USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Shelby County in the World War > Part 13
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Truth always has a bewitching savor of newness in it. and novelty at the first taste recalls that original sweet- ness to the tongue; but alas for him who would make the one a substitute for the other.
-Lowell.
Justice is itself the great standing policy of civil so- ciety ; and any departure from it, under any circum- stances, lies under the suspicion of being no policy at all. -Burke.
REMANN H. HARLAN
Remann Humphrey Harlan of Moweaqua, with more than a year's service in this country and with the Amer. ican Expeditionary Force in France back of him, re- turned to his home to die. His death occurred there on June 19, 1919, less than a month after his return from foreign soil. He died of pneumonia, which developed trom an illness he sustained while he was in France.
Ilarlan was a son of Lewis E and Susan Harlen, and was born near Moweaqua October 23, 1894. He was reared at Moweaqua, where he held an enviable posi- tion in church and social circles. Ile was selected by the local board January 23, 1918, and was sent first to Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., then to Kelly Field, San Antonio, Tex. Later he was transferrd to Fort ()maha and as- signed to 18th Balloon company. He went to Newport News, where he was in quarantine because of influenza for six weeks before sailing. He landed in France No- vember 3, after a fourteen-day voyage. It was not his lot to get into active service overseas, and after six months at Bordeaux was returned to Newport News, then he was transferred to Camp Lee, Va., and event- ually discharged at Camp Grant. lle reached his home at Moweaqua May 21, 1919, and died as stated, from complications due to exposure. The funeral was held on Sunday, June 22, from the Baptist church, in which the young soldier had been an active worker, including in his activities the presidency of both the Junior and Senior Christian Endeavor societies, at different times. The active casket-bearers were soldiers, namely: Glen Tolly, Maurice Scribner, Clayton Shepherd, Haldon Ayars, Ralph Adams and Jesse Chapman. The honorary pall-bearers were cousins of the dead youth, namely : Clayton, Rolland, Glen, Clarence and James Humphrey and Lawrence Drake.
lTarlan is survived by his father, a Civil war veteran, his mother and one brother.
The memory of the young soldier is honored in that the recently organized post of the American Legion at Moweauqua is named the Remann HI, Harlan Post.
ROBERT FRANCIS HAVERSTOCK
The influenza scourge and its aftermath, pneumonia, which were even more deadly to United States soldiers than the shot, shell and gas of the llun, were responsible for the death of Robert Francis Haverstock on Friday. October 18, 1918. The end came at the base hospital at ('amp Funston, Kansas, where he was under treat- ment for a week for pneumonia, and where he was given the kindliest consideration possible by the greatly over- worked hospital staff. With the young man at his death were his father and mother, John C. and Dora Haver- stock of Stewardson, who had been summoned to his bedside when his condition became critical. The body was brought to Stewardson, escorted by Gilbert E. Wagers, who was assigned to that duty by the authori- ties at Camp Funston. The government also provided a floral piece for the funeral, which took place at the family home soon after arrival of the body and its at- tendants. Burial took place in the Stewardson cemetery.
Ilavertock was born June 20, 1896, at the family home just east of Stewardson. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, but for the year preceding his call to the col- ors, September 5, 1918, he worked at l'eoria, Illinois, and Concordia. Kansas. On his induction he was sent to Camp Funston, but within four weeks was stricken with his fatal illness. In the meantime he had been as- signed to 25th Company, 164 Depot Brigade, with which it was his hope to see foreign service.
Notwithstanding the fact that his sickness and ap- proaching death were a keen disappointment to the young man, he stated to his parents before the end came that he was at peace, and happy. The esteem in which he was held by the people of his home com- munity was fully attested by the floral expressions at the time of his funeral, and the many acts of kindness shown the sorrowing family by the business men, the Modern Woodmen of America and the public in gen- eral.
Besides his parents, Haverstock is survived by two sis- ters and four brothers. One of the latter was regis- tered, being in the 18-21 class. One brother is dead.
JAMES R. IRELAND
Just two weeks after he set foot on the soil of France, with the purpose of helping to rid that country of the hated enemy and make the world free from autocracy forever, James Roy Ireland of Oconee bowed to the conqueror l'eath, and laid down his life at Mehun, France, to which point he had marched with his con- rades from Brest. Ilis death was due to pneumoni.", which was the outgrowth of influenza.
