ROBERTS, John D. "Jack" 1872-1901

ROBERTS, TRETHRAKE

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 5/3/2012 at 20:05:17

[Waterloo Daily Courier, Wednesday, January 30, 1901]

Obituary of John Roberts

The Aberdeen, Wash., Republican of Jan. 24 publishes the following obituary notice of John D. Roberts:

"John D. Roberts died at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. L. Roberts, in this city at noon yesterday, of peritonitis, contracted while serving with the First Washington volunteers in the Philippine islands, aged 28 years, 5 mouths and 29 days.

"John D. Roberts was born at Waterloo, Iowa, July 25, 1872, and entered a newspaper office in Dakota at 13 years of age; learned the printer's trade, and was a fluent and interesting writer. Coming to Montesano with his parents in August, 1889, he was employed on "The Vidette" for a number of years, and when the job department of that paper was taken to Rossland, B. C., 'Jack' Roberts went along, and during the illness of the proprietor, J. W. Divilbiss, Roberts managed the business until after the death of the owner.

At the outbreak of the Spanish, war, Roberts, who was a perfect specimen of physical young manhood, enlisted in Company M, First Washington volunteers, in which he became corporal, and contracted the fatal disease at Pasig, Philippine islands, in June, 1899, while with his regiment.

"Coming home with the regiment in October of that year, he and his friends believed that all that was needed to restore his usual vigorous health was a little care and home diet. But as time went on and he failed to recover, he spent several months in southern California, by the advice of his physicians, last summer, returning home in September. Since then it was believed that his case was beyond medical relief, and he gradually grew weaker until the end came yesterday. He was perfectly conscious to the last, and met death with a calmness characteristic of his perfect coolness upon all occasions during life, and talked of his coming funeral in his customary matter of fact manner.

"Besides the parents, there are three brothers, Harry, now in the army in the Philippines; Ralph, who is expected to arrive from San Francisco this evening, and V. D., who resides in Iowa, and a sister, Mrs. Thomas Trethrake, of Los Angeles, California, left to mourn his untimely death, as do a host of friends throughout Chehalis County, in the limits of which there was, perhaps, no more popular young man than 'Jack' Roberts.

"The funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon. Services at the Episcopal Church at 2 o'clock."

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[Waterloo Daily Courier, Wednesday, January 30, 1901]

The body of John Roberts did not arrive last night as expected but is looked for tonight.

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Burial was at Elmwood Cemetery, Waterloo, Iowa