him. On May 8, 1919, he was promoted to corporal. On June 11, 1919, he departed from Brest, France, aboard the USS Cap Finisterre, and arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey; Clark was listed as a corporal in the Motor Transport Corps. He was discharged on June 18, 1919. He last lived at 364 Franklin Avenue in Hempstead, New York. His death was attributed to paralytic ileus, obstruction of the intestine. On November 15, 1919, Chestine Clark applied for a government-issued headstone citing Charles Clark’s service in the Motor Transport Corps. A Masonic symbol was later carved on his gravestone. Section 137, lot 31029.

CLINTON, EDGAR O. (1891-1918). Private, 116th Infantry, Company K, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Clinton’s Draft Registration Card shows that he was single, living in Brooklyn, and was employed as a publisher of factory forms. He was tall, slender, and had blue eyes and light colored hair. On May 3, 1918, Clinton was inducted into the Army and assigned to Company K of the 116th Infantry on May 22. The 116th was part of the 29th Infantry Division, known as the “Blue and Grey” division, and saw extensive combat during the war. Clinton shipped out to France on June 15, 1918, and saw action at Haute, Alsace, Malbranch Hill, Molleville Farm, Boise d’ Ormont, Grand Montague, Etraye Ridge, Boise Belleu, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne. He survived horrific combat, but succumbed to lobar pneumonia on November 23, 1918, less than two weeks after the end of the war. His last residence was 10 Garfield Place in Brooklyn. His remains were returned to the United States in July 1921, and he was re-interred on July 23, 1918. Section 130, lot 35262.

CONNOR, JAMES ROSWELL (1891-1958). Second lieutenant, 105th Field Artillery Regiment, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. James Roswell Connor was born in Brooklyn to James and Priscilla (née Whittingham) Connor; his birth certificate notes an address of 419 Classon Avenue. He lived in Brooklyn with his parents at the times of the 1900, 1905, and 1910 censuses. The 1910 census reports that the family was living in Brooklyn at 240 Quincy Street. James had a younger sister, Edith; a servant and boarder lived in the household. According to the 1910 census, James was single and worked as a bookkeeper in a decorating store. His parents, maternal grandmother, 10 year old sister and a servant lived with the family. The 1913 Brooklyn Directory lists James as a manager living at 549 Greene Street. Only he and his parents are listed as a part of the household in the 1915 New York State census.

On June 27, 1908, The Chat reported that 16-year-old Connor won a declamation (speech) contest at Commercial High School; he then lived at 549 Greene Street. His selection was “An Olive Wreath.” The $15 prize was sponsored by the Ki Ki Ki Fraternity. That article also noted that Connor had previously won second place in a recent contest and that he played Egerton Brown in the school play, “An American Citizen,” at the Majestic Theater. James’s name appeared in the 1909 yearbook of Commercial High School. On February 10, 1910, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on an amateur production by the Brooklyn Academy of Musical Art Dramatic Society; Connor appeared in “My Turn Next,” the second of the three sketches.

On June 3, 1917, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced the engagement of Hannah Goodwin, a student at Packer Institute, class of 1918, to James Connor at 549 Greene Avenue in Brooklyn.  Ms. Goodwin’s parents hosted a tea, dinner and reception at their home at 1970 Bushwick Avenue, considered one of the finest residences in Bushwick which was owned by the Goodwin family for forty-eight years. Hannah was described as a “very attractive girl” who had been in the Society pages frequently. James’s uncle was noted as a well-known musician. Party decorations were in green and white and Hannah wore a pale yellow chiffon dress. Twelve Packer girls assisted on the receiving line at the tea. On June 6, 1917, the Standard Union announced their engagement as did the Brooklyn Life in its June 9 edition. As per their wedding announcement in 1918, Hannah was a member of the Long Island Society, the Daughters of the Revolution and the New England Society.

On June 5, 1917, James completed his Draft Registration Card in New York City. He identified himself as single, a salesman on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn and described himself as tall and slender with blue eyes and brown hair.

James was a second lieutenant in the 105th Field Artillery, attached to the 27th Division during World War I, as per his second wife’s application for a government-issued bronze marker with a Christian cross. That document notes that prior to World War I, he enlisted in the National Guard on June 11, 1917.  His Abstract of Military Service in World War I reports that he was a second lieutenant as of May 7, 1918, at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina (National Guard) and was with the Field Artillery until his discharge. Although he did not indicate military service on his Draft Registration Card, his World War I Abstract confirms that he enlisted in the National Guard on June 11, 1917, and was part of Squadron A of the New York Cavalry until he accepted his commission as a second lieutenant in the 105th on about April 19, 1918. As per his National Guard Abstract, he entered service as a lance corporal and was promoted to sergeant on October 13, 1917.

During World War I, James served abroad from June 30, 1918, through March 13, 1919. His name appeared on the manifest of the transport ship Madawaska, leaving Newport News, Virginia, on June 30, 1918; the military unit listed was National Guard. His wife was listed as next of kin and her parents’ address appears as 1070 Bushwick Avenue. On March 4, 1919, he departed from Brest, France on March 4, 1919; he was listed as a second lieutenant in Battery A of the 105th Field Artillery. His discharge date of April 3, 1919 is verified on all of his military records.

As per Brooklyn Life on May 4, 1918, James and Hannah married at the Goodwin home, an event that was “hastened on account of the war”; the groom was identified as Lieutenant Conner (sic). The wedding was described as military in effect with the ring bearer wearing a sailor suit; the bride’s gown was a family heirloom. James was identified as being with the 105th Field Artillery at Spartanburg, South Carolina. The couple would live in Spartanburg until James sailed for France and Hannah returned to Brooklyn to graduate with her class at Packer.

On July 28, 1919, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle included an article that reported on a country fair hosted by Mr. and Mrs. James Roswell Connor at the Bellport Country Club. Hannah Goodwin, of Manhattan and Bellport, and likely a relative of James’s wife, also named Hannah, was a co-host of the event. The party featured cornstalk decorations and other décor reflective of the country. Guests, who were asked to dress in gingham and overalls, participated in jigs and races and were entertained by a troupe of acrobats. The 1920 census reports that James and his wife lived with his in-laws at their home on Bushwick Avenue; he was employed as a salesman in the silk industry. In December 1932, the Connors took a trip to Bermuda on the Monarch of Bermuda.

The 1940 census reports that James was single and lived in a rental at 153 Livingston Avenue in Manhattan with his mother, a butler and a maid; no mention is made of Hannah Goodwin Connor. He had completed four years of high school and had earned $5,000 the previous year working for himself. Connor identified his occupation as sales promoter.

As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed on April 25, 1942, he lived at 8 North Place in Pleasantville, New York, had a home telephone and owned his own business at 267 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Dorothy Connor, relationship unknown, at the same address, was his next of kin. He described himself as 6′ 1″ tall, 185 pounds with blue eyes, gray hair and a light complexion. He noted that he wore glasses and had an appendectomy scar.

James’s death certificate indicates that he last lived on Gedney Way in Westchester County, New York. As per his obituary in the Reporter Dispatch, he died at White Plains Hospital. The obituary noted that American Legion services would take place at Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home at 243 Main Street and that services would be held at Grace Church, both locations in White Plains. Contributions to Irvington House in Irvington, New York, were advised. He was survived by his second wife Jeanne; the date of that marriage is unknown. On May 27, 1959, Jeanne Connor, of 1 Main Street in Tarrytown, New York, filed an application for a government-issued headstone, citing her husband’s service as a second lieutenant in the 105th Field Artillery Regiment. Section 193, lot 30941.

CONWAY, HORACE E. (1894–1918). Sergeant, Headquarters Company, 3 Group Motor Truck Depot, Machine Gun Training Corps. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he was working as an office clerk, according to the 1915 New York State census. After registering for the draft, he was inducted into the Army on May 16, 1918, and sent to Camp Hancock, Georgia, where he was assigned to 31 Company 3 Group Motor Truck M, Truck Depot Machine Gun Training Corps. On July 3, he was transferred to his unit’s Headquarters Company and promoted to sergeant on August 8. On November 3, 1918, Conway died of pneumonia. Horace and Theodore Conway (see) are buried in the same lot; they may have been brothers. His last residence was 500 Greene Avenue in Brooklyn. Section 131, lot 35138, grave 2.

conway-horace-stone

CONWAY, THEODORE C. (1895-1939). Mess sergeant, 23rd Infantry, New York State National Guard, Companies D, L, and Headquarters Company; 106th Infantry, Company L, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Conway was born in Brooklyn. According to the 1910 census, the family lived in Queens County; the family moved back to Brooklyn at the time of the 1915 New York State census. On June 21, 1916, he enlisted as a private and mustered into Company D of the 23rd Infantry, New York State National Guard, on July 2. At that time, he was a bank clerk who was 5′ 7″ tall with a fair complexion and hazel eyes. His muster roll for the Mexican Punitive Campaign indicates that he was transferred to Headquarters Company on August 10, 1916. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was assigned as a cook on September 17, 1916, and on October 18 he transferred to Company L of the 23rd Infantry as a private. On December 1, 1916, he was sentenced to thirty days at hard labor without confinement as per Special Order 122 (offense not recorded). He was promoted to corporal on August 12, 1917, to sergeant on December 8, 1917, and to mess sergeant on December 11, 1917.

Along with the 106th Infantry, Conway went overseas on May 10, 1918. The unit participated in actions at the Marne and Mt. Kimmel. On August 1, 1918, he was severely wounded. On December 19, 1918, he returned to the United States and was honorably discharged as a sergeant on April 4, 1919, with a reported disability of 45%. The 1920 census reports that he was single and living with his parents and siblings at 500 Greene Street in Brooklyn. Horace (see) and Theodore Conway are buried in the same lot; they may have been brothers. He died from tuberculosis at Veterans Hospital #98 in Castle Point, New York. Section 131, lot 35138, grave 1.

conway-theodore-stone

CORDES, PAUL HENRY. (1887-1918). First lieutenant, 1st Gas Regiment (30th Engineers), Company C, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native of Altona, Germany, his Draft Registration Card reports that Cordes was a naturalized citizen who lived at 6347 Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, and was employed as a mechanical engineer. He was single and described as of short height, medium build with dark blue eyes and dark brown hair. As per his Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was called into service as a first lieutenant on September 5, 1917, and assigned to the 30th Engineers, stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At the time, Cordes lived at 231 Columbia Street in Brooklyn. He also trained at the American University in Washington, D.C., prior to going overseas with the American Expeditionary Force on March 27, 1918. The 30th Engineers, now known as the 1st Gas Regiment, was trained in the combat use of gas and flames in response to the German use of such weapons. The unit supported General John Pershing’s St. Mihiel action to capture the city of Metz. According to a history of the regiment written by James Thayer Addison, the regimental chaplain, on September 12, 1918, at the Bois La Petre, Lt. Cordes was one of its first battle casualties, severely wounded by a shell fragment “while observing the discharge of his projectors.” Cordes was moved from a dressing-station to Field Hospital #359 where he “lost consciousness and died within a few hours.” Addison wrote of Cordes in tribute to his nine months of service:

…Cordes had won, by his unusually high character, not only the respect but the unqualified devotion of officers and men. Every tribute a soldier would be proud to win was paid him genuinely and eagerly, for as an officer he had been a model of thoroughness and efficiency, and as a friend, his uniform courtesy and kindness were gratefully remembered. We have been the poorer for losing him, and we have missed him steadily.

For his action in battle, Cordes was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with gilt star, a medal awarded to those showing heroism in combat. He was buried with military honors in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery at Saizerais in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Department in northeastern France (grave 21, section 15, plot 3). His sister Anna, who lived at 231 Columbia Street in Brooklyn, was notified of his death. After his remains were returned to the United States, he was re-interred on June 15, 1921. Section 141, lot 23829, grave 1.

CORNELL, SIDNEY (1887-1939). Captain, Ordnance Department, United States Army. Cornell was born in Derby, Connecticut, into a prominent family. The 1900 census reports that he was living at 249 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn with his parents, grandmother, three younger brothers, younger sister and three servants. As per his grandniece, he was a 1909 graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology. On December 10, 1913, he married Edna Ayers Gulbranson in Milton, Massachusetts; the couple had one son, Sidney, who was born in 1914. That marriage terminated in the early 1930s.

The Connecticut Military Census, filed on February 7, 1917, reports that Cornell was a chemical engineer who was married with two dependents and was living in Stratford, Connecticut. He described himself as 30 years old, 5′ 6½” tall, 148 pounds with no disabilities. Never having had military service in the Army or Navy, he said that he could ride a horse, handle a team, drive an automobile and motorcycle, understand telegraphy and operate a wireless. He also indicated that he had experience with electrical machinery and steam engines, could operate a power boat and was a good swimmer.  His World War I Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, indicates that he lived at 1113 Kings College Place in Stratford, Connecticut, with his wife and one child and worked as an engineer for the Remington Arms Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He described himself as of medium height and build, partially bald with brown eyes and light hair.

As per the application for his government-issued headstone, he was commissioned on September 8, 1917, and served on active duty as of September 20 as a captain in the Ordnance Department in the Machine Gun Corps. As per his grandniece, he was a recipient of the Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged on December 17, 1918.

According to the 1920 census, he was living in a rental on Mill Hill Street in Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife and son and was self-employed as a chemical engineer. The 1930 census reports that was living in Westport, Connecticut, with Edna and his son, and was self-employed in chemical engineering research. That census indicates that he was a veteran of the World War.

Cornell married Sarah Branson on June 8, 1932, in Manhattan. His obituary notes that he died after a lingering illness at Orange Memorial Hospital in Orange, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife, son, parents, two brothers and a sister. His funeral took place at his last residence at 25 Headley Road in Morristown, New Jersey. On September 6, 1939, Sarah Cornell, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in the Ordnance Department. Section 46, lot 6115.

CORNWALL, ROBERT JOHN (1893-1950). Private, Quartermaster Corps, 327th Supply Company, United States Army. A New Yorker by birth, the 1910 census shows that Cornwall was single and lived on 16th Street in Brooklyn with his parents, two brothers, and a sister. He was employed as a copy boy at a telegraph office. The New York State census for 1915 shows him still living in Brooklyn with his father and his two brothers. On his World War I Draft Registration Card, dated June 5, 1917, he described himself as short and of medium build, with blue eyes and black hair. At that time, he lived at 614 49th Street in Brooklyn and was a paper-maker employed by Tidewater Mills. On May 28, 1918, Cornwall enlisted as a private in the United States Army and was assigned to the 327th Supply Company of the Quartermaster Corps. He was honorably discharged on April 23, 1919.

The 1920 census reports that Cornwall was single, lived in Brooklyn on 49th Street with his father, and worked as a paper-maker in the newspaper industry. According to his World War II Draft Registration Card of 1942, Cornwall was a patient in the Sun Mount Veterans Hospital in Tupper Lake, New York; his home address at that time was 2537 East 19th Street in Brooklyn. This hospital was established in 1924 to treat veterans with tuberculosis. He died at the Veterans Hospital in Tupper Lake. On August 14, 1950, two months after his death, Mary A. Cornwall, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in World War I. Section 134, lot 37830, grave 552.

COTTON, HUGH DUDLEY BENEDICT (1893-1984). First lieutenant, 47th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Cotton was born in England, and baptized on December 9, 1893, at St. Clement in London. As per his online biography, he enlisted on November 13, 1914, and mustered into Troop D of the Squadron A Cavalry for service on the Mexican border on June 30, 1916. He was stationed at Camp McAllen, Texas, with the New York Division. After returning to New York on December 23, 1916, he mustered out on December 28, 1916.

During World War I, Cotton enlisted in the United States Army on August 1, 1917. After attending Officers Training Camp at Plattsburg Barracks, New York, he was commissioned a second lieutenant on August 15, 1917. He was assigned to the 47th United States Infantry Regiment, 4th Division. On May 10, 1918, he departed Hoboken, New Jersey, on the USS Caserta; he then lived at the Union Club at Fifth Avenue and 51st Street in Manhattan and listed his father as his next of kin. He became a first lieutenant on August 13, 1918, and later became an adjutant of the 3rd Battalion.

Cotton commanded Company I of the 47th until he was wounded in action at Bois de Septsarges during the Argonne Offensive in France. He lost three fingers on his left hand and was wounded in his left hip during that battle. For his service, he was awarded the Silver Star and the French Croix de Guerre. The citation for the Silver Star read: “First Lieutenant Cotton distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, A.E.F., in action in the Bois de Septsarges, France, 26 September 1918. Lieutenant Cotton voluntarily took command of a reorganized Company I, under heavy enemy fire and after all of its officers had become casualties, and directed them in the attack until he was severely wounded.” On March 9, 1919, he departed from Bordeaux, France, on the USS Zacapa and arrived at Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn, on March 23, 1919. He was discharged on June 19, 1919.

On October 15, 1920, he married Helen De Forest Griffin in Manhattan. As per the New York State census of 1925, Cotton lived with his wife and child in Hempstead, Long Island, and was employed as a dry goods salesman. The 1930 census shows that Cotton lived at 130 East 75th Street in Manhattan with his wife and two children, owned a radio set, worked as a dry goods salesman and was a veteran of the World War. As per the 1940 census, his family still lived on East 75th Street in Manhattan; Cotton was employed as a broker and had worked 52 weeks in 1939. At the time of his death, he lived in Hightstown in Mercer County, New Jersey. Section 99, lot 14027.

COWIE, ARTHUR CORNELL (1893-1924). Gunnery sergeant, 6th Machine Gun Battalion, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Marine Corps. Cowie, a New York native, grew up with six siblings. His family lived in Brooklyn at the time of the 1900 census but by the time of the 1910 census, had moved to Pompton Avenue in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. At that time, Arthur was working as a machinist. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 26, 1917, and went overseas with the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, attaining the rank of gunnery sergeant. His unit saw action during the Aisne Offensive and the Battle of Belleau Wood. The 6th received the French Croix de Guerre three times for heroic action in battle. Cowie returned to the United States aboard the Santa Paula, departing from Brest, France, on July 24, 1919, and arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey, on August 4. On August 13, he was honorably discharged.

The 1920 census reports that Cowie was single, worked as an inspector for the Compensation Inspection Rating Board of New York, and lived with his parents and three siblings on Cedar Street in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. After Cowie married Marian Lape on December 23, 1920, in Oneida, New York, they lived in Cedar Grove, New Jersey; the couple had one son. He last lived in Glen Gardner, New Jersey. On November 14, 1927, the chaplain of the Ridgewood, New York, Post 123, Veterans of Foreign Wars, applied on Cowie’s behalf for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Cowie’s service in the World War. Section 67, lot 2743.

cowie-arthur-portrait
cowie-arthur

COX, FRANCIS CLEVELAND (1884-1954). Chauffer first class, 71st Balloon Company, United States Army Air Service. Cox was born in New York. On June 7, 1918, he enlisted in the United States Army and served with the 71st Balloon Company, a unit of the aviation section of the U.S. Signal Corps, U.S. Army. At the start of World War I, observation balloon units were organized into companies, squadrons, and wings. Each company was equipped with one balloon manned by a pilot. By the end of the war, 110 companies had been created. In the field, balloon companies were allotted to the ground units they supported as needed. Thirty-five companies made it to France with the American Expeditionary Forces; the 71st Balloon Company was not one of them. For his service, Cox was awarded a Victory Medal from New York State. On February 11, 1919, he was discharged.

The 1930 census indicates that Cox was married with four children, was employed as a chauffeur for a private family, was renting his residence on East 82nd Street, could read and write but had not attended school. His last residence was at 217 East 82nd Street in Manhattan. On January 24, 1955, Ingeborg Cox, his widow, applied for a government-issued upright marble headstone with a Christian cross; the application cited his World War I service. Section 4, lot 34121, grave 2.

Balloon, France 1918
Balloon, France 1918.
cox-francis-ed

CRANE, THEODORE (1881-1951). Captain, 1st Cavalry, New York State National Guard (6th Infantry Division); 105th Machine Gun Battalion, 27th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Crane was born in Morristown, New Jersey. On October 26, 1906, at the age of 25, he entered the New York National Guard, Squadron A, 1st Cavalry as a private and was then promoted to corporal and later sergeant, serving at the Mexican border at McAllen, Brownsville and Mission, Texas, until October 25, 1911. Subsequently, Crane entered federal service with his unit on June 23, 1916. As per his muster roll, he was described as 6′ ½” tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and light colored hair; at that time, he was living at 324 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan and was working as an architect; he listed his aunt as his next of kin. He remained in federal service until December 28, 1916, serving again at the Mexican border. Crane was awarded a medal for his service on the Mexican border (image below). That medal is in The Green-Wood Historic Funds Collection.

Crane re-enlisted in federal service on April 10, 1917, at New York City with Company B of the 105th Machine Gun Battalion and was promoted to first lieutenant the next day. He was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, Camp Stuart in Virginia and Camp Upton in Suffolk County, New York. On April 24, 1918, he sailed out of Hoboken, New Jersey, on the Leviathan and arrived in France in May. The 105th was assigned to the 27th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces.  The unit saw action at the Ypres-Lis and Somme Offensives breaking the Hindenburg Line. On February 9, 1919, he sailed out of Le Havre, France, on the ship La Touraine and returned to the United States on February 19. He was honorably discharged on March 31, 1919, but continued his affiliation with the New York State National Guard’s Cavalry which listed him as a captain as of April 1, 1919. For his service in World War I, he was decorated with the Silver Citation Star, and the Belgium Croix de Guerre with Palm (image below). On December 16, 1920, he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross #120 by the Governor of New York; at that time, Crane lived at 1 East 51st Street in Manhattan.

According to the 1920 census, Crane was single, lived in Manhattan with his brother and was an automobile salesman. He was honorably discharged from the New York State Cavalry on July 23, 1923, ultimately retiring on July 2, 1945. At the time of the 1940 United States census, he was married and living on South Compo Road, Westport, Connecticut; had a home telephone, was working as an architect, and was listed as a veteran of the World War; that census reports that he had completed three years of college. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, indicates that he lived in Westport, Connecticut, and was unemployed. He died in Norwalk Connecticut. Section 118, lot 568.

