John Franklin Funkhouser
Submitted by: Joey Funkhouser {1st Cousin 4x Removed}
John Franklin Funkhouser was born around 1892. John Funkhouser served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
John Franklin Funkhouser was born June 17th, 1892 at Baker, West Virginia. He grew up on his family homestead, built by his grandfather. It is said that he was an excellent conversationalist and could liven-up any meeting with his outgoing personality. In 1916, John followed his older brother, William, to Dayton, Ohio where he found work. While in Ohio, John had an ear and mastoid operation probably due to an ear infection.
In April 1917, America entered the war and the call to arms began. John was called to the services of his country in May 1918. In John's surviving letters, he described his six weeks of extensive training. Writing to his sister, Della, he states, "I just got back from the big rifle range. It is 8 miles out from here. We marched those 8 miles and carried about 50 lbs. I never was so tired in all my life as I was when I got here."
Charles Raymond Stewart
Submitted by: Dan Bertel {Great Nephew}
Charles Raymond Stewart was born around Aug 14, 1895. Charles Stewart served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
Charles Raymond Stewart went by Raymond Stewart. Raymond left his hometown Shawneetown, Illinois, in May 1918, as part of 52 men drafted from Gallatin County, Illinois.
He first reported to Jefferson Barracks, St Louis, Missouri. He was at Camp Funston, Kansas, when the Spanish Flu Epidemic started. He died of the Spanish Flu at Camp Funston on Oct 13, 1918. His body was shipped home to be buried in the family plot in Westwood Cemetery, Shawneetown, Illinois. Raymond was PVT 1st Class, in the 11 Infantry 10th Division.
The following is an exert about Raymond's from school and the tragedy of how the War Department reported Raymond was on the way home, but failed to inform the family of his passing.
Seaf Leman Dalton
Submitted by: Brooke Higgs {Granddaughter}
Seaf Leman Dalton was born around 11 OCT 1896. Seaf Dalton served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.
Story of Service
Seaf L. Dalton was severely injured in the Second Battle of the Marne. On account of his heroic actions on the battlefield, Seaf received a Purple Heart.
Paul Fredrick Gunia
Submitted by: Earl Gunia {Son}
Paul Fredrick Gunia was born around 1891. Paul Gunia served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1917.
Story of Service
Don’t know much about his service
Harry George Franke
Submitted by: Chelsy Proper {2nd great granddaughter}
Harry George Franke was born around 1891. Harry Franke served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.
Story of Service
Before enlisting in the Army, Franke was a house painter for Bethel Brothers in Aurora, Indiana.
Franke joined the Army in June, 1917. He was a member of the 159th Depot Brigade, based out of Camp Zachary Taylor, until May, 1918. He was then transferred to Headquarters Company, 106th Engineers, until discharge in May, 1919. He was discharged as a private.
While stationed in France, Franke met Marguerite Lanser, a Luxembourger. They were married in March, 1919, just before his discharge, and they returned to Indiana together. After the war, Franke returned to painting houses. He died in Louisville, Kentucky on May 8, 1953.
Arthur E. Winslow
Submitted by: AD1 (AW) Darren Winslow, USN (Ret.) {Nephew}
Arthur E Winslow was born around 1895. Arthur Winslow served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
Arthur Winslow enlisted on June 6, 1917, he was the "First to Enlist" and has an American Legion Hall named after him, (American Legion Post #1 Rockland Maine).
After enlistment he was transferred to Augusta June 8, 1917 Company F 2nd Infantry, Maine National Guard. He sailed for overseas in the latter part of September 1917.
He was promoted to Pvt 1st Class December 1, 1917 and assigned to Company F, 103rd Infantry. He was mortally wounded in the Toul Sector on June 16, 1918 and died on July 6, 1918, at evacuation hospital No. 1 He was buried in a cemetery at Toul, word of his death was received in Rockland on July 16, 1918.
Frank Clyde Mercer
Submitted by: Michael Conn {Great Grandson}
Frank Clyde Mercer was born around 1887. Frank Mercer served in World War 1 with the United States Army Air Corps. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
The service of Franklin “Clyde” Mercer in the First World War began in support of the war effort as a 30-year-old, civilian, munitions worker for the Whitaker Glessner Company, a steel production company contracted to manufacture 155mm howitzer shells at its location in New Boston, a small Ohio village within the city of Portsmouth, Ohio. Frank’s military draft paperwork show that he was employed with Whitaker Glessner on June 5, 1917, the date of his registration for the draft.
Eleven months later, on May 17, 1918, Frank would enter military service. He was accompanied by his uncle, Harzy Walls, 6 months his junior, who was also entering the service. Now 31 years of age, Frank departed the Ohio River Valley for Camp Sevier, a military training camp located in the upstate of South Carolina, near the city of Greenville.
It was here, following their formal induction and training into the Air Service of the National Army, that Harzy and Frank would part ways. Frank was assigned to the 15th Aero Construction Company as a carpenter and would spend the early summer months getting technical training at Camp Mills and Hazelhurst Field, near Garden City, New York while Harzy would train near Norfolk, Virginia at Camp Morrison with the 27th Balloon Company for the remainder of the war.
Richard H. Leeseberg
Submitted by: Virginia Cameron {County researcher}
Richard H Leeseberg was born around 1894. Richard Leeseberg served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
He went aboard the President Grant 9/23/1918 Hoboken, NJ. Next known fact, missing in action 10/5/1918.
Henry P Furtado
Submitted by: Cidalina Maziarski {Great Niece}
Henry P Furtado was born around 1898. Henry Furtado served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.
Story of Service
Henry Furtado wanted to fight in "the great war" he lied about his age and went into the war at the age 0f 16 (I would believe he was going to be 17 soon) but just weeks in France I was told he was killed when cleaning a cannon (or weapon of some kind) and backfired on him on Aug 13 1918.
His records say he was killed in Action. Aug 18th 1918 was the big Battle in Amiens, France that pushed back the Germans 25 miles. I would believe that Henry was getting ready for this event and never made it.
He did write this letter to his sister Mary one month before he was killed. This is the transcript of his Letter for sister Mary: