Monday, May 23, 2022

Obituary Lesson of Columbia City: Did he know he had only 13 Months to live that day in June? [1918]

To day if ye will hear his voice
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. 
For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  
Hebrews 3:15/James 4:14
 
"WALKER, AMOS
Aug 3 1918 WALKER FIRST WHITLEY COUNTY BOY KILLED
Columbia city, Ind Aug. 3 Amos Walker, son of Mr. and Mrs. John
Walker, who was killed in action in France, July 22, is the first soldier from this county to be killed in action since this country entered the war. 
He was the fourth soldier to die in the service, however, Chas. Warnick, son of Lewis Warnick, of Union township, died at Jefferson barracks, St. Louis, last summer and was the first soldier to die.
Marshall Kerns, son of Mr. and Mrs, tom Kern's of this city died at fort Douglas Arizona from pneumonia and Lieutenant Scott Baker, of the regular army, died at San Francisco. 
Walker was born in Douglas county, Missouri. Feb 23 1896, and was 22 years of age his last birthday. 
He had spent most of his life as a farmer boy in this county. 
He registered in the draft June 5 1917, and was sent with the first draft contingent from this county last September, to Camp Taylor. From there he was sent to Camp Shelby, and transferred to Camp Merritt, and was sent overseas last May. since arriving in France he has been in active service with his unit at the front all the time. he is survived by his father and step mother, and a brother, Roy Walker, who is now with the 150th Field Artillery, of the Rainbow division, and who is now in the front line on the Rhelms-Soissons salient. A step-brother, Verlin Rogers, is in the Convoy service on one of the big trans-Atlantic transports. Two sisters, Frances J. Walker and Martha Walker, at home, and Mrs. Walter Winebrenner, of Churubusco, also survive. His father is a day laborer at the Peabody Lumber company's sawmill and is quite aged and feeble, and the death of his son is a hard blow to him. the young man had his life insured with the government for $10,000. 
Buried in Blue River Cemetery, Whitley County, Ind. "