Medal for Service on the Mexican Border
Medal for Service on the Mexican Border
Croix-de-Guerre
Croix de Guerre

CROMWELL, DOROTHEA KATHARINE (1885-1919). Nurse, American Red Cross. Dorothea Cromwell is not buried at Green-Wood; an elaborate cenotaph in tribute to her memory and her World War I service stands in the family’s lot. Born in Brooklyn, Dorothea and Gladys (see) Cromwell, twin sisters, were descendants of Oliver Cromwell, the English military and political leader. The sisters were born into great wealth and inherited a fortune from their father, who had been a trustee of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York City. Their brother, Seymour Cromwell, who is buried in the family lot, was at one time president of the New York Stock Exchange.

Gladys and Dorothea Cromwell were educated at private schools and traveled abroad before they decided to volunteer as American Red Cross nurses and travel to France during World War I. Stationed near the front, they worked at Chalon-sur-Marne and Verdun as nurses and in a canteen. Dorothea and Gladys became celebrities in France where they were described as “angels” and were admired for working under fire on long day and night shifts, sleeping under trees in the field, and experiencing fatigue under taxing conditions. The Cromwell sisters remained in France after the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, but soon relented to their brother Seymour’s urging them to return home. On January 19, 1919, they boarded the SS La Lorraine at Bordeaux Harbor, for the journey back to New York. That same evening, the two women ventured out onto the windy, cold deck clasping hands. After separating, each sister climbed atop the ship’s rail and then disappeared into the waters below. Although United States Army Private Jack Pemberton and four other witnesses heard the splashes as their bodies hit the water, it took the ship a while to turn and come back to where they had jumped; a search failed to find their bodies.

Despite Seymour Cromwell’s initial thoughts that his sisters would not have taken their own lives, a search of their cabin found four notes that indicated otherwise. Apparently, Dorothea was a victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), then referred to as “shell shock.” Her Red Cross supervisor, Miss Rogers, mistakenly attributed the illness to her “sympathetic” nature. Dorothea’s last residence was the apartment she shared with Gladys at 535 Park Avenue. A memorial service was held for the twin sisters at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan on February 5, 1919.

The bodies of the sisters were recovered on March 20, 1919, and were buried, side by side, with full military honors, at the Surennes American Cemetery in France, overlooking Paris. Dorothea was posthumously awarded France’s Croix de Guerre, as was her sister, on March 22, 1919. The Croix de Guerre, a military decoration which was developed in 1915, is awarded to individuals who have performed heroic acts. In October 1919, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that the sisters had left an estate of $661,748-the equivalent of just over $9 million in 2017 money. On March 13, 1920, Dorothea and Gladys were awarded the Medaille de la Reconaissance (Medal of Recognition). The aforementioned medal, created on July 13, 1917, was a French expression of gratitude to civilians who had come to the aid of the injured, disabled, refugees, or who had performed an act of exceptional dedication in the presence of the enemy during World War I. Section 70, lot 1792.

The Cromwell twins
The Cromwell twins
Dorothea's grave (at left) and Gladys Cromwell's grave (at right) at Surennes American Cemetery in France.
Dorothea’s grave (at left) and Gladys Cromwell’s grave (at right) at Surennes American Cemetery in France.
Stone, flush with the ground, at Green-Wood cemetery.
Stone, flush with the ground, at Green-Wood Cemetery.

CROMWELL, GLADYS LOUISE HUSTED (1885-1919). Nurse, American Red Cross.  Gladys Cromwell is not buried at Green-Wood; a elaborate cenotaph honoring her memory and World War I service stands in the family’s lot. Brooklyn natives, Gladys and Dorothea (see) Cromwell, twin sisters, were descendants of Oliver Cromwell. The sisters were born into great wealth and inherited a fortune from their father, who had been a trustee of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York City. Seymour Cromwell, their brother, who is buried in the family lot, was at one time president of the New York Stock Exchange. The Cromwell sisters were educated at private schools and traveled abroad.

During World War I, they decided to volunteer as American Red Cross nurses and were sent to France where they worked at Chalon-sur-Marne and Verdun as nurses and in a canteen. In spite of her wealthy upbringing, Gladys worked on day and night shifts, visited soldiers in French hospitals and befriended French refugee children. Considered “angels,” the sisters were celebrities in France and much admired for “their efficiency and courage in real danger.” After the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, the Cromwell sisters remained in France until they were urged home by their brother. On January 19, 1919, they boarded the SS La Lorraine at Bordeaux Harbor, for the journey back to New York. That evening, the two women ventured out onto the windy, cold deck and one by one, climbed atop the ship’s rail and then disappeared into the waters below. Although United States Army Private Jack Pemberton and four other witnesses heard the splashes as their bodies hit the water, it took the ship a while to turn and come back to where they had jumped; a search failed to find their bodies.

Although Seymour Cromwell could not believe that his sisters took their lives, newspapers including the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune confirmed the suicides. The Chicago paper on January 29, 1919, noted that four notes were found in the cabin that the sisters shared: one to Major James C. Sherman of Chicago, who led the contingent of Red Cross Workers, one to their brother, another to their sister-in-law, and a fourth to their girl friend. Although the term “shell shock” was used after World War I, the sisters were apparently suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); their supervisor, Miss Rogers, attributed the condition to her sympathetic nature.

Padraic Colum, later wrote of the sisters in his introduction to Gladys’s poetry book that they were two beings with a single soul. He said, “These sisters were like twin spirits caught into an alien sphere, strangely beautiful and strangely apart, and the heavy and unimaginable weight of the world’s agony became too great for them to bear.” The bodies of the sisters were recovered on March 20, 1919, and were buried, side by side, with full military honors, at the Surennes American Cemetery in France, overlooking Paris. Gladys was awarded France’s Croix de Guerre, as was her sister. She last lived with her sister at 535 Park Avenue. A memorial service was held for the twin sisters at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan on February 5, 1919. In October 1919, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that the sisters had left an estate of $661,748-the equivalent of just over $9 million in 2017 money. In late 1919, Gladys Cromwell’s book, Poems, was published; many of the pieces reflected “a tragic vision of life.” One sample is her poem, “The Mould”:

No doubt this active will,

So bravely steeped in sun,

This will has vanquished Death

And foiled oblivion.

But this indifferent clay,

This fine experienced hand,

So quiet, and these thoughts

That all unfinished stand.

Feel death as though it were

A shadowy caress:

And win and wear a frail

Archaic wistfulness.

On March 13, 1920, the Cromwell sisters were posthumously awarded the Medaille de la Reconaissance (Medal of Recognition), a civilian medal awarded by France to those individuals who had come to the aid of the injured or had performed an act of dedication in the presence of the enemy during World War I. Section 70, lot 1792.

Gladys, in happier days, driving a coach in New York City.
Gladys, in happier days, driving a coach in New York City.
American Red Cross workers at the canteen for Hospitals 6 and 7 in Souilly, Meuse, France. Gladys Cromwell is second from left; Dorothea Cromwell is at far right.
American Red Cross workers at the canteen for Hospitals 6 and 7 in Souilly, Meuse, France. Gladys Cromwell is second from left; Dorothea Cromwell is at far right.
The Cromwell twins with soldiers of the French Army. Dorothea (left) is holding a pitcher and Gladys (right) is holding a basket.
The Cromwell twins with soldiers of the French Army. Dorothea (left) is holding a pitcher and Gladys (right) is holding a basket.
Cenotaph at Green-Wood
Cenotaph honoring Cromwell sisters at Green-Wood.

CROSIER, WALTER WILLIAM (1893-1962). Sergeant, 418th Motor Supply Train, Quartermaster Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Crosier was born in Long Island City, New York. The 1910 census reports that he lived on Hudlow Avenue in Queens with his parents and siblings and worked as an automobile machinist. The application for his government-issued marker notes that he began his military service on May 28, 1910; there are no further details as to that service. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, Crosier lived at 16 Kingsland Avenue in Elmhurst, New York, when he was inducted as a private on May 28, 1918. First assigned to the Quartermaster Corps at Camp Joseph E. Johnston in Florida until July 3, he was then promoted to sergeant on July 29, 1918, and assigned to the 471st Motor Truck Company which was part of the 418th Motor Supply Train. On August 14, he was shipped overseas until June 30, 1919, and was honorably discharged on July 3, 1919.

The 1920 census notes that Crosier still lived on Kingsland Avenue with his parents and siblings; his occupation was listed as truck mechanic. On January 8, 1931, he married Elizabeth Kiernan in Queens. The 1940 census shows that he lived with his wife and father at 42-36 161st Street in Flushing, New York, worked as a salesman, earned $1,000 in 1939, and had completed two years of high school. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he was married, not working and still lived at 42-36 161st Street in Flushing. He died in Manhattan. On January 16, 1962, three days after his death, Elizabeth Crosier, who is interred with him, applied for a government-issued granite marker with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service with the 471 Motor Truck Company (418th Motor Supply Train) during World War I. Section 200, lot 26810.

CRUMP, JR., SAMUEL (1888-1918). First lieutenant, 107th Regiment, Company B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Crump is not buried at Green-Wood; a cenotaph honoring his memory is in his family’s lot. Crump was born in Montclair, New Jersey. His mother, Anna Riker Crump, was the daughter of John Lafayette Riker, Civil War colonel of the 62nd New York Infantry, who was killed at the Battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, on May 31, 1862, and is buried at Green-Wood. As per a descendant, Anna Crump was at the front with her father as a teen-ager because her mother had died in 1851, and her father was caring for her. Samuel’s father, also Samuel Crump, was a printer of multicolored labels for cans of food, an innovation of that era.

At the time of the 1900 census, Crump lived in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his parents and siblings. On July 2, 1909, the Poughkeepsie Eagle reported that Samuel Crump played the part of a farm lad, William, in the operetta, Sylvia, and demonstrated that he had a big voice for the part. That same newspaper reported on November 26, 1909, that Sam and his mother were spending Thanksgiving with Sam’s sister, Adah Ferris, in Caldwell, New Jersey. The 1910 census reports that he was a lodger on South Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie, and worked as a reporter; that census incorrectly lists his birthplace as New York. The Poughkeepsie Eagle News noted on September 18, 1911, that Crump won his tennis match at the annual tournament at the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club. Before relocating to Kingston, Crump was a member of the staff of the Evening Star of Poughkeepsie. In 1912, he was living in Kingston and working there for the New York Telephone Company; the Poughkeepsie Eagle News noted that he was hospitalized in Kingston in serious condition with typhoid fever on July 13, 1912.

Crump was a graduate of the Riverview Military Academy in Poughkeepsie. His involvement in the military began on December 1, 1913, when he enlisted as a private in Albany, New York, and joined Company D of the 10th Infantry, New York State National Guard. He was discharged to accept a commission on July 9, 1914, rejoined his company as a second lieutenant two days later, and resigned on January 10, 1917. The 1912 and 1917 New York City Directories list him as residing in Montclair, New Jersey; he was working as a clerk in 1917. He re-enlisted as a first lieutenant in Company D on April 17, 1917, at Albany. His obituaries in the Albany Evening Journal and the Poughkeepsie Eagle News note that he was in charge of recruiting in the Albany area until draft boards were established.

During World War I, Crump was a first lieutenant with the 107th Regiment, attached to the 27th Division. As per his New York State World War I Military Abstract, he was a resident of Montclair, New Jersey, and worked at 109 West 82nd Street in Manhattan. On January 23, 1918, the Poughkeepsie Eagle reported that the train transporting Sam Crump and other military recruits had passed through that town en route to a military camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and that these recruits were expected to leave for France on a later date; many of Sam’s friends were at the train station to see him off. His military records from the 107th New York show that he was assigned to Company B on January 23, 1918. He was sent overseas on May 9, 1918.

Crump sent this letter from France to his mother, Anna Riker Crump, on June 29, 1918:

Mother dearest,

This has been a very busy week for me on the go from early to late and then another day always ahead which is equally busy. Yesterday we hiked twenty miles and last night I received orders to report at six o’clock this morning to a town four miles away to take a train for a city two days distant by railroad to attend a general infantry school for a month’s instruction. Of course I am overjoyed at the opportunity of gaining all the knowledge and to see some other part of France. It will be a great treat to be in a city. We have been in little poor villages all the while.

Dearest we have not gotten a letter in two weeks, so I have not heard from you yet acknowledging my letter from me mailed on this side. I hope you are getting mine all right. They don’t go very often, but just as often as I can snatch a minute. Now I am waiting for a train. It was most exasperating this morning. I reached the station at 5:45 AM after walking four miles and found the train left at 5 PM. Orders had gotten mixed some way. But this is what we have to put up with these days. That’s only a sample of how things happen in army life.

When I get to this French city I may be able to let you know where I am. At the present time all is great secrecy.

Well my dearest I have been travelling two days and three nights since starting this to you and I have now reached my destination about (?) miles away. It was much more of a trip than we expected, and we have seen a lot of France. We passed through Paris and spent a night. This was a glorious surprise for us all. We arrived on the second night at about nine o’clock, quite tired and very hungry, and to our great joy the American Red Cross was there to greet us and fed us up full of fine hot food without a cent of charge. Then the enlisted men were put up for the night at the YMCA for 30 centimes, about eleven cents. Our train from Paris was due to leave the following morning at 8 o’clock and I got up bright and early after a wonderful stay in a nearby hotel to catch it, but much to our glee we could not take it on account of the crowds and we all spent the day in Paris. I looked up Mary Stuart Claflin who is working for the Am. Fund For French Wounded. After some walking about I finally located her at her home. She lives with the family of an English clergyman in ile manse [a city in France].

Of course she was surprised and seemed quite delighted to see me. I spent about an hour with her and rejoined her in the afternoon when we drove about the town in a carriage and she showed me all the points of interest. We had a great time and I was envied by all our officers in having a real American girl to go about with. We stopped at a soda water place and had a “new” American soda with ice cream the first I have seen since my arrival here and later in the afternoon we went up to her French Wounded place and I was introduced to all the American girls and had tea with them.

Mary Stuart tells me that Elizabeth [his sister] has had two seizes of illness, one throat trouble and one ptomaine poisoning. She is well now and is a Searcher at Base Hospital #8 at Savenay, near St. Nazaire, France in the same hospital with Bert Loughran [his brother-in-law]. A searcher looks up a wounded soldier’s parents and friends and is present at all deaths. She then writes home any last statement or message etc. She’s with the American Red Cross now having left the Y.M.C.A. She is with the same unit with which she trained in New York City.

I don’t know where George [his older brother, not a soldier but participating in war effort] is but I may have good luck some time and run into him just as I did in being able to see Mary Stuart Claflin.

The first twenty five miles of this trip we travelled in box cars, officers and men alike and there were a lot of British too. Then we went into first class coaches and they are very comfortable, but the train crawled till we reached the big city. Today we have made good time and are passing through some more beautiful country.      

Two French officers in my compartment were on an American mission and spoke good English. They were very friendly and I had an awfully good time discussing our two countries. One was a major and the other a second lieutenant and his aid. They were on their way to an American Division to be instructors. I am sorry we are not on the French or American front instead of being with the British, but I imagine that as soon as possible we will be moved.

Just now we are with the French in an American area and it seems good to see American autos etc. Also there is a new big telephone line along the tracks which I recognize easily to have been built by our telephone engineers and just like our own home. It looks good to me.

Well, my own dear sweetheart, you would laugh if you could see me sitting on a pile of baggage. The truck to carry it away has arrived and I must be off also. The school is about three miles away.

I hope you are well, my dear, and that you are getting your money all right and that you are quite happy. I am sending loads and loads of love and am always thinking of you.

Your own devoted B.F. soldier boy.

Sam Jr.

This letter was sent to his mother on July 14, 1918:

My darling:

Today I go back to the school, a well man. It was just a week ago this evening that I came here. Have had a wonderful rest. For the past three days I have felt perfectly well and have remained here merely to get strong again; and I guess I have succeeded all right for yesterday afternoon I walked out along a beautiful canal; the Marne Canal, with one of the officers here, and when we returned we had been twelve miles; some hike for a couple of “sick” men. It was a beautiful walk and a beautiful day and I enjoyed it very much.

Dearest, I got some honest to goodness mail today and two fine long letters from you. Oh, it made me so happy to read your dear handwriting again. The letters were numbered 8 and 9 telling me about Adah’s [an older sister] departure for the shore etc. and the hot weather you had been having. I wish, dearest, that you could be enjoying the wonderful cool summer weather of France. It never seems to get very hot here and the nights are always cool and almost cold. I imagine I will get your mail oftener in the future, for I presume that the division will not be chasing around the country so much from now on as it has in the past.

For six weeks we were on the go all the while from one village to another being first through the “hardening” process. And we surely did harden up.

Dearest I wish you only knew how continually you are in my thoughts – simply all the time. I seldom think of anyone else. I am so busy all the while. Once in a while I have a great desire to see or hear from Gertrude Bruyn. She’s a wonderful girl. If you should go to Kingston to visit at Hurley tell Gertrude to write me a good long letter. Tom Bushnell wrote me a good letter to Spartanburg which I just received today with your two. He’s been ill at the Poughkeepsie Vassar Hospital, but was O.K. at the time of writing and was going back to work for the Edison Phonograph Co. to sell Dictaphones at Albany.

How is Julie [a sister of Sam] and do you ever see her? I wrote her a postal yesterday. I wish you could go to some cool summer resort for the summer. I hate to think of you being so alone at Verona, although I presume you have surrounded yourself with a large circle of dear friends, the way you always do wherever you go. You must go to all the movies that come along and have just as good a time as you possibly can. You must write and tell me how your finances are making out and if you have enough to get along on without skimping too much.

No dearest, I don’t need any socks or sweaters or anything, for I am allowed only 50 pounds of baggage with me. All the rest is in storage. But I have kept with me most of my socks and your neckless sweater. The other sweater and quite a lot [of] other stuff I have mailed to Aunt Elizabeth so that when I need them I can write her to mail them to me. The other fellows put all surplus stuff in their trunks and put it in storage not knowing when they will get the opportunity to see them again. I mailed three twelve pound bundles to Aunt Elizabeth.

Now I must close for the present. Be sure to give my love to the Whitehornes [cousins] and in fact all of my relatives and friends thereabouts. I am sending you a great deal of love, and I am praying for your happiness every night.

Your own devoted, “B.F,” soldier Boy, son,

Sam Jr.

Sam sent this letter home on September 6, 1918:

Dearest:

This is a roamer’s life. One minute we are living in tents and mud and the next in a billet [sleeping quarters for soldiers] and then again somewhere else. Just now we are miles and miles from where we have been. I have a fine big room in a clean billet and also (being a Co. C) a larger extra room for an officer. I’m very grand. This is one of the best little towns we have been in as yet. It’s far back of the front. We don’t even hear the biggest guns, but all night we do get their flashes. It looks like heat lightening in the distance.

I’m getting on great with the company, having a wonderful time organizing the way I want it. My non coms are all with me too and feel that in the six weeks I have now had the company that we have progressed nicely. Of course I’m busy. Just now I have only one lieutenant with me, Terry by name, a nice man about 38 years old who has had a lot of experience. He spent two years in Alaska looking for gold.

Isn’t the war news great these days? It’s really beginning to look as if Germany is fighting quite desperately to hold her own.

To date I have received your wonderful letters to include #32. I’ll answer them soon at more length. Yes, but I’m tired tonight or I would write a long letter. I always feel fine when I have done that for it’s sort of like having had a little talk. So this will be just a note and a good night kiss and lots and lots of love.

Your devoted,

Sam Jr.

Crump died in France on September 29, 1918, after leading his men in the advance on Ronssoy, France. He is buried at the Somme American Cemetery in Bony, France (Plot B, Row 3, Grave 7). His sister, Mrs. Robert Ferris of Montclair, was notified of his death. Crump was featured in an article, News of Those in the U.S. Service, in the Poughkeepsie Eagle on November 11, 1918. Evidently, the family had not yet been informed of his death or the cause of his death known because the aforementioned article stated that Crump was in a base hospital as of September 8 and that it was not known if he was wounded, gassed or sick; several of his companions were killed by a bursting shell. As per the November 19, 1918, report in the Columbia Republican [New York] about his death, he had been employed at one time by the New York Telephone Company in Kingston, New York. In addition, that article noted that his sister, Elizabeth Crump, was currently serving as a nurse at a base hospital in France. Although his obituaries in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News and the Albany Evening Journal note that he was promoted to captain at Spartanburg and that he was promoted to major before his death, his soldier history in the 107th show his rank as first lieutenant.

On May 30, 1919, the Poughkeepsie Eagle News reported Crump was honored after a drill in Albany, New York. The captain of the 10th Infantry, Company D, New York State National Guard, of which Crump had been an officer, was presented with a framed photograph of Crump, the only officer in his outfit who died in that action in France eight month earlier. The article reported that Crump’s last letter to his mother recounted that he was not afraid to die but did not like to leave her alone. The Albany Evening Journal, in its report of the presentation of the portrait, states that Crump died shortly after being struck by shrapnel. Section 164, lot 16159.

Crump with unidentified baby.
Crump with mother, Anna.

CULBERT, KENNETH PICKENS (1895–1918). Lieutenant, 1st Aero Squadron, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Marine Corps. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Culbert graduated from East Orange High School in New Jersey and entered Harvard University in 1917 as a 22-year-old freshman. Tall and slender with blue eyes and light-colored hair, Culbert had a very active freshman year as a member of the rowing and football teams as well as serving on the editorial staff of The Harvard Crimson. According to his May 1917 Draft Registration Card, he was also an infantry sergeant in Harvard’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). By 1918, Culbert was a United States Marine lieutenant positioned as an observer stationed in France with the 1st Aero Squadron. Observation/reconnaissance was an exceedingly dangerous job, flying low and slow over enemy lines to direct artillery or to take photos of front and reserve lines. While in France, Culbert witnessed the funeral of the popular French-American ace Major Raoul Lufbery. (Of his 17 air victories, 16 were with the French Air Force and one with the U.S. Army Air Service.) Below is an excerpt about Lufbery’s funeral from Culbert’s May 21, 1918, letter written to Professor C.T. Copeland which was printed in the Harvard Alumni Bulletin:

Perhaps you’d like to hear of Major Lufbery’s funeral-you doubtless know that he was shot down, and fell from his burning plane into a courtyard. He had done a great deal in uniting the French and Americans-he was the greatest of our airmen and seventh on the list of French aces-he had all the qualities of a soldier, audacity, utter fearlessness, persistency, and tremendous skill, in every way, sir, he was a valuable man.

