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Adair Countians Who Died During The Great War (World War I)

The information for the Adair County soldiers who perished during the Great War (1917-1918) comes from several sources, most notably the Adair County News; the Cemeteries of Adair County, Kentucky, series (volumes 1-7); the Registration of Veterans' Graves for Adair County ; and the American Battlefields Monument Commission (ABMC) website (http://www.abmc.gov/home.php).

The remains of some of the soldiers who died overseas were later repatriated for re-interment in a family or community cemetery, while the remains of others at the request of family member "repose in sleep eternal" in U.S. cemeteries in France.

The town or community name in parenthesis indicates the post office address of the soldier.

Complete Veterans Listing | Updates/Corrections | More Veterans Information

The names of two of the soldiers in the list below don't appear on the Adair County Roll of Honor plaque dedicated in November, 1930. They are:
  1. Sammie Collins
  2. Robert Wilmore

Ballou, Carley (Columbia), 30th Infantry Division, killed in action September 29, 1918. Remains interred in the Somme American Cemetery, Bony, France.

Biggs, Jacob S. (Cane Valley), HDQ Co 336, Infantry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Biggs, died at Camp Taylor, Jefferson County, Ky., on March 20, 1918 from pneumonia. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

Blair, Estill (Garlin), Co. B. 109 Engineering, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Blair, died at Camp Cody, New Mexico, on December 17, 1917. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in the Columbia City Cemetery. "He was our soldier boy and represented the cause of Liberty and Freedom so dear to every American heart. He was willing and gladly answered his country's call." His burial plot is next to that of William W. Wilson, below, who had died just a month earlier.

Brown, Wilbert (Casey Creek), died 1918; remains interred Damron Cemetery, Adair County. No other information available. His name appears on the Roll of Honor plaque, but his death wasn't mentioned in the Adair County News.

Bryant, Robert (Columbia), 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Died October 7, 1918; burial Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Romagne, France.

Burbridge, Rollin (Fairplay), died August 16, 1918 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. His remains were returned to Adair County and buried in the Yates Cemetery.

Collins, Sammie, son of Gran and Lottie Collins, was killed in action in France on September 26, 1918. He was a native of Adair County, but had removed with his family some years earlier to Missouri and enlisted from that state. Sammie Collins' name does not appear on the Roll of Honor plaque.

Hardin, Charles Elbert (Dunnville), son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Harden, died in Colorado on March 15, 1918. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in Tabernacle Cemetery. "He was neatly attired in a sailor uniform of blue, placed in a beautiful coffin."

Humphress, Walter E. (Holmes), Co. F, 50 Infantry, died at Camp Taylor, Jefferson County, Ky., on October 12, 1918. "His body was shipped to Knifley, this county, for burial." (His gravemarker is in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery; possibly his remains were moved there when Green River Reservoir was impounded.)

Jackman, Clarence T. (Columbia), 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, son of Mrs. Laura Jackman, was killed in action on July 18, 1918. His remains were buried in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-en-Tardenois, France.

Lasley, Virgil "Vergie" (Columbia), son of Thomas Lasley, died October 24, 1918 at Camp Taylor, Jefferson County, Ky. His body was returned to Adair County and buried in the Flatwoods Community Cemetery. "He was in the service of his country, and while he did not die upon the battlefield, when in health he was ready to be called to the front."

McQueary, John S. (Columbia), son of James M. & Nancy McQueary, was killed in action on July 17, 1918; he was 18 and a half years old. His remains were repatriated nearly three years later, arriving in Columbia on Thursday, May 18, 1921. From there, his remains "were conveyed to the home of his parents who live near Ella. The funeral and burial took place at Tabernacle church on Green river." (The Registration of Veterans' Graves implies there was a marker and/or that his remains were buried in the Cross Road Cemetery at Christine, but there is no entry for him in the Cemeteries of Adair County series.)

Melson, William O. "Will Ol" (Glens Fork), Co H 14th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, died on March 10, 1918 at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss., from spinal meningitis. His remains were brought back to Adair County and buried in the Elijah Melson Cemetery. "Will Ol was good boy and was liked by all who knew him."

Moss, Chapman (Weed), son of Tom Moss, died April 8, 1918 at Camp Taylor, Jefferson County, Ky., of pneumonia. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in the Moss Cemetery. "He was making a good soldier before stricken with disease..."

Parnell, Bradford (Pyrus), died April 24, 1918 either in Hattiesburg, Miss. (Camp Shelby) or in "a camp in South Carolina" (both places mentioned in the News) from measles and pneumonia. His body was brought back to Adair County and was buried in the Morris Chapel Cemetery.

Phipps, Jesse J. (Knifley), died on December 9, 1918. He "went to the army, from Keltner, this county." His remains were returned to Adair County for interment in the Hovious-Humbpress-Harden Cemetery.

Powell, Benjamin (McGaha), son of James Powell, was killed in action on July 23, 1918. His death wasn't mentioned in the 1918 News, but the Sept. 18, 1918 edition reported him as missing in action. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in the in the Bryant Cemetery (Oak Grove Rd., off Hwy 531).

Royse, Bryan (Columbia), 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, son of Mr. & Mrs. C.R. Royse, husband of Flora (Hutchison) Royse, and father of Bryan Royse, Jr., died on October 10, 11, or 12 (all three dates given in various places), 1918 of battle wounds suffered some days earlier. His remains were buried in the Somme American Cemetery, Bony, France.

Smith, Deed (Columbia), 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, was killed in action on September 29, 1918. His remains were interred in the Somme American Cemetery, Bony, France, just a few rows removed from those of Bryan Royse. Wrote Pfc. Smith's sister Ida, "He heard humanity's clear call and knew the Voice Divine. He gave his life, he gave his all in deadly battle line."

Smith, John L. (Columbia), died October 10, 1918 at Camp Taylor, Jefferson County, Ky., of pneumonia. His remains were returned to Adair County for burial in the Columbia Community Cemetery. (The report of his death in the Adair County News inexplicably gave his name as John Lee Barger.)

Turner, Edward Wesley (Eunice), U.S. Army, Quartermaster Corps, died October 12, 1918, almost certainly killed in action. His remains were never recovered; his name appears on the Tablets of the Missing, Suresnes American Cemetery, Suresnes, France.

Wheat, Joseph T. (Columbia), died October 7, 1918 "from disease" in France. The one-line report of his death in the News stated that his home was "in the Flat Woods section near Columbia." There is no entry for him in the Cemeteries of Adair County series, but the Registration of Veterans' Graves notes his remains were interred in the Allen Farm Cemetery at Sparksville.

Wilmore, Robert S., son of Luther M. & Sallie Browning Wilmore, died October 14, 1918 at Forty Riley, Kansas, according to a letter from his father, who was with Robert when he passed. The remains were returned to Bogard, Carroll County, Missouri, for burial. Robert Wilmore and his parents were natives of the Gradyville section of Adair County, having removed to Carroll County, Missouri in the latter part of 1909. Robert Wilmore's name does not appear on the Roll of Honor plaque.

Wilson, William W. (Columbia), died at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss., on November 19, 1917. His remains were returned to Columbia for burial in the City Cemetery.

York, Melvin Guy (Breeding), Bat. B. 323 FA, was killed in France on October 16, 1918. His remains were returned to Kentucky for burial in the While Hill Cemetery, Cumberland County, just off Hwy 61, not far removed from the Adair County line.


Edit 2016-05-31: Removed an entry for "----Willis," which had been included previously.



This story was posted on 2010-06-02 16:19:36
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