James Ireland was born at Oconee, Shelby county, November 28, 1893, the son of James M. and Mary C. Ireland. After completing his education he engaged in school teaching, and for three years was in charge of schools in Shelby county, continuing that profession until the time of his induction, June 27, 1918. He left Shelbyville with a contingent of new soldiers for Camp Taylor, Ky., and later was in both Camp Beauregard and Camp Stuart. He sailed from Newport News Au- gust 6, 1918, and landed at Brest August 18. From this port he marched to a point near Mehun, where he was stricken with his fatal illness. He was a member of the Masonic lodge, and the Masons of his company, B of the 141st Machine Gun Battalion, gave him Chris- tian burial and marked his grave at Mehun with a foot- stone, upon which was placed his name and company. Military honors were accorded him in his burial.
Ireland was well known in Shelby county as a pro- gressive young educator, who was very successful in his work as a teacher. He had a strong personality, and had he not met an untimely death would have made his mark in the educational world, is the opinion of those who knew him and had observed his career. He is survived by his parents and several brothers and sis- ters.
Great patriots, therefore, must be men of great ex- cellence; and it is this alone that can secure to them lasting admiration. It is by this alone that they be- come noble to our memories, and that we feel proud in the privilege of doing reverence to their nobleness. -Henry Giles.
THOMAS S. JESTER
Sergeant Thomas Steven Jester of Tower IIill died at Fort Logan H. Root, Ark., Thursday, December 12, 1918, of pneumonia. His body was immediately sent to his home, arriving there on Friday, December 13, under the escort of Sergeant F. R. Duernberger.
Sergeant Jester was a son of Lewis and Christie Mills Jester of Tower Hill, and was born August 27, 1887, in Shelby county. Before his induction, January 9, 1918, he was employed as a miner. On December 17, 1914, he married Miss Jennie M. Pollard of Tower Hill, who is a daughter of Mrs. Ed. Mills of Tower IIill. Her father is deceased. One son, Wilba Marion Jester, was born to MIr. and Mrs Jester on June 2, 1916, and is among the survivors of his father's death.
Following his induction, Jester was sent to Ft. Ogle- thorpe, Ga., and later to Fort Logan H. Root, Ark. He was attached to the medical corps, and during the eleven months he was with the army he did much splen- did service. During the "flu" epidemic he helped care for several hundred influenza patients before he him- self was stricken with pneumonia, which resulted in his death. During his illness he was very patient, and it was reported by those who were with him in camp that his thoughts ever were of others, rather than of him- self and his own condition.
Jester's good service won for him the rank of ser- geant on September 16. 1918. One brother, Howard Jester, was in service in Cuha at the time of his brother's death.
Sergeant Jester is survived by his parents, wife and son, the brother already mentioned, and another brother, Leurs Jester, of Mingus, Texas, and the following named sisters: Mrs. Olive Clark, Mrs. Ora Boling, Mrs. Goldie Jester Towers, and the Misses Gladys and Clara Jester, all of Shelby county, and Mrs. J. W. Hayes of El Paso, Texas. Ile was a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, the Knights of Pythias and United Mine Workers. His funeral was held from the Meth- odist church in Pana on Sunday, December 15, 1918, and burial took place in Mound cemetery in that city.
LLOYD VERNON JOHNSON
Lloyd Vernon Johnson, a former member of Com- pany H, 130th U. S. Infantry, died at the home of his mother, Mrs. Sarah Stanley, in Shelbyville, on Thurs- day, February 13, 1918. Death was due to tuberculo- sis, with which he had been afflicted for some time, and which was responsible for his discharge from the company at Camp Logan, Houston, Texas, before that unit left for overseas service in the summer of 1918.
Johnson was born in Vernon county, Mo., July 26, 1896. His father was the late John Johnson, and after his death his mother was remarried. Before his de. parture with Company H for Camp Logan, young John- son was engaged in labor in Shelbyville. Ile enlisted May 25, 1917, the day before the company was called to Mattoon for service in the cyclone area, and later accompanied it to the southern training camp, only to suffer the development of the disease that eventually caused his death. He received his discharge on Jan- uary 18, 1918, and returned to his home in Shelbyville.
Johnson is survived by his mother, three brothers, Clarence O., Jesse W., and Roy Johnson, a sister, Mrs. Sam Rice, and one half sister, Miss Edith Stanley. Roy Johnson was with the Engineer Truck Co. 457, A. E. F., A. P. O. 705, France. The burial of the young sol- dier took place in Mound cemetery, Cowden.
Liberty, equality-bad principles! The only true principle for humanity is justice, and justice towards the feeble becomes necessarily protection or kindness. -Amiel.
Truth will never be tedious unto him that travelleth in the secrets of nature; there is nothing but falsehood that glutteth us.
-Thomas Lodge.
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GEORGE HITCHEN KIRKER
Death came to George Hitchen Kirker unprosaically in the ward of a western hospital. This young soldier was denied the glory of a death among the stirring scenes of battle, which unquestionably he would have chosen had he had his will. But his death, caused no less truly by his devotion to his country and to man. kind than as though he met it on the battle field or in the trench, was in reality none the less glorious by reason of its coming in the hospital. Ile was a victim of tuberculosis, which followed a siege of pleural pneu- monia, with which he was stricken soon after entering the training camp at Camp Hancock, Ga., early in 1918. After being treated in a hospital there for some timc, he went to Nevada, where he expired in the convales- cent hospital at Montella on November 24, 1918. His body was returned to his home at Moweaqua, where it was buried December 2, with services conducted by the Rcv. Frank Campbell, pastor of the Presbyterian church.
Kirker was born at Maroa, Ill., June 21, 1884, and at the time of his death was 34 years, five months and three days old. Ile was a son of John H. and Flor- ence M. Kirker, now residents of Moweaqua, Shelby county. Employed at New Haven, Conn., he enlisted there in January, 1918, as a motor mechanic, and was sent to Camp Hancock. He was there but a few days when he was taken ill, and the development of the dis- ease which eventually mastered him blasted his hopes of meeting the enemy face to face on an European bat- tle field.
Mr. Kirker received his honorable discharge at Camp Ilancock, Ga., June 28, 1918, and later went to the hios- pital where he died.
Love of country is one of the loftiest virtues which the Almighty has planted in the human heart, and so treason against it has been considered among the most damning sins.
-Emery A. Starrs.
I SHOULD WE
PAUL KREIG
Paul Kreig died October 8, 1918, at Norfolk, Va., where he was attached to the U. S. N. Hospital Corps, in which he enlisted March 28, 1918. His death was due to bronchial pneumonia, and was the third of Shelby county men reported within twelve hours' time.
Krieg was a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Krieg of Stewardson, Shelby county, and was 23 years of age at the time of his death. Following his enlistment for service with the hospital corps he was sent to Nor- folk, and performed the duties of an apprentice with such devotion and care that he won the esteem of the patients and of the officers in command. One of the latter wrote the young man's parents after his death, speaking in high praise of his work and of his cheerful obedience to" military discipline.
Mr. Krieg is survived by his parents and three sis- ters. The latter are Mrs. Clarence Terry of Strasburg and the Misses Lucile and Inez Krieg at home. His body was brought to Stewardson for burial, and funeral services, attended by a great concourse of sorrowing citizens, were held there.
Courage that grows from constitution very often for- sakes a man when he has occasion for it, and, when it is only a kind of instinct in the soul, breaks out on all occasions, without judgment or discretion. That cour- age which proceeds from the sense of our duty and from the fear of offending Him that made us, acts always in a uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason. -Addison.
A brave man inspires others to heroism, but his own courage is not diminished when it enters into other souls; it is stimulated and invigorated. -Washington Gladden.
What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish not to do to them. -Confucius.
HENRY C. LADING
A marble monument stands in St. Paul's cemetery in the village of Strasburg, bearing an inscription that tells the silent but eloquent story of the heroic death of Henry C. Lading, one of the first two men of Shelby county to meet a violent death in the war. Lading was a victim of the Hun's campaign of unrestricted subma- rine frightfulness, and with Jesse Mars, another Shelby county man, lost his life in the torpedoing of the trans- port Moldavia, as he was crossing to France with Com- pany B, 58th Infantry, Fourth Division.
Lading, who was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lading of Strasburg, and born September 24, 1892, was called to the colors with the country's second contingent, leaving Shelbyville with 63 other men on the 18th of September, 1917. His first destination was Camp Tay- lor, but he was soon transferred to Camp Pike, Ark., then to a camp in North Carolina and thence overseas. He and his company landed in England and were in the great parade of American soldiers reviewed by King George. As the transport bore them toward France, it was struck by a torpedo and sank, May 26, 1918. Fifty-three men of Company B were killed and drowned. It is believed by soldiers who knew the location of the men's quarters and the point of contact of the torpedo, that Lading must have been killed instantly by the ex- plosion. Many of the men escaped instant death, only to drown in the icy waters.