As we marched to his interment the sun was just sinking behind the mountain that rises so abruptly in front of T; the sky was a faultless blue and the air was heavy with the scent of the blossoms on the trees in the surrounding fields. An American and French general led the procession, following close on to a band which played the funeral march and “Nearer My God to Thee” in so beautiful a way that I for one could hardly keep my eyes dry. Then followed the officers of his squadron and of my own-and after us an assorted group of Frenchman famous in the stories of this war, American officers of high rank, and two American companies of infantry, separated by a French one.

On the very next day, May 22, 1918, Culbert and his pilot Lieutenant Walter V. Barnaby were assigned to a low altitude photo reconnaissance of a portion of the German positions behind the main lines. Flying dangerously straight and level to help assure the clarity of the photos, they came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. Apparently struck by a shell on their way back to base, their plane became unmanageable, flipped over, and crashed just behind American lines. Pilot Barnaby was killed instantly and Culbert, unconscious, was taken to the American hospital at Sebastopol Farm, north of Toul, where he died without having regained consciousness. The subsequent camera recovery showed that these two brave men fully accomplished their assignment. For their gallantry, both Barnaby and Culbert received France’s Croix de Guerre–awarded to those exhibiting heroism in combat. The citation, in part, accompanying the aforementioned medal with bronze star states:

Second Lieutenant Kenneth P. Culbert. Young officer with a big heart animated with the purest sense of duty, who has demonstrated sang-froid, courage and determination in the course of several reconnaissance on the enemy. He was mortally wounded May 22, 1918.

The Harvard Crimson reported the death of its former editorial staff member, also stating that he had also been recognized for his outstanding work on April 20, 1918, near Seicheprey, France, under heavy fire and adverse weather conditions. Russell Fry, a friend, summed up Culbert’s character:

His life had been spent in the great out-door world, leaving him as free from the affectations of conventionalized man as the great seas which shattered themselves against that Maine island, his summer home. He was an essentially elemental character-honest, upright, unafraid; quick to applaud another’s accomplishments, equally quick to condemn his own shortcomings. And as his life was fearless, vigorous. Unselfish-so, too, was his death.

Culbert had been buried near the hospital where he died, but was re-buried at the American cemetery at Thiacourt in France. He last lived at 373 Williams Street in East Orange, New Jersey. At the request of his family, his remains were returned to the United States in the spring of 1921 and were re-interred at Green-Wood on June 7, 1921. On July 25, 1930, The New York Times reported that the War Department awarded a citation for gallantry in action to Kenneth P. Culbert of East Orange, New Jersey, serving as an observer with the First Aero Squadron, who successfully photographed enemy second line trenches under heavy fire from an altitude of 500 meters in the Toul sector on May 15, 1918. Culbert’s memory is still honored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, by a silver urn on display there with an inscription that reads: “For the first Aero squadron, United States Army, of which Lt. Kenneth P. Culbert USMC was a member in appreciation of their kindness to him in life and death. Presented by his brother Lieutenant F. P. Culbert, U.S. Navy.” Section 165, lot 34985.

culbert.kenneth.photo
culbert.kenneth.urn
marines3-poster

CUTTING, BRONSON MURRAY (1888-1935). United States Senator; captain, United States Army. Born in Oakdale, Long Island, New York, into a wealthy family active in civic affairs, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard in 1910. His health deteriorated, and he moved to New Mexico “to die.” But his health returned, and he became a newspaper publisher, owning the Santa Fe New Mexican and El Nuevo Mexican. He used them to campaign for the rights of Mexican-Americans and for a free press.

During World War I, he was a captain of infantry, serving as assistant military attaché of the American Embassy in London, and was awarded the British Military Cross. He was regent of the New Mexico Military Institute, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the New Mexican State Penitentiary, and department commander of the American Legion of New Mexico. In 1927 he was appointed, as a Republican representing New Mexico, to the United States Senate, and was elected to the Senate in 1928 and 1934. He was considered to be one of the most independent and learned members of the Senate. During the presidential election of 1932 he campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt, rather than support the candidate of his party. Roosevelt offered him the post of secretary of the interior, but he declined, preferring to stay in the Senate. There he fought for Philippine independence, for recognition of Russia, and against censorship. He died in an airplane crash near fog-shrouded Atlanta, Missouri, on May 6, 1935, as he tried to make his way to Washington to vote on a bill for a bonus for veterans. Section 23, lot 7929.

Three Cutting family mausolea.
Caption: Bronze bust of Bronson Murray Cutting on the grounds of the State Capitol in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

CUTTING, ROBERT BAYARD (1875-1918). Associate organizing secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). A native of New York City, Cutting’s parents were a prominent society couple descended from Robert J. Fulton, the steam ship developer. They lived at 24 East 67th Street in Manhattan with their four children in an opulent four-story mansion described as a “limestone and brick chateau” and also had a summer home in Tuxedo Park, New York. The Cuttings were involved in a number of reform committees including the New York Milk Committee of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor.

Robert Bayard Cutting was educated in the private schools at Cutler’s School in New York, Westminster School in Dobbs Ferry, Groton School in Massachusetts, then graduated from Harvard cum laude in 1897. After graduation, he taught at the Groton School for three years and then joined his father’s firm. He was an organizer of the Intercollegiate Civic League and became chairman of the New York Commission on Feeblemindedness and treasurer of the National Commission on Provision for the Feebleminded. In his leisure time, he played tennis and was among the earliest golfers. He was a member of the Tuxedo, University, City and Harvard Clubs in New York City.

At the onset of World War I, Cutting became an associate organizing secretary for the YMCA. He left for France at his own expense, sailing on the Espagne on August 11, 1917. He worked for the French YMCA and was charged with opening new areas for the organization in advanced sections of the front. In the early spring of 1918, he was transferred to the National War Work Council of the American YMCA in France in close support of the United States Army. The YMCA was instrumental in administering to the spiritual and morale-boosting needs of soldiers, continuing the work begun during the Civil War and extended overseas during the Spanish-American War. In March 1918, Cutting became ill. When his condition worsened, he was operated upon but died on April 1 at an American base hospital in Chaumont, France. He last lived at 24 East 67th Street in Manhattan. Cutting’s remains were returned to the United States in 1921. His funeral on May 28, 1921, was officiated by the Right Reverend Charles H. Brent, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of the Philippines. Section 23, lot 6615/17.

Robert B. Cutting
Robert B. Cutting
Funeral of Robert B. Cutting
Funeral of Robert B. Cutting.
Three Cutting family mausolea.

DEADY, REX (or REGINALD) MABURY (or MAYBURY) (1891-1945). Seaman, United States Navy. Deady was born in New York City. As per the 1910 census, he lived with his parents on East 58th Street in Manhattan and was a clerk in the railroad industry. He enrolled as a seaman at the Navy Enrolling Office in New York City on May 21, 1917; at that time, he lived at 330 East 58th Street in Manhattan. Deady’s World War I Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, indicates that he had previously enrolled as a first class seaman and was subject to call. He noted on his Draft Registration Card that he was single, of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair, and worked as a clerk for William Iselin and Company in Manhattan. He was first assigned to the Naval Training Camp at Pelham Park, New York, from October 8, 1917 through November 30, 1917. On the latter date, Deady was assigned to the USS Indiana until June 24, 1918, when he was transferred to the USS New Jersey until November 11, 1918. He was discharged at Boston, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1918.

New York State census data for 1925 indicates that Deady lived with his parents in Manhattan; in 1930, he lived in the Bronx. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he lived at 446 East 240th Street in the Bronx, was married, had a home telephone and worked as a clerk for the British Purchasing Commission at 37 Wall Street in Manhattan. On March 7, 1945, Olga Deady, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service as World War I veteran in the United States Navy Reserve Force. Section 184, lot 21361.

DEININGER (or DENINGER, DENNINGER), JESSE J. (1897-1918). Corporal, 106th Infantry, Company E, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army, ; private, 14th Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company E. Born in Brooklyn, Deninger was living with his parents and employed as a florist according to the New York State census of 1915. He enlisted in the National Guard at Brooklyn on May 28, 1917, and was assigned to Company E of the 14th Infantry of the New York State National Guard. On October 16, he was transferred into Company E of the 106th Infantry. He was promoted to private first class on January 10, 1918, shipped out to France on May 10, and promoted to corporal on June 10. Deininger was killed in action on September 27, 1918. His last residence was 271 West Street in Brooklyn. His remains were returned home from France in 1922 and were interred on April 9, 1922. Section 143, lot 28265, grave 3.

D’EMIC (or D’AMICO), JOHN JOSEPH (1895-1972). Corporal, 206th Infantry, Company K, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. D’Emic was born in Brooklyn at 318 20th Street to Italian-born parents, Angelo and Patrizia Liquori D’Amico. His birth certificate, obtained in 1953, notes that John’s father was a brick layer, his mother a housewife and that there were five older children born to the couple and living at home. In support of the issuance of that certificate, it is indicated that John was baptized at Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen’s Church in Brooklyn on January 19, 1896, that the family name on the 1905 New York State census is listed as Domico, and that his mother was living in the United States for 14 years at that time. It is unclear when or why the name was changed to D’Emic. His father, Angelo, died when John was 12 and he soon went to work, first as a clam opener and then in numerous other jobs including plumber, trolley motorman, pharmacist and truck driver.

As per his World War I Discharge Record, John D’Emic lived at 278 16th Street in Brooklyn when he was inducted as a private at Local Board #49 in Brooklyn on September 29, 1917, and assigned to Company K of the 306th Infantry. He was promoted to corporal on November 1 of that year. That document notes that he was sent overseas on April 16, 1918, severely injured on September 6, 1918, and taken at some point as a prisoner of war. His grandson notes that he survived as bayonet wound. D’Emic ended his duty overseas on February 14, 1919, and was honorably discharged on April 4, 1919. He was 10 percent disabled at the time of discharge.

The 1925 New York State census lists his surname as D’Emic. At the time of that census, he was living with his wife and two young children on 18th Street in Brooklyn; he was a plumber. A third child, Thomas, was born in 1925. The 1930 census notes that he was a truck driver and a homeowner at 387 18th Street in Brooklyn; the home was valued at 5,000. He was living with his wife and four children and was listed as a veteran of the World War. In 1937, he opened a used car dealership on 32nd Street and Fourth Avenue which was very successful. As per the 1940 census, he was a homeowner with five children-Irene, John, Thomas, Edna and Catharine- and owned a used car dealership. His sons, John and Thomas, served in World War II. Active in his community, a playground on Third Avenue between 34th and 35th Street in Brooklyn was named for him in 1974. Section 130, lot 39262.

Postcard of D’Emic’s business from 1940.

DES MARETS, EMILE F. (1846-1932). Unknown service record. Des Marets’s obituary in the Daily Star notes that he served in World War I; no documents give further information on his service. Born in Louisiana, he and his brother Ernest served in the 37th Regiment during the Civil War; his brother was a captain. He served as a private for 30 days with the 37th Regiment in 1863. As per the census of 1870, he was a gold broker; the 1880 census notes that he was a purser. At the time he applied for a passport in 1886, he was 5′ 8″ tall with blue eyes, a long face, gray hair, and a moustache and beard. The 1890 Veterans Census of Civil war soldiers indicates, “Traveling in Europe. Papers not available-wife gave no information.” According to the Brooklyn Directory of 1891-1892, he was living at 380 Halsey Street. The census of 1900 lists him as a representative. He reapplied for a passport in 1906; he no longer had a moustache and described his complexion as florid. Des Marets was elected to membership in the 71st Veterans’ Association in 1909. (In September 1870, the 37th Regiment was consolidated into the 71st Regiment.)

As per his obituary in the Daily Star, members of the 71st Veterans were invited to his funeral but the family requested no military honors. The obituary, which did not mention his Civil War service, stated that his military record included service in the Spanish-American War and the World War. He last lived at 42-36 158th Street in Flushing, Queens. Agnes Des Marets applied for a widow’s pension shortly after his death in 1932, application 1,723,486, but there is no certification number. Section 185, lot 23209.

DETMERING (or DETTMERING), NICHOLAS (or NICHOL) (1896-1935). Private and cook, 153rd Depot Brigade, Company #3, United States Army. Detmering was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. The 1905 New Jersey State census indicates that he was living at 313 Jackson Street in Hoboken with his parents and six siblings; Nicholas was attending school. At the time of the 1910 census, he was living at the same residence with his three older brothers, younger sister and brother and paternal grandfather; his older sister was no longer living with the family and Nicholas was still in school. According to the 1915 and 1918 Jersey City Directories, he was still living at 313 Jackson Street in Hoboken and working as a driver.

As per his wife’s application for a government-issued headstone, Detmering enlisted as a private on April 24, 1918, and served in the 153rd Depot Brigade. That document notes that he was at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and was also a cook in that unit. The United States Veterans Administration Master Index confirms that Detmering ended his military service on April 12 1919.

The New Jersey Marriage Index, which records his first name as Nichol, shows that he married Pauline Besener in 1919. The 1925 Jersey City Directory indicates that he was residing there with his wife and working as a chauffeur. The 1930 census reports that the Detmerings, including an eight-year-old daughter, Margaret, were living at 11 Hungry Hollow Road in Deposit, Delaware, in a home that they owned with no radio set. Detmering was working as a laborer on the railroad and was listed as a veteran of the World War. Shortly after his death, Pauline Detmering of Hoboken, applied for a government-issued headstone, citing her husband’s service in the World War. Section 137, lot 26610.

Di BELLA, LOUIS (1893-1976). Private, 152nd Depot Brigade, Company G; 108th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Palermo, Italy, Di Bella immigrated to New York City on July 5, 1910. According to the New York State census of 1915, he was living with two brothers in New York City and was employed as a tailor. His World War I Draft Registration Card shows him to be short, of medium build with brown eyes and black hair. At that time, he was single, supported his father, and declared his intention to become a United States citizen. He was living at 506 West 147th Street in Manhattan when he was inducted into the Army on April 5, 1917. Initially assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade, Di Bella was transferred to Company G of the 108th Infantry on April 19. In November 1917, the 108th, whose motto became “By Valor, Not Words,” was assigned to the 54th Infantry Brigade of the 27th Division. On May 16, 1918, DiBella shipped out to France. Trained with British and Australian troops and weapons, the 108th Infantry did much of its fighting alongside these Commonwealth troops, suffering over 1,700 casualties, including 331 dead in three months of combat. Engagements included the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, Jonc de Mer Ridge, the Selle River, and Catillon. Several members of the unit received the Distinguished Service Cross, and one member of  Di Bella’s Company G received the Medal of Honor. Di Bella returned to the Unites States on December 16, 1918, and received his honorable discharge on February 8, 1919.

The 1925 New York State census shows that DiBella lived in Brooklyn, was married with two sons and was employed as a tailor. According to the 1940 census, he was living with his family at 515 Clinton Street in Brooklyn, was a naturalized citizen, and was employed as a garage hand; he had earned $1,393 in the previous year. His World War II Draft Registration Card of 1942 shows that he was employed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, had no home telephone, and was still living at the Clinton Street address. Di Bella’s World War I military service is proudly displayed on his headstone. Section 6, lot 39340, grave 529.

dibella-louis-va

DICKINSON (or DICKENSON), HERBERT CODWISE (1891-1969). First lieutenant, 310th Infantry, Company E; 28th Infantry; 161st Infantry, Company F; 1st Army; 316th Infantry; private, 7th Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company K, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A New York City native, the 1910 census reports that Dickinson lived with his parents on North Broadway in Greenburgh, Westchester County. The Columbia College yearbook for 1912, the Columbian, which lists him as Herbert Codwise Dickinson, states that he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi, class of 1914.

As per his New York State Abstract for National Guard Service in World War I, Dickinson enlisted at New York City as a private on March 19, 1913, and mustered into the 7th Infantry Reserves on July 24, 1917. He was assigned to Company K on August 1, 1917. As of August 17, he was in Plattsburgh, New York, as a member of the R.O.T.C. (Reserve Officers Training Corps) and received his commission on November 26, 1917. At the time that document was filed, he lived at 106 Broadway in Irvington, New York.

According to his Abstract for World War I Military Service, Dickinson then served as a first lieutenant in Company E of the 310th Infantry until April 26, 1918. He was stationed at Camp Gordon, Georgia, until July when he was shipped to France on July 22, 1918. After serving with the 28th Infantry and then Company F of the 161st Infantry until August 31, 1918, he then was at the Third Corps School until September 16, 1918. His abstract shows subsequent service in the 1st Army until November 22, 1918, during which time he participated in the Meusse-Argonne Offensive. Dickinson was at General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces until January 21, 1919, then was with the 316th Infantry until he returned to the United States on June 11, 1919, and was honorably discharged two days later. His Military Abstract notes that he was stationed at Camp Dix and Camp Merritt in New Jersey, in additional to Camp Gordon, during his service.

At the time of the 1920 census, he was single and still living with his parents in Westchester; he then worked as a manager in a steamship brokerage. The 1930 census shows that he was single, lived with his father at 106 North Broadway in Irvington, New York, and was employed as a merchant in the coal steamship industry. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he lived at 1 University Place in Manhattan, had a home telephone, worked at the Office of Censorship in Manhattan, and listed Muriel Dickinson as his next of kin. Section 43, lot 1026.

DOLANE, ALSTON STILLWELL (1896-1951). Private first class, 23rd Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company G; 106th Infantry Regiment, Company G, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Dolane, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, graduated from the 8th grade. According to his Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, he was living at 175 Amity Street and was working as a helper for Frederick Loesher on Fulton Street. He was described as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. He claimed exemption from the draft because his mother was dependent upon him for support. Nonetheless, Dolane enlisted in Company G of the 23rd Infantry, New York State National Guard, on September 23, 1917, which was re-designated as the 106th Infantry on October 1. When the unit went overseas on May 10, 1918, to join the American Expeditionary Forces, it was under the command of Colonel Franklin W. Ward and assigned to the 27th Infantry Division. It took part in the Ypres-Lys Offensive and the Second Somme Offensive. After the armistice was signed, Dolane remained with the unit until it returned to the United States on March 6, 1918. Shortly afterwards, on April 9, he was honorably discharged.

In the New York City Directory of 1922, Dolane was living at 465 McDonough Street in Brooklyn and was employed as a New York City policeman. The 1925 New York State census records that he was married and had a year-old daughter; he had a second daughter three years later. By the time of the 1930 census, he was living on 203rd Street in Queens in a house that he owned which was valued at $7,000, owned a radio set, was a veteran of the World War, and was employed as a police officer. In 1940, he was still working as a police officer at the station located at 138 West 30th Street in Manhattan, earning $3,000 per year, and living in a rental in Queens costing $45 per month. His World War II Draft Registration Form, filed in 1942, indicates that he was living at 90-25 77th Street in Woodhaven, Queens, and was still employed as a policeman. He last lived at 260-73 73rd Avenue in Bellerose, Queens; he died in front of 7514 88th Avenue in Woodhaven, Queens. Three months after his death, Ruth Dolane, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s World War I service. Section 99, lot 5944.

DONEGAN, ANNA FRANCES (1890-1920). Second lieutenant, nurse, Army Nurse Corps. A New York City native, Donegan studied nursing and was a graduate of the class of 1915 from the City Hospital at Blackwell’s Island. As per the census of 1915, she was living with her parents and sister in Brooklyn and working as a registered nurse. During World War I, Donegan was called into active service on April 18, 1918. She served overseas at Base Hospital #37 from May 18, 1918, training in Kent, England, and then in France, through January 19, 1919, where she attained the rank of second lieutenant. As per her soldier record, she subsequently served at Base Hospital #119 from February 3-19, 1919, and then at Base Hospital #69 from July 13-19, 1919. Donegan was honorably discharged on August 16, 1919; her paperwork indicates that she was a reserve nurse at the time of her discharge.

During a furlough overseas, Donegan went to Ireland where she joined Sinn Fein, an activist political party, and vowed that if Ireland ever went to war, she would fight for her. Once home from the World War, she received a medal for her service and returned to nursing, earning a sterling reputation in her field; she helped the poor and gave money to the needy in addition to offering medical services. Donegan was a district nurse assigned to the Schermerhorn Street branch of the Health Department. The 1920 census indicates that she was single, worked as a nurse and lived on Dikeman Street with her parents and sister.

However, her life took a tragic turn. As per an article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on December 27, 1920, which confirms Donegan’s service in the World War, Donegan shot and killed her friend and business partner, Edna Hauge, a widow, and then killed herself at the Lady Evelyn Beauty Parlor at 361 Van Brunt Street, a business the two had started two months before the shooting. As per that article, the women were long-time friends and, although they had disputes about their new business, Donegan was jealous about her friend’s upcoming marriage. Allegedly, according to the Hauge family, Donegan attempted to kill Hauge’s first husband two years earlier. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle news article reported that a customer found the bodies “sound asleep” and called the police to summon a doctor. Once at the scene, the police discovered a .32 caliber pistol and that both women had been shot through the brain. Donegan’s sister-in-law reported that Anna Donegan kept a pistol hidden in a trunk in her home. Coincidently, a soldier had visited Donegan’s apartment that same day bearing a small gift in appreciation of the service she rendered to him during the World War. Another article about the murder-suicide in The New York Times, which noted that Donegan served as a nurse in France and which spelled the partner’s name as Hague, reported that the cause of Donegan’s actions was worry about the financial health of the business and exhaustion over nursing a patient with mental health issues; no mention of personal jealousy was hinted at in that account.

Donegan belonged to the Visitation Church in Brooklyn. She last lived at 72 Dikeman Street in Brooklyn. She was survived by her parents, three sisters and two brothers. On June 16, 1930, Mary Donegan, her mother, applied for a government-issued headstone with Christian emblem, citing her daughter’s service in the Army Nurse Corps. Section 136, lot 28307.

DOUGHTY (or LANGLEY, DOUGHTEY), JOHN THOMAS LEWIS (1851-1935). Supply sergeant, 9th Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army. Doughty was born in New York. As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Times Union, he was a direct descendant of Frank Lewis, a member of the Continental Congress, who signed the Declaration of Independence. In addition, another ancestor, Francis Doughty, established St. George’s Episcopal Church in Flushing, Queens, in the 17th century.

