Mansell L. Phillips (1918)

PHILLIPS

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 2/26/2007 at 22:02:43

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, January 5, 1920

MANSELL PHILLIPS Buried at Peru Sunday,
Died in France in 1918

The body of Mansell L. Phillips, which has rested in France for two years, was returned on Saturday to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chester A. Phillips, of Peru.

Final honors were paid to his memory on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 9th - - when services were conducted in the Methodist church in Peru.

The church was crowded wth friends and neighbors, who heard the brief service conducted by Rev. Mr. Shannon, followed by the solemn burial ceremony of the Masonic order, the deceased soldier being a Scottish Rite Mason. The Woman's Relief Corps and Ameican Legion members also attended the services.

The customary volley was fired on the grave by comrades of the world war, with Taps sounded at the close.

Mansell Phillips came to Madison county when a small boy, and graduated eight years ago in Truro. He was a city mail carrier in West Liberty, then a ticket agent for the Rock Island railroad, joining the army early in the war. He reached Frances in May 1918, fighting through the summer with the field artillery, his branch of service saw action which proved fatal, in the Argonne Forest, on Oct. 21, 1918, dying six days later.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, January 12, 1921
Page 7

Peru

Mansell L. Phillips, eldest son of Chester A. and Cornella H. Phillips, was born in Cedar county, Iowa near West Liberty, Sept. 1, 1893. At the age of six years, he moved with his parents to Madison county, where he grew to manhood and was educated, graduating from Truro high school in 1912.

In 1913 he went to West Liberty to make his home with his grandparents, he being the oldest and very much loved grandson. He carried city mail for seventeen months, then went into the employ of the Rock Island railroad, first as baggageman, then as ticket agent, and was still thus employed when the war opened.

He was one of the first to answer the call for men. He enlisted at Davenport in Battery F, 13th Field Artillery, U.S. army. He was sent to Jefferson Barracks, then to El Paso, Texas, then to Charlotte, N.C., and across to France in May, 1918. He saw much hard service at Belleau Woods, St. Michel and Argonne Forest, where he was wounded Oct. 21, and died at the base hospital at Blois, France, Oct. 27, 1918.

He was a member of the Church of Christ at West Liberty and was also a Scottish Rite Mason. His was a quiet life, letting his deeds speak for him. He leaves to mourn his loss father, mother, six brothers and one sister, grandfather, grandmother and countless friends.
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Note: Burial was made in the Peru cemetery.

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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