The report of Lading's death was first received in Shelbyville through a press report, and the bulletin was posted while a crowd of thousands. assembled to attend a Red Cross demonstration, thronged the streets. There were tears in many eyes as the message was read, telling the story of the county's first sacrifice of blood in the great war for universal liberty.
Subsequently a memorial service was held in Strasburg, at which the dead hero's virtues were extolled. Later a monument to his memory was erected in the cemetery of the church of which he was a member, but in his heroic sacrifice is found an even more enduring memorial.
ELZA L. LEE
Private Elza L. Lee of Findlay died of disease in France, September 29, 1918, while he was serving as an infantryman with the American Expeditionary Force in an effort to free the world from autocratic oppression. His death was due to influenza and pneumonia, which he contracted aboard ship enroute to Europe with his company, the 154th U. S. Inf., 39th division. Immedi- ately upon the arrival of the transport he was sent to the base hospital, and following his death his body was buried in the American lot, grave No. 22, of the Mehun- Sur-Nevre cemetery.
Lee was a son of B. F. and Louvica Lee of Findlay, Ill., and was born in Shelby county September 16, 1892. He was a farmer, and before his induction into army service was employed on a farm near Bethany. He en- listed June 28, 1918, at Shelbyville, and with nearly 200 other men of this county was sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. He was in that training camp only a month before being transferred east and shipped overseas from New- port News.
Following the young soldier's death his major, H. C. Ilodges, wrote his parents a letter, in which he said : "He met his end in the service of our country, and with as much bravery and fortitude as if he were in the act- ual presence of the foe."
Private Lee is survived by his parents, well known residents of Findlay, four brothers and five sisters. The brothers are William H. Lee, Edward Lee and Frank Lee of Findlay, and Charles Lee of Canada. Tlie sisters are Mrs. Lay Sills and Mrs. Dora Cadle of Pax- ton, Ill., Mrs. Maude Carlyle, Mrs. Grace Nixon and Mrs. Bessie Wamick of Findlay.
Justice commands us to have mercy upon all men, to consult the interests of the whole human race, to give every one his due, and to injure no sacred, public or foreign rights, and to forbear touching what does not belong to us.
-Cicero.
WILLIS LUCAS
Willis Lucas was a Kentuckian, who by reason of his employment in Shelby county, was registered here and was inducted by the local board. llis term of service began September 18, 1917, when he was called with the county's second contingent, and on the following day was sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. On the 16th of No- vemher following he was transferred to Camp Pike, Ark., with Company G, 346th Inf. He was again trans- ferred, April 14, at Camp Greene, N. C., to Company -1, 58th Inf., Fourth Division, and sailed May 7 on the ill-fated Moldavia. lle escaped death when that steamer was torpedoed on the 26th of May, and IIcnry C. Lading and Jesse Mars of this county lost their lives, but was destined to lose his life on the battle field some months later. He went into action July 18, and was wounded by shrapnel on the following day at Chateau Thierry. After his recovery from the effects of the wound he was returned to his outfit, and was assigned to the 10th Ma- chine Gun Battalion, taking part in the St. Mihiel drive. About October 4 Lucas was seen by George Furr, an- other Shelby county boy, as he was moving up to the front. A couple of days later, while in the Argonne, he was killed by a rifle bullet. Notice of his death was officially forwarded to the young man's mother in Ken- tucky, and transmitted by her to a sister in Ash Grove township. A brother of the dead soldier, Renzo Lucas, resides near Windsor.
The young man's home was at Mook, Ky.
Justice is immortal, eternal and immutable, like God Himself; and the development of law is only then a progress when it is directed towards those principles which, like Him, are eternal; and whenever prejudice or error succeeds in establishing in customary law any doctrine contrary to eternal justice.
-Kossuth
JESSE MARS
Jesse Guy Mars, who with Henry C. Lading of Stras- burg lost his life when the transport Moldavia was tor- pedoed in pursuance with the Germans' campaign of ruthlessness, was a son of Mrs. Elizabeth Mars, who lives a few miles south of Shelbyville, and left Shelby- ville with the third contingent of fighting men on Oc- tober 3, 1917. He went first to Camp Taylor, Ky., then to Camp Pike, Ark., later to Camp Greene, N. C., and in May sailed for Europe, only to make the supreme sacrifice before he set foot on the soil of battle-torn France.