On January 14, 1884, John married Louise Haydock in Manhattan. Soon thereafter, at age 36, he was living in Manhattan with his wife and working as a civil engineer. The 1900 census, which lists his name as Langley, notes that he was living at 5 Boston Road in the Bronx with his wife, daughter and a boarder. At that time, he was a civil engineer. As per the 1905 New York State census, he was living with his wife and daughter in Manhattan. According to the 1910 census, he was living at 246 West 129th Street in Manhattan with his wife and daughter. That census, which spells his name as Doughtey, indicates that he had been married for 27 years and was a civil engineer in the dock industry. At the times of the 1915 New York State census and the 1920 federal census, he was still living on West 129th Street with his wife and daughter and was the head surveyor for the New York City Docks Department.

As per his New York Guard Service Card, Doughty enlisted as a private in the 9th Coast Artillery Corps, Company 4, on October 8, 1917. Another document of his service notes that he rose to supply sergeant during the World War. The Coast Artillery Corps was responsible for the defense of harbors and operated heavy and railway artillery during World War I. Given that he was 61 in 1917 and considering the mission of the Coast Artillery Corps, it is likely that Doughty’s role in World War I was related to his position with the New York City Department of Docks and Ferries.

The 1925 New York State census notes that the Doughty family lived in the Bronx. As per the 1930 census, the family had moved to a rental at 102 Brown Avenue in Scarsdale, New York, and had a radio set. As per his obituary in the New York Daily News, he retired in 1931 after more than 30 years of service as a hydrographer for the New York City Department of Docks and Ferries. He last lived at 75 Brown Avenue in Scarsdale. He was survived by his wife and married daughter. Section 10, lot 5908.

DOUGLAS, JR., WILLIAM LESLIE (1896-1918). Corporal, 14th Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company E, Headquarters Company, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Douglas was born and raised in Brooklyn. On March 30, 1914, he enlisted as a bugler in the 14th New York State National Guard, and mustered in on July 23. He was assigned as a reservist to Company E of the 14th Infantry on October 9. On October 11, 1917, he was reassigned to Headquarters Company. The 14th, which was redesignated as the 2nd Pioneer Infantry, was part of the 27th Division. As per his New York State Abstract, he was on furlough from November 22, 1917 through December 1, 1917. Douglas went overseas on June 30, 1918, and was promoted to corporal on July 24 of the same year. While serving in France, he contracted pneumonia and influenza and died on December 7, 1918. His father, William L. Douglas, who lived with him at 10 Seeley Street in Brooklyn, was notified of his death. After his remains were returned to the United States, he was re-interred on July 27, 1921. Section 203, lot 35293, grave 2.

DuBOIS, LOUIS TALMAN (or TALLMAN) (1894-1981). Private, 38th Infantry, Company D, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. DuBois was born in Washington, D.C. At the time of the 1910 census, he lived with his parents and brother on Scotland Road in South Orange, New Jersey, and attended school. His name appears in the Rutgers University Yearbook for 1911. His Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, at Princeton University, notes that he lived at 177 Harrison Street in East Orange, New Jersey. He noted that he was a university student, single, with a slender build, gray eyes, brown hair and of medium height. DuBois claimed exemption from military service because he had a bad heart and was underweight. Nonetheless, he served as a private in Company D of the 38th Infantry; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs lists an enlistment date of September 4, 1917. His name appeared on the manifest of the Corsican, a ship that departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 25, 1918; he still lived on Harrison Street and indicated that his mother was his next of kin. DuBois indicated that he served in the American Expeditionary Forces from April through October 1918 on his passport application of 1921. He was discharged on December 11, 1918.

As per DuBois’s passport application of 1921, he was living at 177 Harrison Street in East Orange, New Jersey. He noted in that application that he had been in France with the American Expeditionary Forces and that he had never had a passport before. DuBois was then in the publishing business and was embarking on the Norwegian-American Line on June 17, 1921, for a pleasure trip of about three months to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the British Isles. The 1930 census indicates that he was a boarder on South Clinton Street in East Orange, New Jersey, was a bookshop proprietor and a veteran of the World War. On January 20, 1940, his name was listed on the manifest of the Coamo, a vessel arriving in New York City from the Dominican Republic.

At the time of his World War II Draft Registration in 1942, he lived at the Carlton Hotel in New Rochelle, New York, and had a telephone; he did not list an employer and noted that his uncle was his next of kin. His death certificate, which spelled his middle name as Tallman, reports that he died in Dade County, Florida. About six weeks after his death, Robert S. DuBois, his nephew, applied for a government-issued headstone. Section 153, lot 19139.

DUNNE, EDWARD PATRICK (1878-1938). Major, 305th Machine Gun Battalion, Company A, 77th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Dunne was born in County Kildare, Ireland, and was baptized there. According to the website Geneanet, he had five siblings and four half-siblings from his father’s second marriage.

As per his great-grandson, Shane Miller, Dunne’s military service began as an apprentice seaman in the United States Navy from 1894 through 1899. According to his biography on Find a Grave, he enlisted on March 22, 1894, and served aboard the USS Minnesota, USS Richmond, USS Constellation, USS Essex, USS Vermont, USS Olympia and USS Raleigh. These ships are also listed on his Service Record for the Spanish-American War. The aforementioned document which lists an incorrect birth year of 1877, states that he was 5′ 4 and 7/8″ tall with brown hair, brown eyes and a sallow complexion. His obituary confirms that he began his service as an apprentice seaman and served on the USS Olympia with Admiral Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. He was discharged on May 12, 1899.

The 1900 census reports that he was living with his father, step-mother, four siblings and half-siblings. Dunne was single, a naturalized citizen, could read and write and was a fireman on a steam ship. On October 1, 1900, he married Nora Louisa Hoare in Brooklyn; they had one child, Dorothy, born in 1901. As per the 1905 New York State census, he lived in Brooklyn with his in-laws; that census reports that both Edward and Nora were United States citizens and that Edward was a New York City fireman. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on May 3, 1912, that Nora Dunne died; the couple then lived at 543 76th Street in Brooklyn and Nora was buried at Green-Wood.

His great-grandson reports that he then worked for the New York State Aqueduct Police, rising to the rank of sergeant. Rejoining the military on June 24, 1916, he joined Troop B, Squadron A of the New York National Guard’s Cavalry and served in 1916 on the Mexican border with General John Pershing as of June 30. Squadron A was assigned to Camp McAllen, Texas, as part of the 6th New York Division, later known as the 27th Division. On December 23, 1916, he returned to New York and mustered out on December 28. The Mexican Punitive Campaign Muster Roll describes Dunne as 5′ 7″ tall with brown eyes and hair, a dark complexion and a sergeant in the B.U.S. Police. He then lived at 830 72nd Street in Brooklyn and listed his daughter as next of kin.

After re-enlisting again, and completing Officers Training, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant of cavalry on August 15, 1917, and was promoted to captain on October 3, 1918. During World War I, he served in France with the 77th Division. His obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes that he began his service in the World War as a captain of Company A of the 305th Machine Gun Battalion; that is confirmed on Find a Grave. He is likely the Edward Dunne whose name is on the manifest of the USS Megantic, leaving Portland, Maine, on March 29, 1918; that man was a first lieutenant in Company A of the 305th Machine Gun Battalion. He fought in the Baccarat Defense Sector and the Aisne Marne Offensive. He returned to the United States on September 11, 1918. As per his great-grandson, he then was at Fort Dix where he trained divisions for deployment to France as part of the 153rd Depot Brigade (9th Company, 3rd Training Battalion), ultimately attaining the role of company commander. For his service in World War I, Dunne was awarded the United States World War I Service Medal, the British, French and Belgian Service Medals and the American World War I Disabled Veteran Medal. He was discharged with the rank of major on September 29, 1920.

Dunne held the rank of major in the New York Army National Guard from which he retired. As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, he was a major who fought in three wars: the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Campaign and the World War. Dunne was subsequently a commander of the Admiral Schley Naval Squadron, United States War Veterans. He was also a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Dunne last lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with his daughter, Dorothy Ederle, at 256 86th Street . His death was attributed to a heart attack. As per his death certificate, he was a widower who was employed with the special police at Madison Square Garden. His funeral with military honors took place at the Oates undertaking establishment followed by a solemn requiem mass at St. Anselm’s Roman Catholic Church. In addition to his daughter, he was survived by three grandchildren. On December 14, 1938, one month after his death, William Hussey of Glendale, New York (relationship unknown), applied for a government-issued headstone, citing Dunne’s service as an apprentice first class on the USS Olympia. Section 87, lot 1715, grave 469.

DUNSCOMB, CHARLES A. (1893-1933). Private, 312th Field Artillery, Battery C, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. According to the 1910 census, Dunscomb was born in Louisville, Kentucky, lived with his mother, grandmother and two sisters on 6th Avenue in Brooklyn, and worked as a “card boy” for a grocery business. His New York State Military Abstract shows that he was living at 557 Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn when he was inducted into the Army as a private on June 12, 1918. Dunscomb served in France from July 14, 1918 to June 18, 1919, and was honorably discharged on July 16, 1919.

Upon return from service, the 1918 New York City Directory shows that Dunscomb lived in New York City and was employed as a lock-maker. He last lived in Tappan, New York. His death was attributed to tuberculosis. On April 19, 1934, James Stoddard, the commander of the Tappan Zee Post No. 2769 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.), applied to the War Department for a government-issued headstone, citing Dunscomb’s service in the World War. Section F, lot 19053.

DYBDAHL, BIRGER (1867-1918). Chief yeoman, United States Navy. Born in Brooklyn and married in 1910, the New York City Directory of 1912 shows Dybdahl to be a machinist living at 408 669th Street in Brooklyn. On July 6, 1918, he enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve at New York City, rising in rank to chief yeoman. In little over three month’s time, Dybdahl was dead of broncho-pneumonia at Base No. 6 in Bordeaux, France. He was interred on November 10, 1918, just one day prior to the armistice that ended the war. His last residence was 747 45 Street in Brooklyn. Section 130, lot 35074.

dybdahl-stone

EARLE (or EARL), RUSSELL WARD (1885-1964). Second lieutenant, Coast Artillery, 6th Company. Earle was born in Far Rockaway, Queens. The 1900 census, which lists an incorrect birth year, shows him attending school, living at 123 Lincoln Road in Brooklyn with his parents, three siblings and two servants. As per an online biography, he enlisted in Troop 5, Squadron C Cavalry of the New York National Guard in Brooklyn on April 30, 1906. At the time of the 1910 census, which used the spelling of “Earl,” he still lived with his parents, two adult siblings and one servant on Lincoln Road At that time, he was single and worked as a broker in the rubber industry. The 1915 New York State census reports that he was a rubber broker and lived with his parents and older sister. He married Evelyn Beavers in Brooklyn on March 30, 1916.

As per his online biography on Findagrave, Earle was assigned to Company 6 of the Coast Artillery at Chesapeake Bay during World War I and was commissioned as a second lieutenant on June 25, 1918. He was assigned to the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and was discharged from there on December 11, 1918. Veterans Administration records confirm that Earle’s military service ended on December 11, 1918.

According to the 1920 census, Earle was married, lived at 142 Willow Street in Brooklyn, was a rubber broker, had a two-year old daughter and two maids in his rental residence. The 1925 New York State census reports that he was married with three daughters, and a waitress and cook were part of his household. He lived in Brooklyn and was still in the rubber industry. The 1930 census reports that he was a broker, married at age 30, had a radio set, owned his home at 126 Willow Street, and was a veteran of the World War. At the time of the 1940 census, his home was valued at $35,000, he had worked all of 1939 and had earned $5,000 as a salesman in addition to other income. That census notes that Earle had completed three years of high school, was married with three daughters, and had a maid who lived with his family.

His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, lists his address as 126 Willow Street in Brooklyn. He worked for Tucker Anthony & Company at 120 Broadway in Manhattan, had a home telephone, and listed his wife, Mrs. Russell W. Earle, as his contact person. He died in Greenwich, Connecticut. Section 185, lot 34536.

EDERLE, FREDERICK (1893–1918). Horseshoer, 305th Machine Gun Battalion, Company B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, Ederle, at age 16, was employed as an office worker in a brewery, according to the 1910 census. He was inducted into the Army on November 23, 1917. On March 25, 1918, Ederle was assigned as a horseshoer. He served in Europe from March 29, 1918 until his death on September 8, 1918, from wounds received in action in France. His last residence was 256 15th Street in Brooklyn. His body was shipped back to New York and re-interred on September 11, 1921. Section 131, lot 35344, grave 3.

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EHLERS, CHARLES WILLIAM (1890-1962). Fireman first class, United States Navy. All records indicate that Ehlers was born on August 19. However, his gravestone and New York Military Abstract list his birth year as 1890 but other records indicate other birth years. According to the New York State Abstracts of World War I Military Service, which lists a birth year of 1890, Ehlers enlisted as a fireman second class aboard the USS Utah on December 19, 1913; on that date he was living at 78 New Jersey Avenue in Brooklyn. The Utah was sunk at Pearl Harbor 28 years later. As per his World War I Draft Registration Card dated September 12, 1918, which lists a birth year of 1896, he was a native born citizen, tall, of stout build, and had blue eyes and brown hair. He lived at 98 Hull Street in Brooklyn and worked as a marine fireman for a company located at 38 East 25th Street in Manhattan.

After a brief assignment to the USS New York (April 6-May 9, 1917) as a fireman first class, Ehlers served aboard the USS Wisconsin. The Wisconsin, the last of the pre-dreadnought battleships, was launched in 1898. She served as a training ship for engine personnel after the United States entered World War I and was part of the Coastal Battleship Patrol Squadron. Ehlers served aboard the Wisconsin until December 17, 1917, when he was honorably discharged. On October 9, 1918, Ehlers enrolled in the Fleet Naval Reserve stationed on a receiving ship in New York Harbor until Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.

His World War II Draft Registration Card, which indicates a birth year of 1892, shows that Ehlers lived at 319 Union Street in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was employed at Marine Middle Trust Company. Ehlers last lived at 319 Union Street in Jersey City; he died at the Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, New Jersey. Section 181, lot 10157.

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EYLLER, HANS (or HENRY) MAX GEORG KRÖGER (1890-1919). Sergeant, 5th Field Artillery, Battery B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army; Canadian Engineers, Canadian Expeditionary Forces. Eyller was born in Zwickan, Germany, as per the manifest of the ship that brought him to the United States. However, other documents lists his nationality as Danish, perhaps territory that was in dispute. On May 27, 1910, he arrived in New York from Hamburg, Germany, on the President Lincoln. At that time, he was single, 5′ 7″ tall with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. The manifest notes that Eyller had $50 in his possession and had a friend, Rolph Benter, in New York, and a father in “the old country.”

As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Standard Union, Eyller first went to France during World War I with American forces as a private with Battery B of the 5th Field Artillery. His name appears as a private on the manifest of the Lenape, a troop transport ship, which departed from Hoboken, New Jersey, on August 7, 1917, and arrived in France on August 25. His address was listed as 1101 South State Street in Chicago, Illinois. Paul Pricewas listed as the next of kin. His obituary notes that he was severely injured and returned to the United States as a casualty. He was discharged from the American Army at Fort Jay with the rank of sergeant.

On March 6, 1918, Eyller filed a Draft Registration Card while living at 673 Wilson Street in Winona, Minnesota. That document notes a birthplace in Saxony, Germany, and status as an alien. He noted that he was single, was an electrician in Winona and had served as a private for eight months in the United States Army Field Artillery. He described himself of medium height and slender with brown hair and blue eyes.  Eyller’s service history shows that he was also a sergeant in the Canadian Engineers. As per U.S. Residents Serving in Canadian Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1918, Eyller was a Danish-born resident of Chicago who was an electrician who served from Toronto, Canada as of May 17, 1918. His obituary indicates that he joined the Canadian forces after he recovered from his injuries sustained in France. Once again, he was sent to France and was severely injured. He returned to Canada where he died from his wounds at a military hospital in Montreal.

His name appears on an online list, Commonwealth War Graves, of the final resting places of British Commonwealth veterans. He was buried on August 30, 1919. Eyller’s obituary notes that he lived in Brooklyn with George Selland at 163 Nelson Street for about ten years before the World War. His funeral took place as Louis W. Thorgesen Chapel at 300 Court Street. His parents, who lived in Germany, survived him. Section 134, lot 29725, grave 388.

FALLS, JR., DeWITT CLINTON (1864-1937). Colonel, 7th Regiment, New York State National Guard, (107th New York Infantry), United States Army. Born in New York City, his father, also named DeWitt Clinton Falls, served in the 7th Regiment during the Civil War. Following in the footsteps of his father, he became a private in Company K of the 7th New York State National Guard on January 27, 1886, rose to corporal on January 10, 1889, sergeant major on October 26, 1894, first lieutenant and adjutant on July 5, 1895, and captain on June 2, 1899. In civilian life, Falls was an author, artist, expert on military heraldry, and designer of military insignia. After the Spanish-American War, he was charged with the responsibility of designing appropriate uniforms for tropical climates. Falls’s collection of drawings, military uniforms, and photographs became an important part of his legacy. When Falls applied for a passport in 1904, he was 5′ 10″ tall with a high forehead, brown eyes, light hair, straight nose, light complexion, and full face.

During the first three decades of the 20th century, Falls was primarily stationed in Europe where he observed the military conflicts there and, at the start of World War I in Europe (1914), was in Belgium and England. Falls became a major in the 7th National Guard on June 21, 1916. During the U.S. participation in World War I, he was detailed into active duty as a major of the 7th Infantry National Guard beginning on August 5, 1917. The 7th became known as the 107th after 1917. He was promoted to colonel of the National Guard on September 5 and was assigned as a major to the United States Inspector General’s Office on October 10, 1918. His New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service notes that he was principally stationed at Washington, D.C., and received no wounds in action. He was honorably discharged on June 10, 1919.

Falls remained active with the National Guard, becoming a colonel on June 23, 1921, and then retired as a brigadier general on September 7, 1928, according to a biographical sketch for the American Numismatic Society. Falls’s collection of militaria that is now archived at the New York Public Library includes his work on military affairs in England, France, Italy, and Europe 1926-1930. His New York State Military History Archive records that he was detailed to the Adjutant General’s Office from June 1, 1934 until his death on September 7, 1937. A prolific author, his books covered a range of subjects including An ABC of Golf (1898), The Mishaps of an Automobilist (1902), Army and Navy Information: Uniforms, Organizations, Arms, and Equipment of the Warring Powers (1917), Washington in War Times (1919), and History of the Seventh Regiment, 1889-1922 (1923). In 1923, he became a fellow of the American Numismatic Society (an organization dedicated to the study of coins, medals and tokens from all nations and cultures) and served on its Committee on Decorations, Insignia and War Medals. He served on the governing council of that organization until his death. The Numismatic Society has a collection of six of his illustrated notebooks that focus on war medals from the U.S. and foreign governments and the etiquette for wearing such decorations. Falls last lived at 610 Park Avenue in Manhattan but died in London, England, on September 7, 1937. His death was attributed to heart disease.

An article about Falls’s funeral in The New York Times on October 3, 1937, reports that thousands lined Fifth Avenue to observe the ten-block long funeral procession that began at the Seventh Regiment Armory and ended at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. His comrades were dressed in full-dress uniforms and marched to the muffled drum beat of funeral music. His coffin, draped in the American flag, had been lying in state at the Armory and was mounted on a horse-drawn carriage driven by comrades from the 112th New Jersey Field Artillery and followed by members and officers of the regiment, the 107th Infantry Post of the American Legion, the Military Order of Foreign Wars, and the Society of the Missing of the Colors. Invitees then entered the church preceded by the regimental crucifer (cross-bearer) and an honor guard. Hymns were sung at the service. The members of the regiment did not attend the funeral service and marched back to the armory at the conclusion of the procession. Family members and staff officers of the Seventh Regiment were present at the interment. An honor guard, composed of sixteen members of Company K, fired a salute of three volleys over his gravesite.

Another article in The New York Times on May 10, 1938, reported that the New York Public Library received by bequest a collection of military memorabilia and sketchbooks of Brigadier General DeWitt Clinton Falls. The article indicated that Falls had been the commanding officer of the 107th Infantry Regiment, a unit that began in 1917 during World War I and which had its roots in the 7th Regiment; historically, the 7th Regiment was known for many of the social elite who were part of its ranks. The library exhibited about 500 pieces of his collection of photographs, scrapbooks, drawings of uniforms, manuscripts and other militaria as part of its “Military Costume” exhibit. There are seven boxes of his memorabilia in the Library’s archives. Section 45, lot 5518.

FEIL, WILLIAM (1895-1952). Private, Medical Department, 2nd Provisional Convalescent Company, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native Brooklynite, Feil registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. As per his Draft Registration Card, he was of medium height and build, had brown eyes and black hair, and worked as a driver for Borden’s Milk Company; he lived at 426 East 83rd Street in Manhattan at that time. He asked for an exemption from the draft, noting that his aunt was dependent upon him for support. Nevertheless, he was inducted into the Army on August 5, 1918, and was assigned to the Medical Camp at Greenleaf, Georgia. Greenleaf was established in May of 1917, as a medical officer training camp. It also provided veterinary and dental training. In the 18 months of its existence, Greenleaf trained over 6,500 officers and 31,000 enlisted men. The application for his headstone notes that he also served at Camp Meade, Maryland. In October 1918, after training, Feil was re-assigned to Medical Department Base Hospital #92 at Pontanezen Barracks in Brest, France. He served abroad until December 13, 1918, and received an honorable discharge on January 14, 1919.

According to the 1930 census, Feil was a World War veteran, lived on 14th Street in Brooklyn in a rental apartment with his wife and son, did not own a radio set, and worked as a chauffeur for a delivery company. At the time of the 1940 census, he was living in a rental in Queens with his wife and son, had completed schooling through the eighth grade, and had an annual income of $2,132. His World War II Registration Card of 1942 shows that he was living at 1858 Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn and working for Oliver Brothers, a company on Canal Street in Manhattan. Feil died of peritonitis at the Veterans Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona; his home address was 4558 Kings Highway in Brooklyn. On October 18, 1852, Ella Feil, who lived with him on Kings Highway, applied for a government-issued headstone, citing William Feil’s service in World War I. Section 192, lot 32355.

