ENGELKES, Fred 1893-1918

ENGELKES

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/4/2012 at 14:48:53

2000 Attend Funeral

Firing Squad from Camp Dodge Here

Fred Engelkes' Funeral One of Largest Ever Held in Grundy County

The funeral of Fred Engelkes a Grundy county soldier who died in New York last week was held at the home in Beaver township last Monday afternoon. The services at the house were at one o'lock and later at the Siemsen church. It was a military funeral, the first of the kind we have had in this county since the present war began. The services at the home were very brief. The funeral procession from the home to the church was over a mile long. At the church it was estimated there were at least 400 automobiles, which is probably the largest number of cars ever together at any church in the county. Not one-fourth of the people present could get into the church building. The service was held on the church lawn. The squad of soldiers had exclusive charge of this part of the service.

Rev. Dilman Smith, pastor of the Methodist church at Grundy Center, delivered an impressive funeral sermon in the English language. His address breathed the spirit of the time and it was filled with the kind of patriotic sentiment that will develop a stronger feeling of unity and patriotism among an American people among whom are so many of German extraction.

At the close of the address the hundreds who were present were given an opportunity to view the remains. The men in uniform stood at attention on both sides of their comrade while the friends looked for the last time upon the face of the departed. After the remains were placed in their last resting place, a service conducted by Rev. Siemsen was held in the church and it was attended by as many as could get into the building.

While the family of the young man who died while in the service of his country are overwhelmed with grief at the loss which has come to them they can feel fully assured that the undivided sympathy of their hundred of friends in this county is with them.

--newspaper clipping, source unknown