Pvt. Harvey A. Messerer 1894 - 1918

MESSERER

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 3/1/2011 at 09:46:43

The remains of Private Harvey A. Messerer were
received in Westgate Friday by his parents and the
members of the Harvey A. Messerer Post American
Legion. From the moment of the arrival of the
body in Sumner on the night express, there was a
Legion guard on duty until burial in the Union
Cemetery Sunday afternoon. Services were held
in the Opera House conducted by the Legion. The
Hall was beautifully decorated in the national
colors with a profusion of flowers and banks of
golden rod. Beautiful floral pieces in U. S. Gold
Star and Red Diamond were placed near the casket
furnished by the Legion, Auxillary and parents.
Chaplain W. M. Dawson of the local post delivered
a splendid sermon from the text; "All that thou
commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou
sendest we will go". Musical selections were
rendered by Mrs. Marc Fridley, Mrs. Leo Coleman
and the Legion quartette. A large number of men
in uniform attended from Maynard and Sumner.
The decorating and floral arrangements were under
the direction of the ladies auxiliary. At the grave-
side the boy scouts removed the flag from the
casket, folded it and presented it to the father, after
which the Campfire girls covered the casket with
beautiful bouquets of flowers. Obituary follows;

Harvey Arthur Messerer eldest son of Mr. and Mrs.
G. H. Messerer, was born December 17, 1894 near
Westgate, in Fremont township, Fayette County,
Iowa. Here his boyhood days were spent. He
attended the public schools and as he grew to
manhood followed the occupation of farming. In
his 18th year he was converted under the work of
Rev. E. Schroeder and received a member of the
Evangelical church. Anxious to serve his country,
would not wait for his call in the draft. Securing
permission from the draft board he entered service
June 3, 1918, going to Camp Dodge and joined
Company I 349th Infantry. There he remained in
training until the latter part of July when the 88th
Division departed for over sea service. On the way to
the sea coast he became ill with the measles which
caused him to be sent to the Base Hospital at Camp
Upton for next 5 weeks. This was a great disappoint-
ment to him as he was anxious to go with the boys
he had trained with. When released from the hospital
he was sent to Camp Merritt for a few days and then
sailed for overseas, arriving in France about Oct. 1.
He was then sent to the Classification Camp at
Le Mans and placed in Company M 330th Infantry.
On Oct 26th he was again transferred. He with
several hundred other soldiers were sent as
replacements to the 5th Division. He was then placed
in Company C 11th Infantry and with this company
he went to the front line on the night of November 3,
fighting continually until he fell, meeting instant
death while charging a machine gun nest on the
morning of November 9, 1918, near Brandeville,
France. Harvey was a true soldier, eager and willing
to do his bit wherever duty called. He made many
friends while in the Army as shown by the number
of letters received by his parents from his comrades
after they learned of his death. He leaves to mourn
his death his father and mother, three brothers and
three sisters and many other relatives and friends.

Oelwein Register - 24 Aug 1921