FIELD, ROBERT OWEN (1895-1948). Corporal, United States Army. Field was born in New Jersey. The 1900 census indicates that he was living with his family in Manhattan; the 1910 census reports that the family had relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey. Field enlisted in the United States Army on December 15, 1917. According to the application for a government-issued headstone, he achieved the rank of corporal and was attached to the I.M.C. Replacement Troops but was listed as “unassigned.” He was discharged on November 23, 1918.

The census of 1940 reports that Field was single, lived with his brother’s family and mother, and had completed one year of high school. According to his World War II Draft Registration Card on April 25, 1942, he worked as chief clerk for the Works Projects Administration located at 124 Grand Street, Hoboken, New Jersey. At that time, he was described as 5′ 6″ inches tall, weighing 135 pounds, with a light complexion, brown eyes and hair, and had scars on his face. His last address was 1231 Park Avenue in Hoboken, New Jersey. On August 7, 1950, his family applied for a government-issued marble headstone with Christian emblem citing his World War I service. Section 193, lot 30383, grave 3.

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FINNERTY, DAVID FRANCIS (1891-1924). Second lieutenant, 22nd Infantry, Reserve Corps; 153rd Depot Brigade, United States Army. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Finnerty attended Brooklyn Polytechnic School, class of 1912; he was on the football team in 1911. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1916 with a law degree. According to the New York City Directory of 1916, he was employed by the Havana Camera Company at 38 Park Row in New York City. His Draft Registration Card, filed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1917, indicated that he was a self-employed lawyer who was single, tall, of medium build with blue eyes and dark hair. As per his New York State Military Abstract for World War I, Finnerty was called into active service as a second lieutenant on November 27, 1917; he lived at 1811 Voorhies Avenue in Brooklyn at that time. Finnerty received his training at Plattsburg Barracks, New York. Subsequent assignments were to Kelly Field in Texas and Fort Jay in New York. After serving in the 22nd Infantry until November 1918, Finnerty was transferred to the 153rd Depot Brigade. A month later, on December 28, 1918, he married Mary Hayes in Manhattan. While serving with the 153rd Depot Brigade, he stationed at Camp Dix, New Jersey, until his honorable discharge on January 1, 1919. He did not serve overseas.

As per his Military Register, Finnerty was accepted in the Grad. Air Service Pilot School as a second lieutenant on July 1, 1920, and accepted into the Infantry on July 13. Later, he was assigned as first lieutenant to the 41st Infantry on July 1, 1921, and honorably discharged on December 15, 1922. Finnerty applied for and received his passport on November 19, 1923. In his application, he noted that he was traveling to France for “tourist and health.” He also wrote that he planned to sail onboard the Rochambeau on November 23. According to Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, Finnerty died on July 24, 1924, at the Maison de Santé in Paris from an overdose of veronal-an exceedingly potent hypnotic, typically used in very small doses for insomnia. That report notes that he was embalmed and his remains were placed in the American Church in Paris and that his mother, Marian Finnerty, was notified of his death by telegraph. His widow, Mary, who had accompanied him to France, took his remains back to New York on July 30; he was interred on August 8, 1924. His last residence was 1215 Bergen Street in Brooklyn. On August 29, 1932, Marie Louise Mirski applied for a government-issued headstone to be shipped to Mrs. M. Finnerty at 1215 Bergen Street, citing David Finnerty’s military service as an officer in the Reserve Corps and Infantry, United States Army. Section 205, lot 29383.

FITCH, JOHN BELLAMY (1889-1964). First lieutenant, 308th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 1900 census reports that Fitch attended school and lived at 300 West 114th Street in Manhattan with his parents and siblings; that census gives the birth month and year of December 1889. The 1910 census indicates that he was single, lived with his parents and siblings on West 152nd Street in Manhattan and worked as a bookkeeper. As per the 1915 New York State census, he was single, and lived with his mother and siblings in Manhattan. Fitch began his service in the military when he enlisted as a private in Company A of the 22nd Engineers on August 28, 1911; he was discharged on June 14, 1915. His paperwork indicates that he was a real estate manager who lived with his mother at 518 West 152nd Street in New York City. Fitch was 5′ 10½” tall with grey eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. As per his records for the Mexican Punitive Campaign, he re-enlisted at New York City on June 14, 1915, and mustered into the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Corps of Engineers on July 7, 1916, as a sergeant major. He mustered out with his company at New York City on January 4, 1917. Fitch was discharged on June 27, 1917, to the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps).

As per his Draft Registration Card, filed in June 1917, Fitch noted that he was born on December 10, 1889, contrary to the information on his headstone, and still lived at 518 West 152nd Street in Manhattan. He indicated that he was tall, of medium build, with grey eyes, light brown hair and no distinguishing marks on his body. At that time, he worked as a real estate manager in Manhattan, and noted that he supported his mother. He also indicated that he had served for five years as a sergeant in the 22nd Engineers, New York State National Guard. His New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, which also gives a birth date of December 10, 1889, indicates that Fitch lived at 79 Union Avenue in Mamaroneck, New York, when he was called into active service as a second lieutenant on August 15, 1917, at Plattsburg, New York. Fitch’s soldier record shows that he was stationed at Camp Upton, New York, Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and Camp Mills, New York, before he was shipped overseas on April 6, 1918. He was promoted to first lieutenant on September 8, 1918. His overseas duty terminated on April 28, 1919. After returning to the United States, Fitch was honorably discharged on May 28, 1919.

On April 6, 1920, he married Lillian Roeder in Manhattan. The census of 1930 indicates that he had been married for 10 years, lived in a rental on 163rd Street in Queens, was a veteran of the World War, owned a radio set, and was a general manager in the shoe business. Fitch’s World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, indicates that he lived at 33 Windsor Road in Great Neck, New York, and worked for the Melville Shoe Corporation in Manhattan; that document indicates a birth year of 1891. Section 177, lot 15864.

FLYNN, WILLIAM J. (1882-1918). Private, 14th Infantry, New York State National Guard, Company K; 165th Infantry, Company I, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A Brooklynite by birth, the 1910 census indicates that Flynn was married one year and worked in the insurance business. On July 18, 1917, he enlisted in the New York State National Guard at Brooklyn and mustered into Company K of the 14th Infantry four days later. A month later, on August 21, he was reassigned to Company I of the 165th Infantry and reported to Camp Mills, New York, on August 25. His unit was part of the 27th Division. He was sent overseas with the 165th on December 4, 1917, and saw action at Baccarat, Champagne and Chateau Thierry. He was killed in action in France on July 28, 1918. Flynn’s mother, Elizabeth, was notified of his death. His last address was 250 15th Street in Brooklyn. After his remains were returned to the United States, he was re-interred on July 22, 1921. Section 117, lot 6797.

FOLLIART, JR., JAMES (1891-1918). Private first class, 307th Infantry, Companies K, L, and B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A native of Brooklyn, Folliart attended Public School 37 and then Brooklyn Boys High School where he played on its baseball team 1907-1909, and was a member of the German Club in 1907. The 1910 census shows that he was living with his father and was employed as a clerk in the rubber industry. The 1915 New York State census has him still living with his father, but employed as an estimates clerk.

Folliart’s 1917 Draft Registration Card describes him as tall and slender with blue eyes and brown hair. On September 30, 1917, he was inducted into the Army and initially assigned to Company K, 307th Infantry. He was later transferred to Company L, and then Company B. On January 22, 1918, Folliart was promoted to private first class and on April 7, he shipped out to France. During World War I, the 307th was assigned to the 154th Infantry Brigade and became part of the 77th Infantry Division. That unit served with distinction in the following campaigns: Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne, and Lorraine. On August 28, 1918, Folliart was killed in action. His last residence was 34 Weirfield Street in Brooklyn. In 1921, his remains were returned home from France and were re-interred on June 11, 1921. Section 143, lot 23445, grave 1.

FORD, FULLERTON (1899-1919). Electrician 1st class radio, United States Navy. Ford was born in Brooklyn, the eldest of three children. As per the 1910 census, he lived on East 10th Street in Brooklyn. At the time of his military service, he lived at 205 Sterling Place in Brooklyn. On March 21, 1917, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed at the Headquarters of the 3rd Naval District at the Navy Yard in Brooklyn from April 7, 1917 to June 3, 1918, where he attained the rank of electrician 3rd class radio. Ford was temporarily assigned to the Armed Draft Detail, New York, for the week of June 3-10, 1918. He then served on the USS Black Hawk as an electrician 2nd class radio from June 10 to August 29, 1918. From August 29 to November 11, 1918, the day the armistice was signed, he served on the USS Roanoke as an electrician 1st class radio. Ford was honorably discharged on March 4, 1919, at the Naval Hospital at Newport, Rhode Island.

On April 11, 1919, he applied for a Seaman’s Protection Certificate. His application states that he was 5′ 6″ tall with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and gray eyes and with a physical mark identified as a “malformation of chest.” He promised to defend the United States Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic as part of the aforementioned application. Ford died four months later, just shy of his 20th birthday, at his home at 205 Sterling Place. His death was attributed to chronic myocarditis. A requiem mass was held at St. Joseph’s Church, at Pacific Street near Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn. In 1940, Mary Elizabeth Ford, his mother, applied to the War Department for a government-issued headstone for her son, citing his service in the World War. Section 193, lot 30883, grave 4.

FOSTER, GEORGE BROWN (1896-1941). Second class seaman, United States Naval Reserves. Foster was born in Brooklyn. At the time of the 1915 New York State census, he lived in Brooklyn with his mother and siblings, was single, and worked as a produce dealer. Foster’s World War I Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, reports that he lived at 254 18th Street in Brooklyn, was a self-employed produce dealer, and claimed an exemption from service because he was supporting his mother. He described himself as of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. As per his World War I Military Abstract, he enlisted at the Federal Rendezvous in Brooklyn on March 18, 1918, and was assigned as a second class seaman in the United States Naval Reserves to Headquarters of the 3rd Naval District of New York from March 26 through March 30. He then was assigned to the Federal Rendezvous at Brooklyn from March 30 through November 11, 1918. As of December 26, 1918, Foster was on inactive duty assigned to Naval Training Camp at Pelham Bay Park, New York. The application for a government-issued headstone, filed on his behalf, notes that he was honorably discharged on September 30, 1921.

The 1920 census reports that Foster lived on 18th Street in Brooklyn with his mother and siblings, was unmarried and worked as an independent vegetable peddler. According to the 1930 census, he had been married six years, lived with his wife and child in a rental at 375 East 2nd Street, still worked as a peddler of fruits and vegetables, and had no home radio. At the time of the 1940 census, he lived at the same address on East 2nd Street with his wife and son, had completed four years of high school and listed his occupation as wholesale worker; although he indicated that he had worked 52 weeks in 1939, he listed no income but indicated that he had income from other sources. On March 31, 1941, Margaret Foster, his widow, applied for a government-issued marble headstone, citing her husband’s service in the World War. Section 194, lot 28628.

FOX, LESTER CECIL (1888-1958). Captain, 105th Field Artillery, Battery B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Fox was born in Brooklyn. The 1905 New York State census reports that he lived with his parents and brother, Walter (see), in Brooklyn. At the time of the 1910 census, he lived with his brother and aunt and uncle, Louis and Irene Strauss, on Ovington Place in Brooklyn and worked as a clerk. Fox began his military service when he enlisted as a private in the New York State National Guard on March 9, 1908, became a captain in 1912, and re-enlisted as a captain on November 7, 1913, at the New York Armory. On February 9, 1916, he married Marguerite Jessie Mowbray in Brooklyn. According to his records for the New York Mexican Punitive Campaign Muster Rolls, Fox mustered into Battery B of the 2nd Field Artillery on June 30, 1916, and mustered out with his company at New York City on January 12, 1917. At that time, he was a department manager who was 5′ 8½” tall with brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a fair complexion; he lived at 340 Sterling Place in Brooklyn and listed his wife as the next of kin.

A commanding officer of Battery B of the 2nd Field Artillery, New York State National Guard, Fox was called into active service on August 5, 1917; at that time, he lived at 352 Ovington Avenue in Brooklyn. His unit became Battery B of the 105th Field Artillery and was assigned to the 27th Division. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, Fox was first stationed at Brooklyn, then transferred to Niagara, New York, and then to Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina. On June 30, 1918, he departed Newport News, Virginia, on the USS Madawaska bound for France. Fox participated in the action at Saint Quentin Canal Tunnel near the Somme. He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry. On March 4, 1919, he departed from Brest, France, on the USS America, arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey, nine days later; at that time, he was assigned to Headquarters Company and the Supply Company of the 105th Field Artillery. He was honorably discharged on July 8, 1919. On July 2, 1924, Fox was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross, a decoration for military service given by New York State to a state citizen, for his actions during the World War.

The 1920 census reports that Fox lived with his wife and daughter at a rental, back on Ovington Avenue in Brooklyn once again, and owned a garage. The 1925 New York State census reports that he lived with his wife and children at his in-law’s house in Brooklyn and was a garage proprietor. According to the 1930 census, he lived with his wife and children at a house that he owned at 152 78th Road in Brooklyn, had a radio set and still worked as a garage owner; he did not indicate service in the World War on that document. The 1940 census reports that he still lived at the same 78th Road address with his wife and daughter; that home was valued at $10,000. That census notes that Fox had completed an eighth grade education, was an executive who earned no income from his job in 1939 but had other sources of income in that year. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he lived with his wife at 130 75th Street in Brooklyn, had a home phone, and worked for 5th regiment Armory Board in the Bronx; that document lists a birth year of 1891 which is contrary to other official documents listing 1888 as his birth year. He last lived in Flower Hill in Nassau County. On June 21, 1960, Marguerite Fox, his widow, who lived in Manhasset, New York, applied for a government-issued marble headstone with Christian emblem, indicating her husband’s service in the 105th Field Artillery, United States Army, and confirming his award of the Silver Star. Section 155, lot 32492.

FOX, WALTER PARKE (1886-1935). Captain, 105th Field Artillery, Battery A, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Fox was born in Brooklyn. His military records give a birth year of 1886. The 1905 New York State census reports that he lived with his parents and brother, Lester (see), in Brooklyn. At the time of the 1910 census, he lived with his brother and aunt and uncle, Louis and Irene Strauss, on Ovington Place in Brooklyn. Fox first served as a commanding officer of Battery A, 2nd Field Artillery, New York State National Guard; his New York State Military Service Card for the National Guard reports that he was a captain of that unit in 1912 and 1915. As per his New York State Mexican Punitive Campaign Muster Roll for the National Guard, he was called into active service as captain of the 2nd Field Artillery, Battery A, on June 30, 1916, and mustered out with his company on January 12, 1917, at New York City. That document reports that he was 29 years old, worked in automobiles, lived with his wife at 369 Ovington Avenue in Brooklyn; in addition, he was 5′ 10½” tall with blue-gray eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion. During World War I, his unit became Battery A of the 105th Field Artillery, attached to the 27th Division.

As per his New York State Military Abstract for World War I, which gives a birth year of 1886, Fox was drafted into federal service from the National Guard on August 5, 1917, and assigned as captain in the 105th Field Artillery stationed at Brooklyn, Fort Niagara and Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina. On June 30, 1918, he departed Newport News, Virginia, on the USS Madawaska bound for France; he listed his address as 349 7th Street in Brooklyn and his wife, Bertha Fox, as his next of kin. Fox arrived in France in June 1918, and participated in the action near the Somme at Saint Quentin Canal Tunnel. On March 4, 1919, he departed from Brest, France, on the USS America, arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey, on March 13. He was honorably discharged on April 3, 1919. On October 12, 1936, Bertha Kune Fox, of 674 85th Street in Brooklyn, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in the World War. He last lived in Hempstead, Long Island. Section 155, lot 32492.

FRERICHS, FERDINAND J. (1894-1918). Private first class, 106th Machine Gun Battalion, Company B, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army; private, 1st Cavalry, Troop L, New York State National Guard, Born and raised in Brooklyn, he was the brother of Wilbur Frerichs (see). The family lived at 130 Underhill Avenue at the time of the 1910 census. Frerichs, nicknamed “Ferdie,” enlisted in the New York State National Guard on June 4, 1917. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry on July 22 of that year and trained at Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He joined Company B of the 106th Machine Gun Battalion on October 17, 1917, went overseas with his unit on May 10, 1918, and was promoted to private first class on July 29. The 106th was assigned to the 27th Infantry Division, 54th Infantry Brigade and participated in the Somme offensive in France that began on September 25, 1918, a battle to breach the German Hindenburg Line. It was there, on September 27, that Frerichs was killed in action. At the time of his death his family was vacationing at their summer home in Sea Cliff, New York. The Sea Cliff News published his obituary on November 2, 1918:

Ferdinand was the older of the “Frerichs boys” without whom no sports or summer social event was complete. Endowed with a fine sense of sportsmanship, a winning personality, a great affection for his home and friends, his popularity was a matter of course. He left his devoted family, a rapidly growing business of his own, and all that was of value to him, save loyalty and love of country to enlist in the cavalry more than a year ago….Those who grieve for his untimely passing, and the number is many, know that he died as he lived – all devotedly…making his great sacrifice splendidly.

…Mr. and Mrs. Frerichs were in Sea Cliff Monday planning to meet their younger son, Wilbur, now in service at Camp Upton at Farmingdale on his way home to Brooklyn for a short furlough….Mrs. Frerichs has been in very poor health for a long time and her friends fear the results of the shock of the loss of her son whose affection for her was one of his most delightful characteristics.

After his remains were returned from France to the United States, he was re-interred on August 1, 1921. His last address was 130 Underhill Avenue in Brooklyn. Section 129, lot 35459, grave 1.

Wilbur on left, Ferdinand on right
Wilbur on left, Ferdinand on right.
Ferdinand Frerichs
Ferdinand Frerichs

FRERICHS, WILBUR EITZEN (1895-1966). Private, 152nd Depot Brigade, United States Army. A Brooklyn native, he was the younger brother of Ferdinand Frerichs (see). As per the census of 1910, the family lived at 130 Underhill Avenue in Brooklyn. He graduated from New York University in 1916. His Draft Registration Card, dated June 5, 1917, reports that he was single, short, stocky with blue eyes and blond hair. At that time, he was a clerk for Embry Beers Company, Inc. located on 24th Street in Manhattan. He was inducted into the Army on August 29, 1918, and assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, in Suffolk County. He remained at Camp Upton for the duration of his tour of duty and was honorably discharged on December 13, 1918.

The 1920 census lists his occupation as manager in the hosiery industry. According to the 1930 census, he was still living on Underhill Avenue with his mother, was a veteran of the World War, and was working as a salesman in the investments industry. As per his World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, he was married, self-employed and lived at 303 West Center Street in Medina, New York. The Hartford, Connecticut City Directory for 1946 reports that he was married, living at 186 Bonner Street, and working as a field underwriter; by 1953, he had moved to Haynes Street in Hartford. The Hartford Connecticut City Directory for 1956 indicates that he had moved to Guilford, Connecticut. He and his wife operated the Wilbur and Ruth Frerichs Real Estate Company in Hartford, from which he retired in 1960. As per his obituary in the Hartford Courant, he was a member of the First Congregational Church in Guilford, Veterans of the First World War, sponsor of the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, a Freemason, and the first president of the Connecticut East Shore Chapter of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). His funeral was held at the First Congregational Church and a Masonic service was held for him at his lodge. His last address was 43 State Street, Guilford. He died of a heart attack at the Veteran’s Hospital in West Haven. Section 129, lot 35459, grave 3.

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Wilbur Frerichs
Wilbur Frerichs

FRIES, OTTO (1869–1922). Lieutenant, United States Navy. Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Fries immigrated to the United States in 1884, enlisted in the Navy in 1885, and served his apprenticeship aboard the USS St. Louis at League Island, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, New York State Abstracts of the Spanish-American War and World War I Service Records show that Fries received an appointment as gunner on August 22, 1895. He made his career in the Navy, advancing from chief gunner in 1904, to lieutenant junior grade on October 15, 1917, and lieutenant on August 3, 1920. During the Spanish–American War, Gunner Fries served at Navy yards in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and in Key West, Florida. He served aboard the USS Kentucky. He also served aboard the USS Glacier during the Philippine Insurrection of 1899-1902. During the entire period of World War I, he was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. He last lived in Philadelphia. Fries died at the U.S. Naval Hospital there from arteriosclerosis. Section 132, lot 32803, grave 2.

GARDNER, MARGUERITE M. (1896-1978) Nurse, United States Army Nurse Corps. As per the 1930 and 1940 censuses, she was born in Pennsylvania. The 1930 census states that she married at age 25 and was a homemaker living at 1439 East 7th Street in Brooklyn with her husband, William, and three-year-old-son, also named William. That census notes that she was a veteran of the World War. Military records show that her military service ended on March 16, 1919. The 1940 census notes that she was still living at 1439 East 7th Street in Brooklyn with her husband and son, and was a registered nurse who had completed four years of high school. She had earned $1,1740 in government work in 1939. Her tombstone is inscribed with her service in the United States Army Nurse Corps. Section 164, lot 40039.

GARRISON, HORTON BLAUVELT (1896-1964). Corporal, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Garrison was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. According to the inscription on his headstone, Garrison served in France at Base Hospital 67. Base Hospital 67 was located in the city of Mesves in the French Department of Nievre. This department contained twenty-two different camps with a military population of about 50,000. At the time of the armistice on November 11, 1918, the hospital complexes at Mesves and Mars-sur-Allier housed about 30,000 patients. Mesves was classified as a Type A Unit with tents.

Census data shows that in 1935 Garrison was married with two children and lived in Red Bank, New Jersey. At that time, he was a salesman who had completed one year of college and earned $1,200. As per his World War II Draft Registration of April 1942, Garrison lived at 319 Branch Avenue in Red Bank, New Jersey, and worked for Ehret-Day, a contractor. On July 20, 1960, he applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. He last lived in Red Bank, New Jersey. Section 41, lot 2951.

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Hospital Base Camp in France
Hospital Base Camp in France.