Mars was thirty years, two months and twenty-eight days old at the time of his death. He was born of the union of Solomon and Elizabeth Mars. Ifis father is dead. Ilis mother and two brothers, Elmer and William Mars, survive him.
On the 9th of June, 1918, a service in memory of Jesse Mars was held at Mt. Zion church, near his home, and was attended by a large concurse of people, who assembled to pay tribute to the sacrifice the young man had made for mankind. The room was decorated by the American flag and roses, and on the pulpit stood a photograph, enlarged from a snapshot and framed. As one feature of the service this picture was presented to the sorrow-stricken mother, the presentation being made by J. E. Gallagher in behalf of the Sunday school which Mr. Mars had attended. A gold star appeared in the service flag, which bore stars for 26 young men of the community who had gone out to serve their coun- try on land and sea.
Attorney F. R. Dove, a member of the exemption board which inducted Mars, was chairman of the meet- ing, the Shelbyville Woman's Glee Club furnished the music, and the Rev. M. G. Coleman pronounced a glow- ing eulogy of the dead hero, and to all others who were engaged in the battle for humanity and righteousness.
TRUMAN G. L. MARS
Truman G. L. Mars, a first cousin of Jesse Mars, who was one of the victims in the torpedoing of the Moldavia, was killed September 27, 1918, when he was shot through the stomach by a machine gun bullet as he was taking part in the charge on Charpentry. For three months after first getting into active service the latter part of June, having landed in May, young Mars was constantly under fire in Alsace Lorraine, then was in reserve in the St. Mihiel drive. He suffered all the hardships of actual warfare-wet, cold, hunger, sleeplessness, and eventually death. His face was to the foe and he was advancing when the end came. Ile died instantly. A comrade writes the sorrowing relatives that "Mars was a game soldier, as game as any I ever saw."
Truman Mars was a son of Simon and Janice Mars of Clarksburg. His mother is dead. For two or three years before entering military service the young man was employed as an auto mechanic at Mott, N. D., and was registered and inducted there. His induction oc- curred March 30, 1918, and he was in camp only three weeks before sailing from an eastern seaport. He landed in Liverpool May 15, and served as a member of Com- pany F, 139th Inf., 35th Division. He was a native of Clarksburg, this county, where he was born June 22, 1891. His first day in the trenches was on his 27th birthday.
Besides his father, Mars was survived by four sisters, two brothers, a half sister and half brother. The sis- ters are Mrs. Will Whitesel and Mrs. Clay Cook, both of Bentley, N. D., Mrs. Eva Fishel of Clarksburg and Mrs. Lista Dihel of Colo, Iowa. The half sister is Mrs. Lucy Pierce of St. Louis. The brothers are Fran- cis Mars of Clarksburg township and Menzo Mars of Clarksburg. The half brother is William Mars of Ar- kansas.
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ALVA MECHLING
Alva Mechling, a son of Mrs. Laura Stockdale, died at Camp Lewis, Wash., Saturday, September 21, 1918, after only a few hours' illness from influenza. The body was brought to Shelbyville for burial, arriving on Sat- urday, September 28. The funeral, military in its aspect and with soldiers in uniform and the Shelbyville Com- mercial Club forming a guard of honor, was held at the graveside in Glenwood cemetery the following day. Uniformed soldiers acted as casket-bearers, the Stars and Stripes were hoisted at half-mast near the grave, and taps were sounded. The casket was draped with "Old Glory," for the honor of which the young man gave his life, and small flags were used in the lining of the grave. This was the first service held here for Shelby's new soldier dead.
Mechling was born in Illinois, April 28, 1897, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tunice Mechling. His father died when he was a lad of two years, and later his mother was married to John Stockdale, and resides near Shelby- ville. At the time of his induction into military ser- vice, August 31, 1918, young Mechling was a resident of South Dakota, where he was employed. He was as- signed to the 7th Company, 2d Batt., 166th Depot Brigade, and sent to Camp Lewis, where he was in training until stricken with the illness which terminated so quickly and fatally. Only a few days after his en- listment he was given the rank of corporal, a testimo- nial to the fact that he was made of soldier timber. He came of soldier stock, being a grandson of L. D. Mechling of Shelbyville, a veteran of the Civil war. He was a young man of splendid character, industrious and energetic, and entered upon his military duties with the same vigor that characterized his civil activities.
Mechling is survived by his mother, one brother and three half sisters. The brother is Harry Mechling of Shelbyville, and the half sisters are Mrs. Grace Winters of Springfield and the Misses May and Fay Stockdale of Rose township.
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