GEBHARDT, GEORGE J. (1889–1918). Lieutenant, 2nd Pioneer Infantry; 106th Infantry, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in New York City, the 1910 census shows that Gebhardt was single and living with his parents in Brooklyn. He was employed as a shoe-laster, one who fastens the upper part of the shoe to the sole. Gebhardt’s 1917 Draft Registration Card shows that he was the assistant sexton for the Knox Memorial Church at 405 West 41st Street in New York City. He was of medium height and weight with blue eyes and blond hair. On June 11, 1917, Gebhardt enlisted in the 2nd Pioneer Infantry (14th Infantry of the New York State National Guard) and received his commission as lieutenant on July 22 before transferring to the 106th Infantry, 27th Division on October 17, 1917. On May 10, 1918, Gebhardt shipped out to France. On July 27, the 27th Division rotated to the front in relief of the British 6th Division. Later, the 106th Infantry, along with the rest of the 27th Division, launched a successful attempt to break the German Hindenburg Line. On November 8, just three short days from the armistice ending the war, Gebhardt died of pneumonia. His last residence was on West 11th Street in Brooklyn. His remains were returned to the United States in 1921 and were re-interred on July 14, 1921. Section 132, lot 33019, grave 2.

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GERKEN, CLARENCE JOHN (1892-1918). Chief machinist’s mate, United States Navy. A resident of Brooklyn, Gerken enlisted in the United Stated Navy on September 20, 1917, and was assigned to Section Base 6 in Brooklyn as a machinist’s mate second class. The job of a machinist’s mate entails the operation, maintenance and repair of ship machinery and auxiliary equipment. On October 8, 1917, he served on the USS Adams for less than a month before being promoted to chief machinist’s mate while temporarily assigned to the USS Granite for only two days (November 4 -November 6). On November 6, Gerken was assigned to the US Sub Chaser 177 out of New London, Connecticut. He served aboard the sub chaser until February 4, 1918, less than three weeks before the 177 left New London for overseas convoy service. He remained at the New London receiving barracks until March 26, at which time he was admitted to the Naval hospital there; he died four days later of cardiac dilation. His headstone reads: “Died in Service to his Country.” His last residence was 900 Kings Highway in Brooklyn. Section 203, lot 28787.

GLADDING, EDWIN G. (1888-1918). Private, 152nd Depot Brigade, United States Army. A New York City native, Gladding was barely married two months when he was inducted into the military on August 30, 1918; his wife woke up at home and saw him standing at the foot of the bed in his uniform. He was attached to the 152nd Depot Brigade. This unit was charged with processing military personnel for deployment to France. After a month and a half in the service, he contracted Spanish influenza (during the 1918 flu pandemic) and died at Camp Mills, Long Island (now Garden City), on October 14, 1918. His last residence was 1041 Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn. Lot 5499, grave 2074.

GRANT, SYDNEY (or SIDNEY) (1862-1934). Colonel, 13th Regiment, New York State National Guard; 59th Artillery, Coastal Defense Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Grant’s family moved to Brooklyn in 1866, and he was educated there at P.S. 13 and P.S. 32. The 1880 census shows that he lived with his parents and siblings at 80 2nd Place in Brooklyn and was employed as a store clerk. According to Grant’s New York State Abstract of Military Service, he joined Company D of the 13th Infantry of the New York State National Guard as a private on August 2, 1881. Grant married his first wife on April 18, 1892; the couple had one daughter and a son who died in infancy. He achieved the rank of captain of the National Guard on September 23, 1895. As per the 1910 census and the 1915 New York State census, he was employed as a real estate manager; the 1910 census indicates that he lived with his sibling and was a widower.

A National Guard colonel at the time of World War I, Grant was drafted into the United States Army on August 5, 1917. At that time, he lived at 947 St. John Street in Brooklyn. As per the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, he recruited men for his regiment and had 1,600 recruits, 200 more than the prescribed maximum. When war was declared, he took his men to Forts Tilden, Hamilton and Wadsworth. He served in the 59th Coast Artillery Corp (CAC) until June 10, 1918, followed by service in the headquarters of the 32nd Brigade CAC. Grant served in France from March 27, 1918, through June 6, 1919. He remained with his men until they completed training at Le Mosges and then organized Base 7 at La Rochelle and La Pallice. As per his obituary, the townspeople of La Rochelle were so impressed with his work that they held a celebration for him. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle noted that he developed the harbor, improved railroad facilities and made it a major port, astonishing General John J. Pershing when he inspected the facility. Grant was awarded a Certificate of Conspicuous Service, also known as the French Legion of Honor Certificate, by General John J. Pershing on April 19, 1919, for “exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services at La Rochelle and La Pallice, France, American Expeditionary Forces.” While state-side during World War I, Colonel Grant was in command at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and Fort H.G. Wright on Fisher’s Island, Long Island, New York. He was discharged from active duty on June 16, 1919; his paperwork notes that he was not injured during his service. An article in The New York Times on July 26, 1919, reported that Grant officially received his aforementioned Citation for Conspicuous Service.

After World War I, while staying active in the National Guard, he pursued his career as a self-employed realtor. He ultimately became commander of the 13th Regiment of his beloved New York State National Guard (re-designated as the 245th Coastal Artillery on May 14, 1924). In addition, Grant was a member of the National Guard Association of New York State for 43 years; he became its president in 1924. Grant was promoted to brigadier general on October 8, 1926, and retired from his National Guard service on October 13, 1926, after 45 years of service. Upon his retirement, he was gifted a hexagonal watch by the members of his regiment which bore the inscription, “The inspiration of your leadership will carry on.” Grant valued that watch as one of his most prized possessions. The 1930 census reports that he had re-married, lived at a rental at 186 Prospect Place in Brooklyn, and was employed as a realtor. His health started to decline in 1931 after he suffered a stroke while on a motor trip to Pennsylvania. On December 3, 1932, he was awarded the Order of the Purple Heart in recognition of his service in France during World War I; the presentation was made at the 13th Regiment Armory.

Grant’s obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, recognized his long-standing service to the National Guard and his success in making his command recognized as one of the best units in the nation. That obituary noted that he was an “erect, distinguished military figure” but not a martinet. He was of medium height and weight with a slight moustache and hint of a goatee. His men, whom he referred to as “his boys,” were eager to shake his hand, thank him for helping them or their families, and remember a personal kindness. He believed strongly in military training and felt that the recipe for success was to “Get men and more men who’ll stick by you. Loyal personnel is 90 percent of the battle.” He said that he kept men in his armory by allowing “no regimental politics, no factions, no cliques.”

When discussing his association with the 13th Regiment, Grant often remarked that the number 13 apparently figured prominently in his life. Grant noted that he attended P.S. 13, was recommended for colonel on June 13, 1916, had a business office at room 413, and took command of the 13th after he returned from France on September 13, 1919. He was president of the Society of Old Brooklynites and took part in planning Brooklyn’s Centennial Celebration several weeks before his death. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, in another article about Grant’s death, reported that he took great pains to plan the parade and banquet for the gala event that was attended by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Governor Lehman.

As per his obituary in The New York Times on June 12, 1934, his body was taken to the old 13th Street Armory to lie in state prior to his funeral there. The Reverend Dr. Charles W. Roeder, chaplain of the 245th Coast Artillery (formerly the 13th) and pastor of the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church, led the funeral service. On the day of the funeral, the streets outside the armory on Sumner and Jefferson Avenues in Brooklyn were lined with hundreds of on-lookers. His casket, mounted on a flag-draped artillery caisson, was escorted by the officers and men of the 245th Coastal Artillery to Green-Wood Cemetery for burial. He last lived at 186 Prospect Place in Brooklyn. His death was attributed to nephritis and arteriosclerosis. A letter, with his signature, for an event hosted by the 13th Regiment, in 1923, sold on Ebay in 2017 (see below). Section 72, lot 6367.

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As per military traditions, Grant's horse was riderless in his funeral procession.
As per military traditions, Grant’s horse was riderless in his funeral procession.

GREELEY-SMITH, NIXOLA (1880-1919). Journalist. She was born in Chappaqua, New York on the estate which had been Horace Greeley’s (her grandfather). After some success with getting her writing published, she joined the staff of the New York Evening World and worked there for virtually the rest of her life. She wrote articles aimed at women readers and was particularly adept at interviews ranging from a female dairy farmer to Sarah Bernhardt. She described Evelyn Nesbit at the trial of her husband Harry Thaw for the murder of architect Stanford White as “a wistful child who had been caught in some peccadillo and was being publicly punished for it.” Typical stories by her were “Girls of To-day Like Those of 25 Years Ago” and “Any Woman Can Be Loved, But It Is Rare to Love.”

During World War I, she often wrote about women’s activities that were helping the war effort. She was an active supporter of the women’s suffrage movement and wrote in its support. In 1910 she married Andrew Watres Ford, the city editor of the New York Evening Telegram. She died from complications after acute appendicitis. Section 35, lot 2344.  

GREGORY, ALICE (1876-1953). Physician, American Women’s Oversea Hospitals. Alice Gregory, who was born in New York City, had two sisters, Fannie Marion (see) and France. Her paternal grandfather was Dudley S. Gregory, the first mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, and a Congressman from that State (who is buried at Green-Wood), and her maternal grandfather, J. Marion Sims, a physician (who is also interred at Green-Wood), who was known as the “father of modern gynecology.” (Dr. Sims has recently achieved notoriety because his experimentation on enslaved African-American women has been deemed unethical. A statue honoring him at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street in Manhattan was defaced in August 2017.) In 1902, Alice Gregory graduated from Cornell Medical College and worked for the New York Infirmary for Women and Children along with two Cornell alumnae, Caroline Sandford Finley and Anna von Sholly, women who later worked alongside her overseas. According to the 1910 United States census, the family lived at fashionable 2 Washington Square North in Greenwich Village.

In early 1915, Gregory’s World War I service began when she went to France as part of a medical team. As per her passport application, she was traveling to Europe (England and France) for hospital work and planned to return home within eight months. She worked for five months at a French military hospital headed by Dr. Percy Turnure located at Chateau de Passy, about sixty miles southeast of Paris. After the United States entered World War I, she, along with Finley and von Sholly, her Cornell classmates, went to France in 1917 with the American Women’s Oversea Hospitals. In recognition of her work, Gregory was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government. Upon returning home after the armistice, she wrote an article for the Women’s Medical Journal (January 1920), “Work at a French Army Dressing Station,” describing her day to day life close to the front as a first lieutenant in the French Army Medical Corps noting, “We averaged 1,000 wounded every 24 hours.” Her obituary in The New York Times, cited in the September 18, 2017 blogpost, American Women in World War I, by E.M. Foxwell, stated that during the war “it was not unusual for her to perform forty-two operations in eight hours,” and that these procedures were not minor – “infected compound fractures, chest wounds, cranial injuries, and amputations galore.”

According to the 1930 census, Gregory was living at 955 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan as “head of household” and was working as a doctor in a general practice; that census notes that her home was valued at $20,000. By 1940, she was still living at the same address, was unmarried, and had retired as a doctor. Her obituary in The New York Times notes that she was a trustee for more than twenty years of the New York Infirmary, the agency that sponsored her second visit to France during World War I. She was also a member of the Cosmopolitan Club. She last lived in Manhattan at 955 Lexington Avenue. Section 182, lot 15396.

Alice Gregory, left, from Around the World with a Camera (1917).
Dr. Alice Gregory in the uniform she wore during her World War I service.

GREGORY, FANNIE MARION (1874-1923). Entertainer/canteen worker and translator, American Women’s Oversea Hospitals, YMCA. Fannie Marion Gregory, also known as Marion Gregory, was born in New York City at 590 Fifth Avenue. She was one of three sisters, Alice (see) and France being the other two. Her paternal grandfather was Dudley S. Gregory, the first mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, and a Congressman from that State (who is interred at Green-Wood), and her maternal grandfather, J. Marion Sims, a physician (who is also interred at Green-Wood), who was known as the “father of modern gynecology.” (Dr. Sims has recently achieved notoriety because his experimentation on enslaved African-American women has been deemed unethical by some; others have concluded that it was not. A statue honoring him at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street in Manhattan was defaced in August 2017.)

As per the 1910 census, Fannie Gregory was single and lived with her family at 2 Washington Square North, a fashionable address. The sisters’ experiences in World War I were elaborated in a September 18, 2017 blogpost, American Women in World War I, by E.M. Foxwell. After the United States entered World War I, Fannie Marion Gregory went to France on November 3, 1917 aboard the Espagne, She first stayed with her widowed aunt, Eliza Sims Pratt, who had a house in Paris. She then went to Labouheyre, a village near Bordeaux, and worked with the American Women’s Oversea Hospitals, the same organization where her sister worked. Initially, she cared for civilians and provided medical assistance to United States Army engineers. Recalling her wartime experiences, Gregory wrote: “One had to try to get used to seeing maimed men everywhere. At first it was heartrending for the newcomer, but it was beautiful to see the care and devotion shown the returned mutiles [disabled people who had lost limbs] by everyone.” Subsequently, Gregory worked with refugee families and then with the YMCA as a singer and canteen worker, noting that she was unable to cope with the climate of the hospital’s locale. After seven months she returned to the United States.

In 1918, Fannie Marion recounted her experiences in “Memories of Service in France.” Hearing the noise of the German artillery howitzer known as Big Bertha she wrote: “The night raids were horrible. No words can convey the sickening sensation of hearing the explosion of a bomb. The firing of the defense is nerve-racking but when the horrible bomb comes one’s heart is cold at the thought of what it means.” The 1920 census reports that she was married and lived in Bayonne, New Jersey. As per her 1922 passport application, she planned to visit relatives in the British Isles, France and Monaco and travel for pleasure in Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. Section 186, lot 15396.

Big Bertha
Fannie Marion Gregory

GRIFFIN, FREDERICK G. (1897-1946). Private, 23rd New York State National Guard, Company H; 106th Infantry, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, he lived with his parents at 346 44th Street in Brooklyn at the time of the 1905 New York State census. According to his New York State Abstract for National Guard Service, Griffin enlisted as a private on September 24, 1917, and was assigned to Company H of the 23rd New York State National Guard. On September 29, he was transferred to Company H of the 106th Infantry (a unit which had its roots in the 23rd Regiment) and served until February 9, 1918, when he received an honorable discharge for a “dependency” from Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina. Griffin never served overseas.

Censuses from 1920, 1930, and 1940 present a picture of Griffin’s post-war life. As per the census of 1920, he lived on Johns Street in Manhattan with his parents and a fifteen-year-old brother and was employed as a shipbuilder. Although he is listed as married on that census, no wife’s name is listed. A family genealogy, prepared by his granddaughter, reports that he married Anna Fredricks(on) on September 5, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, and they had a son Robert (her father). Griffin allegedly listed his status as “single and first marriage” on his marriage certificate but that is not true; other records list his age at his first marriage as 21. His granddaughter indicated on her family tree that Frederick and Anna Griffin separated sometime between 1926 and 1928. By 1930, Griffin was living in Brooklyn and working as a chauffeur for a taxi company. He is listed as living with his mother at 4905 Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. The 1930 census lists him as married but again, no wife’s name is listed on the document.

In 1940, he was living at 1715 7th Street in San Fernando, California, and was employed as an attendant at a Veterans Hospital. At that time, he was re-married to Helen, who was living in the same rented household. According to his death certificate, he was divorced, was a police officer with the San Fernando Police Department, and was a World War II veteran; the information about his World War II service is not confirmed. He died at the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital in Van Nuys, California. Section 15, lot 17263, grave 1601.

GROVE, ORLANDO (or ORLANDER) MARVIN (1896-1987). Private, 152nd Depot Brigade; 304th Infantry, Company H; 163rd Infantry, Company H; 39th Infantry, Company C, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Grove was born in Brooklyn. His Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, at Manuel Training High School (now John Jay Educational Campus), notes that he lived at 328 6th Avenue in Brooklyn and was a machinist for Public Service Supply Company at Brooklyn’s Bush Terminal, Building 19. He noted that he had no prior military service, was single, of medium height and build with blue eyes and black hair.

As per his online family tree and his New York State World War I Abstract, Grove was inducted into the Army as a private at Brooklyn on May 28, 1918. The aforementioned document indicates that he lived at 316 6th Street in Brooklyn. He was first assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade until June 27, 1918, then transferred to Company H of the 304th Infantry until July 31, 1918. His abstract notes that he was shipped overseas on July 8, 1918. Grove then served in Company H of the 163rd Infantry until August 10, 1918, and then was transferred to Company C of the 39th Infantry until his discharge. As per his family tree and the passenger manifest for the Leviathan, he departed from Brest, France, in late July 1919, and arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey, on August 6, 1919. That manifest lists his address as 316 6th Street and his rank as a private in Company C of the 39th Infantry. He was honorably discharged upon demobilization of his unit on August 11.

Census data cited on his online family tree notes that Grove lived with his sister, Sadie, in Brooklyn in 1920 and in 1925. The 1920 census shows that he lived on Sixth Avenue and was a machinist at the ship yard. The New York City Voter List for 1924 shows that he was living at 328 Sixth Avenue. At the time of the 1930 census, he was married with two young children, was living at a rental at 455 48th Street in Brooklyn, owned a radio set, was an awning hanger in the manufacturing business and was a veteran of the World War.

The Brooklyn Standard Union reported on September 2, 1931, that his wife, Esther née Ekstrom, whom he married on August 4, 1926, in Brooklyn, had died; they had two children, John and Alice. His online family tree notes that census data reports that he was a Brooklyn resident in 1930, 1935 and 1940. At the time of the 1940 census, Grove was a widower living on Sixth Avenue in Brooklyn with his sister, Sarah, Alice and Francis (Alice’s son) Hunter (relationship unknown) and his children, John and Alice; he had completed eighth grade and had earnings of $875.00 for 35 weeks in 1939. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, notes that he lived at 355 Sixth Avenue in Brooklyn and worked for H. Both & Son at 767 East 161st Street in the Bronx. He listed Mrs. James Hunter (relationship unknown) , who lived at his address, as his emergency contact. As per his grandson, Joseph D’Emic, he was in the awning mending business for 50 years. Section 196, lot 28154, grave 1.

GUNDERSON, OWEN MORTON (1896-1955). Sergeant first class, 652nd Aero Squadron, 673rd Aero Supply Squadron, 339th (332nd) Aero Service Squadron, United States Army Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, he was, according to the 1910 census living with his parents and eight siblings on Morgen Street in Brooklyn. The 1915 New York State census shows him to be employed as a bookkeeper and living with his parents and now nine siblings. His New York Abstract of World War I Military Service reports that Gunderson enlisted in the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, on November 24, 1917. At the time, he was living at 352 Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn. He was assigned to the 652nd Aero Supply Squadron and promoted to corporal on January 22, 1918, to sergeant on February 4, 1918, and to sergeant first class on February 25, 1918. Gunderson’s New York State Abstract puzzlingly also shows ranks of sergeant on April 18, 1918, private on April 22, 1918, and corporal on June 1, 1918. On April 27, 1918, he was transferred to the 673rd Aero Supply Squadron, located at Camp Morrison, Virginia. On July 7, he was promoted to sergeant first class and was assigned to the 339th (332nd) Aero Service Squadron. He shipped out for France on the transport Mandingo on July 31. Gunderson returned to the United States on December 23, 1918, aboard the Cedric, which sailed from Liverpool, England, and was honorably discharged on January 10, 1919.

The 1930 census indicates that Gunderson had been married for four years, was a World War veteran, owned a radio set and was living at 434 Park Avenue in Lincoln Park, Morris, New Jersey, a home that he owned that was valued at $5,800. At that time, he was an accountant for a handkerchief manufacturing company. When he registered for the World War II Draft in 1942, he was self-employed and living with his wife at 10-15 Morlot Avenue in Fairlawn, New Jersey. Section 199, lot 25802.

GUY, HERBERT E. (1897-1921). Private, 104th Field Artillery, Battery A, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. A Brooklyn native, the 1915 New York State census reports that Guy lived with his parents and siblings in Brooklyn. Guy first served in the New York State National Guard, enlisting on July 24, 1917. He served as a private in Troop A of the 1st Cavalry, Squadron C and was discharged on May 13, 1918.

As per his Military Abstract for World War I Service, Guy was inducted at Fort Slocum, New York, on April 24, 1918, and assigned to Battery A of the 104th Field Artillery. On June 30, 1918, Guy departed from Newport News, Virginia, on the Huron en route to France as a private in Battery A in the 104th Field Artillery assigned to the 27th Division. Although his obituary notes that Guy was gassed in battle in France and suffered from its deleterious effects, his soldier record indicates no wounds or injuries and 0 percent disabled. Guy was aboard the America, which departed Brest, France, on March 4, 1919, and headed for Brooklyn, where he lived on St. Marks Avenue. He was honorably discharged on April 1, 1919.

At the time of the 1920 census, Guy was single, lived with his parents and sibling at 191 St. Marks Avenue in Brooklyn and was employed as a broker. He was a member of the American Legion, Elks and the 10th Assembly District Republican Club. As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which confirms his status as a World War veteran, Guy died at his home at 191 St. Marks Avenue as a result of being severely gassed in battle in France. His parents, three sisters and two brothers survived him. As per an affidavit filed by his father in Kings County Surrogate’s Court, he left an estate worth $664.33. Section, lot 28307.

GYLSEN, FREDERICK CHARLES (1878-1937). Captain, 301st Stevedore Regiment, Quartermaster Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in New York, he married Sarah (Sadie) Amelia Dentz in 1912. His Draft Registration Card, dated September 12, 1918, indicates that he was living at 408 West 130th Street in Manhattan and worked as a superintendent for grain elevators at the foot of 60th Street and the Hudson River. This location, operated by the New York Central Railroad, was incorporated into the United States Railroad Administration, set up in 1917 for the war emergency. According to his Draft Registration Card, he described himself as tall with a medium build, gray-blue eyes and grayish brown hair. As per his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant on September 28, 1917, and went overseas on October 18, 1917, with the 301st Stevedore Regiment in the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army. The 301st unloaded cargo at the port of Brest, France, on the coast of Brittany. Shortly after arriving in France, he was promoted to captain on November 14. After returning to the United States on January 24, 1918, he was honorably discharged.

In 1920, Gylsen took a job in New Orleans, Louisiana, as manager of the Lloyd Royal Belge steamship line. According to the 1930 census, he and his wife were living at 40 Macopin Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey, in a house that they owned which was worth $16,000. That census lists him as a World War veteran. They had a daughter, Marion, age 10, who died in 1935. Also living with them in 1930 was Freemont Cutler Foss and his two children, Freemont Jr. and Bethea (relationship unknown). His last address was 40 Macopin Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey. On February 16, 1938, his widow applied for a government-issued headstone, citing her husband’s service in the World War. Section 189, lot 20851.

Gylsen gravestone

HADDAD (or HADAD), EDWARD WALTER (1898-1991). Private first class, Medical Unit, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. As per the 1910 census, which spells the family name as Hadad, he was born in New York to Turkish (Asian) parents and had seven siblings; he had three older sisters and two younger brothers and two younger sisters. At that time, the family lived on 48th Street in Brooklyn. The 1915 New York State census reports that the Haddads lived in Brooklyn; at that time, three sisters and two brothers resided with Edward, a high school student.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Death File notes that he enlisted in the United States Army on May 30, 1918 and was discharged on July 23, 1919. Haddad is listed as a private being transported on the Empress of Brooklyn, leaving for Europe from New York on July 14, 1918. Notes on the manifest state that he left Fort Screven, Georgia, as a July Medical Replacement in Draft Company 8. He still lived at 560  48th Street and listed his mother as his contact person. There are photos of him at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina, but his duties there are not known. On July 5, 1919, Haddad left St. Nazaire, France, on the South Bend and arrived back in Brooklyn on August 28, 1919. The manifest of that voyage indicates that he was a private first class who had served at Base Hospital No. 100.

According to the 1920 census, Haddad was single and worked as a stenographer in the lace industry. He lived with his parents, two brothers, and three sisters, one of whom had her husband and son living with the family. That census notes that the parents were from Syria, which was part of the Ottoman Empire until after World War I.

On June 11, 1929, Edward married Gladys Katen in Brooklyn. The 1930 census shows that Haddad and his wife lived with his parents, brothers and one sister at 560 48th Street in Brooklyn; he is listed as English-speaking although the language in the home is listed as Syrian. He worked for Katen Company Importers as a manager, and was a veteran of the World War. The couple’s son, Edward Donald Haddad, was born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, on November 12, 1930. As per his birth certificate, filed at the American Consulate, the parents registered as American citizens there on July 18, 1929, where Edward Walter Haddad was a merchant exporter.  As per the manifest of the Adriatic, he sailed from Liverpool, England and arrived in New York City on June 8, 1931. Haddad’s World War II Draft Registration Card shows that the lived at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, was self-employed, and had both home and business phones; he listed his mother, who lived at 74 82nd Street in Brooklyn as his contact person. He died in Edison, New Jersey. Section 130, lot 37658.

Haddad (top) at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina
Haddad at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina
Gladys and Edward Haddad with son, Donny.

HAFFNER, HAROLD FREDERICK (or FREDRIC) (1899-1958). Seaman, United States Navy. Born in New Jersey, Haffner lived at 504 West 135th Street in New York City when he enlisted in the United States Navy on November 20, 1917. He was assigned as an apprentice seaman to the Training Station at Newport, Rhode Island, and then to a receiving ship in Boston, Massachusetts. Receiving ships served as a point of induction for new recruits. Promoted to seaman second class on January 2, 1918, Haffner was transferred to the troop transport USS America, originally a German transport named the Amerika, that was seized in the early stages of the war. Haffner served aboard the America from January 2, 1918, until the armistice on November 11, 1918. The USS America transported over 50,000 American soldiers home from France after the war. Haffner’s last assignment was aboard the transport USS Lancaster out of Brooklyn, before being discharged on June 6, 1919, with the rank of seaman.

On September 4, 1926, Haffner married Edythe Munday. According to the 1930 census, he rented an apartment on Riverside Drive in New York City, owned a radio set, was a veteran of the World War, and was a self-employed proprietor of a radio shop. He last lived in New Jersey. Section 163, lot 14803.

HAHNE, CHARLES ARTHUR (1892-1942). Chief electrician radio, United States Navy Reserve Force. Hahne, a Manhattan native, was living with his parents on 15th Street in Brooklyn at the time of the 1910 census. As per his Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1917, he described himself as being of medium height and build, with light colored hair and blue eyes. At the time, he was working as a wireless operator clerk for the Tropical Radio Telegraph Company at 17 Battery Place in Manhattan, and lived at 362 15th Street in Brooklyn. On December 11, 1917, he was inducted into the United States Navy and was assigned to the District Communication Office of the Brooklyn Navy Yard as of January 4, 1918; he was stationed there until November 11, 1918, as the chief electrician radio. Hahne was honorably discharged on January 10, 1919.

According to the 1925 New York State census, Hahne was married with a two-year-old son and worked as a traffic manager. The 1930 census lists him as a married World War I veteran, a clerk for R.C.A. (Radio Corporation of America), and the owner of a home at 1278 East 8th Street in Brooklyn which was valued at $9,000. In 1931, the Hahne’s had a second child, a daughter. His obituary in the Brooklyn Eagle announced his memorial service at the Joyce Kilmer Post 55 in Brooklyn. On April 15, 1942, Florence Hahne, his widow who lived at the East 8th Street address, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service as a chief radioman in the Navy Reserve during the World War. Section F, lot 19065.

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Charles Hahne
Charles Hahne

HALL, LOUIS R. (1884–1941). Ensign, United States Navy Reserve Force. Hall was born in New York City. According to information on the application filed for his government-issued headstone, Hall enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve Force on March 20, 1917. He was discharged as an ensign on either December 20, 1918, or, according to a pencil notation on the application, as a lieutenant on December 20, 1920. He last lived in Washington, New Jersey. His death was attributed to a coronary occlusion. On January 10, 1942, Carl Gardner (relationship unknown) of Washington, New Jersey, filed for a government-issued flat granite marker with Christian emblem on Hall’s behalf, citing Hall’s service in the World War. Section 153, lot 19277.

HALLENBECK, CHARLES S. (1894-1920). Sergeant, Chemical Warfare Service Company; private, 152nd Depot Brigade, United States Army. Hallenbeck was born in Brooklyn. Before World War I, he had served about ten months as a private in the 23rd Infantry of the New York State National Guard in the Mexican Punitive Campaign as a bugler as of June 21, 1916, and was discharged on April 4, 1917. Apparently, he was declared unfit for duty after a combination of hikes and heat made him physically ill.

As per an article about Hallenback in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on September 30, 1917, he served in the British Admiralty as chief wireless operator on the steamer Welsh Prince from February through June 1915 transporting horses to Europe from the United States. Hallenbeck recalled that on the first of his four trips, the Welsh Prince carried 1,100 artillery horses in crowded conditions. He said, “Conditions were terrible for the animals and we lost at least five or six each day. They were hoisted overboard and proved tasty bits for the sharks which followed us all the way across.” Further, the ship had provisions for sixteen days while the trip took twenty-two days leaving the men and animals in dire straits. He recalled that the six months of service to the British Admiralty were enough for one man to tolerate; he slept about four hours a night, heard stories about German atrocities from French non-combatants, and worked with an inexperienced crew. He also felt that some of the German people whom he interviewed had no grievances against the French and in their hearts, did not support the war. That article goes on to report that he found himself lost in a trench when he was on a sightseeing tour in France in the spring of 1915 with three officers from the Welsh Prince. The four, on a train from Bordeaux to Paris, found themselves in a trench zone under bombardment. The men got separated from the other train passengers and rather than finding the train, found themselves inside the trenches. It took two days for them to secure a pass to get out of the trenches; luckily, they were treated well and were unharmed.

His World War I Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1918, shows that Hallenbeck was tall and slender, with blue eyes and light-colored hair. At that time, he was single, employed as a clerk for the Royal Baking Powder Company, and lived at 1150 54th Street in Brooklyn. He was inducted into the regular army on May 28, 1918, and assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. He was re-assigned to the Chemical Warfare Service Company, which was established on June 28, 1918, to study poison gas as an offensive weapon and how to defend against it. Hallenbeck was promoted to sergeant upon transfer to that unit on October 18, 1918. He received his honorable discharge on December 13, 1918. As per his Military Abstract, he did not serve overseas. He died on Mount Baldy, California, while climbing to the summit to watch the sunrise with two friends. The cause of his death was heart disease. His obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle notes that he was a Freemason; his fraternal brothers were invited to attend his funeral at his last residence at 1150 54th Street. Section 16, lot 14888, grave 193.

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HARE, JR., WILLIAM JOHN (1896-1937). Seaman 2nd class, Third Naval District, United States Navy Reserve Force. Hare was born in Brooklyn. His Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, noted that he was tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and brown hair. At that time, he was single, lived at 403 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn and worked on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn. He enlisted in the United States Navy on May 21, 1918, with the rank of seaman 2nd class and was assigned to the Third Naval District in New York City. Hare was honorably discharged on September 30, 1921. His last address was 158 Myrtle Avenue in Millburn, New Jersey. On March 20, 1938, his widow applied for a government-issued headstone citing her husband’s service in the Third Naval District during the World War. Section 164, lot 15832.

HARRIS, STERLING CARTER (1886-1959). Sergeant, 664th Aero Squadron, 316th Aero Squadron, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, Harris was single, employed as a moulder in an iron foundry, and residing with his mother and siblings on Union Place in Queens, New York, as per the 1910 census. According to his Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, Harris described himself as single, of medium height and build, with grey eyes and brown hair. He was employed as a collector for the Jamaica Gas Light Company and lived at 36 Freedom Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens. His New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service shows that Harris enlisted in the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, on November 21, 1917, and was assigned to the 664th Aero Squadron. On April 1, 1918, he was promoted to corporal and, on July 6, 1918, was re-assigned to the 316th Aero Squadron. The 316th was organized at the Aviation Concentration Center in Garden City, Long Island, New York, before shipping out to France in July, 1918. Harris served in France with the 316th from July 14 until December 2, 1918, at which time the unit was demobilized. He was promoted to sergeant on December 12, and received an honorable discharge on December 16, 1918.

The 1920 census shows Harris as single, living in his brother’s home on 102nd Street in Queens, and working as a salesman for a sugar company. The 1940 census reports that he was married, living in a rental apartment at 2980 Valentine Avenue in the Bronx, New York, and employed as a salesman; that census also indicates that he had completed one year of high school. His 1942 Draft Registration Card for World War II shows him still living at 2980 Valentine Avenue in the Bronx, having a home telephone, and employed by Crosse & Blackwell, the British food company, at 146 West 22nd Street in New York City. On April 21, 1959, Edith Harris, his widow, who still resided on Valentine Avenue, applied for a government-issued granite marker with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in World War I. Section 83, lot 2348.

HARTMAN, GEORGE (1899-1955). Private, 102nd Ammunition Train, Company D, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Hartman was born in New York City and was educated through the 8th grade. As per his New York Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was living at 80 Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn when he enlisted in the Army at Fort Slocum on April 30, 1918. Fort Slocum, located on David’s Island in Long Island Sound off the City of New Rochelle, was a recruiting site for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New England states. Hartman was assigned to Company D of the 102nd Ammunition Train of the 27th Division. An ammunition train was a unit that was responsible for transporting artillery and infantry ammunition to battle zones. The 27th Division was sent overseas in June of 1918; Hartman’s unit went overseas on June 15. Subsequently, the 102nd was re-assigned to the 79th Division on October 28, 1918, in support of their operations in the Argonne. He remained in Europe after the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and returned to the United States on March 11, 1919; he was not injured during his service. On April 29, 1919, he was honorably discharged.

According to the 1925 New York State census, Hartman had married in 1920, lived in Manhattan and was a baker. According to the United States census of 1930, the Hartmans had moved to the Bronx, and lived in a rental at 1187 Walton Avenue. At that time, he was a salesman of knitted goods, owned a radio set and was identified as a World War veteran. The 1940 census reports that he lived in a rental apartment on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and was a route salesman; he had worked 26 weeks in 1939 and had earned $780.00. On October 23, 1956, Grace Hartman, his widow who lived at 67-50 166th Street in Flushing, Queens, applied for a government-issued headstone with Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in the 102nd Ammunition Train during the World War. Section 24, lot 7636.

HASSETT, THOMAS GENOUX (1888-1952). Private first class, 105th Infantry, Company I; 102nd Ammunition Train, Company B, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army; private, 71st Regiment, New York State National Guard. Born in Limerick City, Ireland, Hassett immigrated to Brooklyn in 1910. According to his World War I Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1917, he had three years of prior military service as a member of the 71st Regiment of the New York State National Guard until June 24, 1917, when he received a medical discharge for a hernia. Hassett indicated on that paper that he had declared his attention to become a naturalized citizen. At that time, he lived at 1577 Third Avenue in Manhattan. He described himself as short, of medium build, with brown eyes and black hair. In addition, that document notes that he was married with one child and employed as a clerk in Long Island City. He claimed exemption from the draft because he was the sole support of his family. Nonetheless, Hassett’s New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service indicates that he re-enlisted in the National Guard at Kingston, New York, on July 14, 1917. The New York State National Guard was nationalized as the 27th Division; it was one of just three divisions formed entirely from the national guard of a single state. Hassett was assigned to Company I of the 105th Infantry and promoted to private first class on February 8, 1918. On April 30, 1918, Hassett was assigned to Company B of the 102nd Ammunition Train, and served overseas beginning on June 14, 1918. He was appointed as a clerk on August 23, 1918. When overseas duty ended on March 11, 1919, Hassett returned to the United States and received an honorable discharge on April 3, 1919. His Military Abstract notes that he was not injured overseas.

The 1920 census shows Hassett as single and living as a boarder on Monroe Street in Brooklyn. At that time, he was employed as an electrician in the “washer industry,” and had become a naturalized citizen. The 1930 census shows him as single, a veteran of the World War, working as an electrician, and boarding at 158 Jefferson Avenue in Brooklyn. In November 1954, William F. Weber of 118 91st Street in Brooklyn (relationship to Hassett unknown) applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing Hassett’s World War I service. Section 134, lot 37830, grave 595.

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HAZEN, MARIA (or MARIE) BELL (1855-1920). Philanthropist for soldiers and sailors. Maria was born in Brooklyn to  Stephen Herriman, a banker, and Helen Van Brunt Gerritsen Herriman. The Herrimans lived in Brooklyn Heights and worshiped there at the First Presbyterian Church. The year of her birth is somewhat unclear. As per the Ancestry website, she was baptized on July 29, 1856. However, on her passport application in 1903, she attests that she was born on March 12, 1859. Her death certificate states that she was born in 1855.

The 1865 census reports that 9-year-old Maria was living in Brooklyn with her parents and younger siblings, William, age 6, and Helen, age 5; three servants lived in the household. As per the 1870 census, the family and three other servants were living in Brooklyn. The 1880 census shows the Heromans (sic) living at 137 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights; Maria was listed as single; her brother and sister were also living at home and no servants were listed.

Maria married Horace Clark Hazen on June 8, 1882, in Brooklyn. As per a newspaper marriage announcement, the wedding took place at the home of the bride’s parents at 143 Joralemon Street. Sadly, Horace died three months later. Maria lost her mother in 1883; her father in 1892, and her brother in 1896. The 1900 census reports that Belle Hazen, as she was sometimes known, was living at 143 Joralemon Street with her sister-in-law. Her passport application, dated April 7, 1903, states that she was 44 years old, 5′ 8″ tall with blue eyes, fair hair, fair complexion, high forehead, long nose, medium mouth, round chin and round face. That document was signed, “M. Bell Hazen.”

As per her obituary in Brooklyn Life, which listed her first name as Marie, she was well-known for her work that contributed to social and philanthropic life in her Brooklyn Heights community. During World War I, she directed her energies to helping those in the Army and Navy. A founder and financer of the Tally Ho Club which was headquartered on the Hazen estate, that organization provided entertainment for soldiers and sailors. Her obituary notes that 10,000 attended the club’s events. The aforementioned association was in existence for thirteen months and was under the direction of the National League for Woman’s Service, of which Marie was a member. In addition, Mrs. Hazen provided a special car for the use of the American Ambulance Corps in its service abroad.

The organizations in which Maria was a member included the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Twentieth Century Club, Mrs. Fields’s Literary Club and the Brooklyn Woman’s Club. Her application to the Daughters of the American Revolution showed that she was a descendant on her mother’s side from Samuel Gerritson(sic), a patriot of Long Island (Gravesend, Brooklyn) who received the protection of the Continental Army. As per an article in The Chat referring to an auction site listing names of those who held title to the Whitney Estate, Johannis Gerretsen was listed in 1740, other Gerretsens through 1864, then Helen Herriman and other Herrimans until 1892, when Maria and her siblings were listed through 1896.

The 1920 census reports that she was a widow living with her sister on Shore Road in Brooklyn. However, her obituary reports that she last lived at 143 Joralemon Street. According to her death certificate, she died from multiple maladies, among them arteriosclerosis, cerebral apoplexy, senile dementia and pneumonia. She was survived by her sister, Helen Herriman. Section 52, lot 160.

HAZLETON (or HAZELTON), ARTHUR CHARLES (1892-1927). Mechanic, 16th Development Battalion, Casual Detachment Base Hospital; private first class, 23rd Infantry, New York State National Guard (106th Infantry), Company H, United States Army. A Brooklyn native, Hazleton’s Draft Registration Card, dated June 5, 1917, notes that he lived there at 1362 Fulton Street. He reported on that document that he was employed as a clerk for C.W. Bliss located on 53rd Street in Brooklyn. At that time, he described himself as tall, of medium build with blue eyes and brown hair. Hazleton was inducted as a private into the New York State National Guard on July 16, 1917, and assigned to Company H, 23rd Infantry (re-designated as 106th Infantry on October 1, 1917). He was promoted to private first class on September 25, 1917, and remained with the unit until May 3, 1918. He then was transferred to the 16th Development Battalion. Development companies were organized to assist in the training and rehabilitation for those with orthopedic problems, such as a “flat foot.” Hazleton remained with this unit until December 18, 1918, when he was transferred to the Casual Detachment at the base hospital in Camp Wheeler, Georgia.  A casual detachment is a group of men “detached” or ordered to operate separate from their regiment or company for a specific duty; in his case, rehabilitation. On February 20, 1918, he was promoted to mechanic, and then reduced to private mechanic on March 3, 1918. He remained at Wheeler until he was honorably discharged on February 1, 1919. Hazleton did not serve overseas. As per his death certificate, he was single and employed as a clerk. A funeral service was held at his last residence at 180 Decatur Street in Brooklyn. On April 9, 1928, Charles Hazleton, his father, applied for a government-issued headstone, citing his son’s service in the 106th Infantry. Section 180, lot 13642.

Hazleton stone

HEBERT (or HERBERT), HARRY W. (1896–1918). Private, 106th Infantry, Company D, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Hebert, who born in Brooklyn, died in France of pneumonia on October 31, 1918. As per the inscription on his gravestone, he was a private in Company D of the 106th United States Infantry. His last residence was 725 Elmont Place in Brooklyn. After France allowed soldiers buried there to have their remains returned to the United States, Hebert’s family elected to do so and he was re-interred at Green-Wood on March 24, 1921. Section 204, lot 35656, grave 4.

HEILMANN, CARL ANTHONY (1886-1919). Captain, 115th Engineers, 5th Engineers; first lieutenant, 303rdEngineers, 108th, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Heillmann may not buried at Green-Wood; there is no record of him in the Green-Wood database. If that is the case, the headstone with his name inscribed is a cenotaph honoring his memory; the stone is on his family’s lot. A Brooklyn native, Heilmann lived there with his parents and younger brother at the time of the 1900, 1905, and 1910 censuses; the 1915 New York State census lists him as a mechanical engineer living with his parents at 1265 45th Street in Brooklyn. He studied at American University in Washington D.C., where he was a member of the Officers Reserve Corps.

After his graduation in June 1917, Heilmann entered the Army as a first lieutenant of engineers on July 10. He was assigned to the 303rd Engineers until December 7, 1917, and a few days later he went overseas to join the American Expeditionary Force with the 108th Engineers. Returning to the United States on April 13, 1918, he joined the 115th Engineers on May 16, and was promoted to the rank of captain on June 10, 1918. On July 20, he transferred to the 5th Engineers. While stateside, he was variously stationed at Camp Kearny and Camp Logan in California, Camp Dix, New Jersey, Fort Myer and Camp Humphreys (both in Virginia). It was while stationed at Camp Humphreys that he tragically died of drowning due to an automobile accident in Fairfax, Virginia, on July 12, 1919. His mother was notified of his death; remains were sent to his mother for burial. His last address was 1572 42nd Street, Brooklyn. Section 131, lot 35378.

HEINRICH, JOHN A. (1892-1956). Private first class, 226th Aero Squadron, United States Air Service. Born in Flushing, New York, Heinrich spent most of his life in New Jersey. The 1910 census recorded him as single, living with his parents and younger sister on South 18th Street in Newark, New Jersey, and employed as a bookkeeper at a steel warehouse. His World War I Draft Registration Card lists him as tall, of medium build with blue eyes and brown hair. At the time of his registration, he was working as a clerk for the Carnegie Steel Company. As per the application for a government-issued headstone, Heinrich enlisted on December 13, 1917, and was assigned to the 226th Aero Squadron of the United States Air Service, a forerunner of the Air Force. He achieved the rank of private first class and was honorably discharged on December 12, 1918. The application also shows that he was awarded a bronze medal.

At the time of his marriage in 1920, Heinrich lived in Irvington, New Jersey. The 1930 census lists him as married, living on Sanford Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, employed as a clerk for a steel company, and a veteran of the World War. According to the 1840 census, he was living at 165 Isabella Avenue in Newark with his wife and no children, paying $42 per month in rent, working as an office clerk, earning $2,080 that year, and having attained an eighth grade education. His World War II Draft Registration Card, filed in 1942, indicates that he lived at 543 Sanford Avenue in Newark, and worked for Scully Steel Products there. He last lived at the Sandford Avenue address; records indicate that he died at the U. S. Steel Corporation in Newark. On May 13, 1957, Marion Heinrich, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in World War I. Section 174, lot 18001, vault.

HELLMUTH (or HELMUTH), JOHN HENRY (1889-1950). Private first class, 116th Military Police Corps, Company B; 267th Military Police Corps; private, 152nd Depot Brigade, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, Hellmuth was the youngest of five children. According to the 1910 census, they lived at 174 Montrose Avenue in Brooklyn with their mother; at that time, Hellmuth worked as a salesman at a department store. The 1915 New York state census shows that he was a boarder living in Manhattan and working as a telephone operator.

On January 2, 1918, he was inducted into the United States Army and assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton, New York. As per his New York State World War I Military Abstract, his home address was listed as 174 Montrose Avenue in Brooklyn. The depot brigades were organized to receive, train, and assign recruits to permanent military units prior to being sent to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. Hellmuth was sent overseas on March 12, 1918, and assigned to Company B of the 116th Military Police Corps, from April 9 until May 6, 1918. He then transferred to the 267th Military Police Corps, was promoted to private first class on August 1, 1918, and remained with that unit until he returned to the United States on July 6, 1919; he was honorably discharged ten days later.

On November 6, 1919, he married Grace McLain in Manhattan; the couple had a son, Weston Frederick. According to the 1925 New York State census, he lived in Queens with his wife and three-year-old son. As per the 1930 census, he was married with one son, lived in a rental at 123-10 Hillside Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, did not own a radio set, was a veteran of the World War, and was employed as a New York City policeman. According to the 1932 West Stockbridge City Directory, the Hellmuths also had a residence on Salisbury Road in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. At the time of the 1940 census, he still lived at the same address on Hillside Avenue with his wife and son, had long before completed eighth grade, and had earned $3,000 as a patrolman in 1939.

His 1942 World War II Draft Registration Card reports that he was still a patrolman who was stationed at the Mayor’s office at City Hall, had a home telephone, and still lived at 123-10 Hillside Avenue in Queens. That address also was his last residence. On June 18, 1950, Grace Hellmuth, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her husband’s service in the Military Police Corps in World War I. Section 183, lot 20256, grave 1.

HENRY, JOHN ARNAUD (1895-1918). Private, 304thMachine Gun Battalion, Company D, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Henry was living at 224 77th Street as per his Draft Registration Card filed on June 5, 1917. According to that document, he had been employed as a machinist at the Henry Engineering Company of Brooklyn. He described himself as single, of medium height and build, with blue eyes and blond hair. Henry was inducted into the Army on December 12, 1917, and assigned to the 304th Machine Gun Battalion which was part of the 77th Division. The 77th Division, known as the “Statue of Liberty Division,” received its training at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island, before shipping out to Europe. Henry arrived in France on April 13, 1918. Later that year, the War Department notified his mother, Hattie Henry, that her son had died of appendicitis on December 19, 1918; another document listing American Soldiers in World War I incorrectly indicates that he died from wounds. After his remains were returned home from France in 1921, he was re-interred on May 12, 1921. An application for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem was made on June 12, 1931, for an unmarked soldier’s grave, citing Henry’s service in the World War (the service is incorrectly listed as the 306th Machine Gun Battalion.) Section 134, lot 29725, grave 413.

John Henry gravestone

HILL, ROBERT FRANCIS (1891-1918). Private, Motor Transport Depot #301, Company A, United States Army. Hill was born in Queens. The 1910 census states that he lived with his parents and brother at 601 Lafayette Street in Brooklyn and worked as an apprentice in a machine ship. According to the 1915 New York State census, he lived with his parents and brother in Brooklyn and worked as a chauffeur. His Draft Registration Card, filed on June 5, 1917, reports that he was born in Queens, was single and was employed as a chauffeur and machinist. He described himself as short and stout with brown eyes and brown hair. At that time, he still lived at 601 Lafayette Avenue. As per his soldier record, which incorrectly lists Brooklyn as his birthplace, he was inducted on April 24, 1918, and assigned to Company A of Motor Transport Depot #301 at Camp Holabird, in Baltimore, Maryland. Camp Holabird, near Colgate Creek, was established in 1918 to supply Detroit-made vehicles to the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Military personnel were trained at the facility to drive and repair automobiles and trucks.

As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Hill died suddenly of pneumonia at Camp Holabird on September 29, 1918. The Daily Star listed Hill as one of four men with Queens roots, who lost their lives serving their country; Hill’s parents lived in Maspeth for many years. The Daily Star noted that Robert’s brother, Charles Hill, was a lieutenant in the Aviation Corps at Camp Mills. Both obituaries indicated that he was a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics in Maspeth, a fraternal association that began as a Nativist group but later abandoned that philosophy; members of that organization were invited to attend his funeral. (Charles Hill, Robert’s father, had been the financial secretary of the group in 1907.) He last lived at 601 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn. Section 206, lot 35061.

HOEFLINGER, HERMAN (or HEMA, HERMANY) G. (1893-1932). Private first class, 307th Infantry, Company A, 77th Division; private, 152nd Depot Brigade, Company C; 123rd Infantry, Company C; 331st Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Born in Brooklyn, he enlisted as a private in Company A of the 7th Infantry of the New York State National Guard on June 3, 1916. Hoeflinger’s Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1917, describes him as single, of medium height and build with brown eyes and hair. At that time, he was a clerk at the Underwood Typewriter Company and lived at 452 51st Street in Brooklyn; he claimed no previous military service. According to his New York State Military Abstract, Hoeflinger was inducted on July 24, 1918, and first assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade until September 25, 1918. He was then re-assigned to several units during the period from October 7, 1918, to April 28, 1919, when Hoeflinger served in France. He was assigned to Company C of the 123rd Infantry until October 26, to the 331st Infantry until November 5, and then to Company A of the 307th Infantry until the unit was demobilized. He received his honorable discharge on May 9, 1919. It was on March 21, 1919, shortly before he returned to the United States, that he was promoted to private first class. The 307th Infantry was part of the 77th Division. This division served with distinction in France and suffered over 10,000 casualties, of which almost 1,500 were killed.

As per the census of 1920, Hoeflinger was married with no children, lived on 50th Street in Brooklyn, and was self-employed in the real estate business. The 1930 census reports that he was married with two sons, was a self-employed carpenter, had served in the World War, and lived in Mount Pleasant in Westchester, New York, in a house that he owned. His obituary in The New York Times, which confirms his service in the American Expeditionary Forces, mentions that he was secretary of the Hawthorne Water Commission and a charter member and finance officer of the Union Post of The American Legion. He last lived in Hawthorne, New York. His death was caused by cancer. On October 11, 1932, two months after his death, Mabel Hoeflinger, his widow, applied for a government-issued headstone citing her husband’s service in the 307th Infantry. Section 132, lot 33374, grave 2.

Men of the 307th Infantry Regiment regimental band, marching on a road near Famechon, France, 7 June 1918.
Men of the 307th Infantry Regiment’s regimental band, marching on a road near Famechon, France, June 7, 1918.
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HOOGLAND, BENJAMIN TOWNSEND (1896-1949). Ensign, United States Navy. Benjamin Hoogland was born in Brooklyn to John H. Hoogland and Mary (Vrooman) Hoogland, both of whom were born in New York.  By the time of the 1905 New York State census, nine-year-old Benjamin had been joined by two sisters, Elizabeth and Helen, and, in 1910, a brother, Frederick. At that time, the family lived at 744 Greene Avenue, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Benjamin attended Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, followed by two years at Cornell University, according to his listing at Findagrave.com. He was a student at Yale University, serving in the Naval Training Unit there, when he registered for the draft in 1917, having completed two months of training as an infantry sergeant in Plattsburgh, New York. According to his Draft Registration Card, he was tall and slender, with blue eyes and light hair. He listed his address as 495 East 18th Street in Brooklyn.

As per Yale in the World War, Volume II, and official naval records, he served from September 5, 1917 through March 5, 1919. Initially enrolled as a quartermaster second class at the recruiting station at Newport, Rhode Island, he served there until January 15, 1918, when he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve Force. He then attended the United States Naval Academy, and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy on June 9, 1918. He served from August to September, 1918, on convoy duty off the coast of Ireland on the U.S.S. Utah, continuing his service on that ship until March 1919, when he resigned. He was awarded the World War Medal for his service.

In his civilian, post-war life, Hoogland returned to live in his family home on East 18th Street in Brooklyn, according to the 1920 federal census. He described his occupation as office clerk, apparently in the advertising industry. He continued to travel, as he’d done since the age of 13: the Port of New York records his 1909 return home from London on the SS Minneapolis, and,as a seventeen-year-old, his 1913 return from Colombia, South America. After the first World War, he visited Bermuda in 1925; England in 1926; and Europe in 1928, arriving home from Cherbourg, France, at age 32, on the SS Majestic.

In 1932,John Hoogland,Benjamin’s father, died at age 66 of “heart trouble,” according to his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Sometime in the following decade, Benjamin moved to East 56th Street in Manhattan and was living there with his mother when he registered for the military draft in early 1942. The year before, Hoogland had joined the New York National Guard, the home militia, in Company E of the 51st Regiment, as a private. He was promoted to second lieutenant in 1943 and served until 1945, when he was 49 years old.

After World War II, Hoogland continued his career in advertising as a copywriter and assistant account executive at J. Walter Thompson in New York City. He was involved with the theater as a singer, actor, director, and writer, according to his listing at Findagrave.com, and in 1943 co-authored a book, Let’s Do Some Gilbert & Sullivan: A Practical Production Handbook, published by Coward-MCann, Inc.

Hoogland died “suddenly,” as per an obituary in The New York Times, in 1949 at the age of 53. Services were held at the prestigious St. Bartholomew’s Church at 51st Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan. The Association of Ex-Members of Squadron A, Inc., put an announcement of his death in the Times. Section 193, lot 27327.

HORTON, ROBERT S. (1895-1919). Rank unknown, Fifth Division Motor Supply Train, Company E, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. As per his father’s affidavit, filed in petition for probate, Robert S. Horton entered United States military service in November 1917. He was assigned to the Fifth Division Motor Supply Train, Company E. He sailed for Europe in June 1918. He died in Luxemburg, Germany, on February 13, 1919. The cause of death was pneumonia. His last residence was 916 Albemarle Road in Brooklyn. His body was returned to New York and he was interred on October 27, 1920. Survived by his parents and sister, Horton’s will indicates that he left $400 in personal property. Section ?, lot 19496, grave 3.

HORTON, WALTER DIVINE (1894-1953). Private, Medical Department, United States Army. Horton was born in Brooklyn. According to the 1910 census, he was living with his father, two brothers, sister and grandfather at 164 41st Street in Brooklyn. He started high school but left in his second year. The New York State census of 1915 lists his occupation as “fashion designer.” Horton’s Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1917, notes his occupation as bookbinder. At that time, he was described as tall, of medium build with brown eyes and black hair. He enlisted in the United States Army on September 5, 1918, and worked for the hospital medical department with the rank of private. The application for a government-issued headstone notes that Horton worked at Hospital #3 in New York. He was honorably discharged on July 14, 1919; he did not serve overseas.

As per the 1920 census, Horton was living with his father and brother on 42nd Street in Brooklyn and employed as a case maker for a bookbinder. The 1940 census indicates that he was married, lived at 565 85th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he paid $45 per month in rent, earned $2,640 that year, and worked as a supervisor. His 1942 World War II Draft Registration Card shows that he was living at 351 47th Street in Brooklyn and was unemployed; he cited his sister, Mrs. William Grube, as the next of kin. On September 8, 1953, four months after his death, his sister, Blanche Grube, who lived with him at 650 77th Street in Brooklyn, applied for a government-issued headstone with a Christian emblem, citing her brother’s service in the Medical Department in World War I. Section 136, lot 28307, grave 898.

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HOUSTON, SHELDON CLARKE (or COOKE) (1889–1918). Corporal, 310th Infantry, Company H, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Houston was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, where his father was an editor of the Lowell Times and his mother was a musician and singer; his grandfather was a professor at Harvard. According to the 1910 census, Houston was single, lived in New Jersey and was employed as an inspector in the lighting industry. On June 5, 1917, Houston registered for the draft at Local Board No.130 in New York. As per his Draft Registration Form, Houston described himself as short, of medium build with brown eyes and brown hair. He lived at 74 West 101st Street in Manhattan, worked as a salesman, and claimed an exemption from the draft because he supported his mother. Nonetheless, he served overseas during World War I.

Houston’s death in France on November 3, 1918, was reported in the Utica Daily Press on March 27, 1919; at one time, he lived with a family in Oneida and was a member of the choir at St. John’s Church. That article reports that he was a member of Company H of the 310th Infantry, and had been buried at Verriers, Ardennes, France. A longer article about his death appeared in the Madison County Times. That article notes that Houston’s company was advancing in the woods about fifty kilometers north of Grandpre when he was shot near the heart by a stray machine gun bullet. He was conscious for an hour after the fatal wound. Houston was in charge of a Chauchat (a light machine gun developed by the French during World War I) gun squad. That article described him as “courteous and innately refined.” The chaplain of the 78th Division handled his interment at Verriers. His name appears on the “List of Military Personnel Returning to the United States-Remains of Overseas Dead”; on that document he was a corporal in the 310th Infantry, Company H. As per cemetery records, Houston was killed in action in France on November 3, 1918, eight days before the end of the war. His last residence was in Haworth, New Jersey. His remains were returned to the United States in 1921 and he was re-interred on May 24, 1921. Section 36, lot 13133.

HUNNEWELL, REMSEN (or RENSEN) E. (1899-1979. Private first class, 403rd Telegraph Battalion, Company E; American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Hunnewell was born in Brooklyn. His New York State Abstract for World War I shows that he enlisted at New York City on September 17, 1917. At that time, he lived at 34 Sound View Avenue in New Rochelle, New York; his father was listed as his next of kin. He was promoted to private first class on October 15, 1917. Passenger manifests of the United States Army for World War I show that Honeywell left Hoboken, New Jersey, on the USS Agamemnon on June 10, 1918, bound for the European front. He was listed as a private first class in the Signal Company assigned to Company E of the 403rd Telegraph Battalion. On June 13, 1919, Hunnewell left St. Nazaire, France, on the USS Julia Luckenbach; he returned with the same rank and with the same company in the Signal Corps. He was honorably discharged on July 3, 1919, upon demobilization of his unit.

The 1920 census reports that Hunnewell was single, lived with his parents on Second River Avenue in New Rochelle and worked as a bank clerk. As per New York State National Guard records, he continued his service in the National Guard, Squadron A, as of April 26, 1921, until his discharge on May 20, 1924; he remained a member of the Squadron A Association until his resignation in 1965. On August 7, 1923, he married Lucile Shafer in Manhattan. In 1924, the New York Voter List indicates that he lived on West 77th Street in Manhattan. As per the 1926 New Rochelle Directory, he lived there with his wife at 55 Locust Avenue and was an assistant manager. On January 7, 1969, Hunnewell applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, also listing his two sons and three grandsons, citing ancestry records of the Hunnewell-Watson genealogy at the New York Public Library. He died in Pinellas, Florida. Section 78, lot 961.

INGEBRAND (or DUGEBRAND), HERMAN BERTRAND (1896-1978). Apprentice seaman, United States Navy. Ingebrand was born in New York City and was the youngest of ten siblings. According to the 1910 census, his family was living at 1034 Stebbins Avenue in the Bronx. By the time of the 1915 New York State census, Ingebrand was working as a clerk at a law office. As per his Draft Registration Card of June 5, 1917, he was tall, with blue eyes and dark brown hair and was working in Hoboken, New Jersey; he still lived at the Stebbins Avenue address. On July 22, 1918, he enlisted in the United States Navy at the Naval Training Camp in Pelham Park, New York. According to his New York State Abstract of World War I Military Service, he was inducted on September 5, 1918, and trained at Pelham Park with the rank of apprentice seaman until October 1. He was then assigned to the Naval Hospital at Pelham Park until November 11, and was honorably discharged on December 22, 1918.

The 1925 New York State census notes that Ingebrand was living in the Bronx with his mother and six siblings and working as a construction foreman. At the time of the 1930 census, he had been married two years, was living in Queens, and was employed as a contractor doing excavation work. The 1930 census notes that he was a World War veteran and owned a radio set. As per his World War II Draft Registration Form, filed in 1942, he was working for Starrett Brothers and Eken (the contractors who built the Empire State Building and later, Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan and Starrett City in Brooklyn); at that time, he lived temporarily at 4102 3rd Road North in Arlington Virginia, but listed his home address as 30-20 37th Street in Astoria, New York. Section 58, lot 5506.

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INSLEE, KENNETH SLOAT (1896-1968). Sergeant, 306th Field Signal Battalion, Company C, 81st (“Wildcat”) Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Kenneth, the only child of Charles and Jessie (Sloat) Inslee, was born in March 1896. The federal census of 1900 records four-year-old Kenneth living on Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn with his parents, his father’s sister-in-law, an aunt, and a servant. By the time of the 1910 census, the family was living in their own home on East 19th Street in Brooklyn. Charles was a lace salesman. Kenneth graduated from Polytechnic Preparatory School (now called Poly Prep Country Day School) in June 1914.

Kenneth, then a 21-year-old student at Cornell University, a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and a cadet in the Signal Reserve Corps, registered for the draft in 1917. His Draft Registration Card described him as 5′ 6″ in height, slender, with blue eyes and brown hair. According to his Army record, Kenneth was assigned to Company C, 306th Field Signal Battalion, 81st (“Wildcat”) Division. He embarked from Hoboken, New Jersey, aboard the ship Mandingo on July 31, 1918. Kenneth’s battle group was in France at St. Die Sector from September 20 to October 19, 1918; and took part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive from November 7 until November 11, 1918, the day the armistice was signed that ended World War I. He returned to the United States from Marseilles aboard the Patria on May 10, 1919, and was honorably discharged, with the rank of sergeant.

A year later, according to the 1920 federal census, 24-year-old Kenneth was living with his parents and other relatives in Brooklyn and working as an export clerk. A decade later, the federal census of 1930 recorded 35-year-old Kenneth’s occupation as selling stocks and bonds; he was sharing his residence on Rugby Road in Brooklyn with his aunt and widowed mother. In 1939, Kenneth married Dorothy Alice Kinniburgh of Atchison, Kansas. The 1940 federal census lists Kenneth and Dorothy as living on Rugby Road with his mother and four lodgers.

From 1915 until at least 1940, the Inslee family owned and operated a seasonal resort, the Lakeside Inn, on Lake Pennessewassee, in Norway, Maine. They would leave their Brooklyn home in May and stay at the Inn until October.

In 1942, after the United States had entered World War II, Inslee registered for the draft again. This time he was 46 years old, but all men up to age 65 were required to register. His Draft Registration Card listed his employer as Grumman Air-Craft Engineering Corporation of Bethpage, New York. He was then living in Long Island City with his wife and mother.

In the 1950 federal census, 54-year-old Kenneth’s occupation was listed as a mechanical engineer at an aircraft plant. Dorothy, 43 years old, was an elementary school teacher, and the couple lived in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Kenneth’s mother, Jessie, had died in 1949 and was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.

At the time of his death in 1968, Inslee had been living in Tucson, Arizona, in retirement, for five years. He was brought back to Green-Wood for burial next to his mother. His widow, Dorothy, applied for a military headstone the next year. Section 66, lot 1679.

IPPOLITO, JOHN (1895-1977). Private, 42nd Infantry, Company E; 151st Depot Brigade, United States Army. Originally from Italy and the eldest of five children, the Ippolito family immigrated to the United States in 1911 (though the 1930 census says 1915). On May 23, 1918, he entered the service as a private in Company E of the 42nd Infantry. He transferred to the 151st Depot Brigade on August 24, 1918, at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, and remained with that unit until he was honorably discharged on November 30, 1918; he did not serve overseas.

The 1920 census indicates that Ippolito was a barber, had become a naturalized citizen and was living with his parents and siblings at 2187 Second Avenue in Manhattan. The 1930 census notes that he had been married for three years, was living on 31st Street in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter, was a veteran of the World War, and was a driver for the New York City Department of Street Cleaning. Section 6, lot 39340.

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IRVINE, WILLIAM GRIFFIN (or GIFFON) (1891-1937). Wagoner, 104th Gun Battalion, Companies C and A, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Irvine was born in Brooklyn. At the time of the 1900 census, he was living with his parents and three siblings at 2154 83rd Street in Brooklyn and attending school. The family was still residing in Brooklyn when the 1905 and 1915 New York State censuses were tallied.

At the onset of World War I, Irvine enlisted as a private on May 23, 1917, in the New York State National Guard and was a member of Troop C, 1st New York Cavalry. His address was recorded as 157 Sixth Avenue. As per his New York State Abstract of National Guard Service in World War I, he was transferred to Company C of the 104th Machine Gun Battalion on October 17, 1917, promoted to private first class on November 1, 1917, and subsequently transferred to Company A of that unit.

Irvine departed from Newport News, Virginia, as a private first class on the USS Calamares, as part of Company A of the 104th Machine Gun Battalion attached to the 27th Division, on May 17, 1918. On that ship’s manifest, his middle name was recorded as Giffon and his address as 344 West 72nd Street. Irvine was promoted to wagoner on September 1, 1918. He saw action in France and was slightly wounded in action on October 1, 1918.

On March 9, 1919, he left Brest, France on the USS Seattle, a troop ship, and arrived in New York soon thereafter. He was listed as a wagoner in Company A of the 104th Gun Battalion. His spouse, Alice (Aline) Chester Irvine, was listed as his next of kin and his address was 344 West 72nd Street. He was discharged with the rank of wagoner on April 3 at Brooklyn. His soldier record notes 0% disability.

His online family tree indicates that Irvine was living in Rye, New York, in 1930. He last lived at Blind Brook Lodge in Rye. As per death records, he died in Northfield, Massachusetts. As per his obituary in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which details his wartime service, he had been suffering from a throat infection for four months when he died at the summer home of his parents. He was survived by his parents, wife and siblings. Section 204, lot 28706, grave FLC.

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ISDELL, WILLIAM A. (1888-1939). Private, 152nd Depot Brigade, 31st Company, United States Army. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Isdell lived, in 1915, with his mother and two sisters, according to the New York State census. A newlywed, Isdell’s military service began at age 30 on July 24, 1918, as a private in the 152nd Depot Brigade. The 152nd did not see combat and was stationed at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. The role of the depot brigades was to receive and organize recruits, provide uniforms, equipment, and training before their departure to France. It is interesting to note that the well-known songwriter Irving Berlin also served in the 152nd; Berlin wrote the musical revue Yip Yip Yaphank which included the song Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning while stationed there. Isdell received an honorary discharge on December 12, 1918, and returned to civilian life as a salesman for the Edison Company. He last lived at 109-54 Lefferts Boulevard in Queens, New York. Section 45, lot 10361.