Lamont R. Kingman (1875-1937)

KINGMAN

Posted By: Debra Scott Hierlmeier (email)
Date: 11/14/2008 at 16:22:43

MONT KINGMAN 1875-1937
World War Vet Died March 5
Avoca’s Popular Café Owner Cooked for Gen McArthur
Buried with Military Honors

Lamont R. Kingman was born at Mazon, Illinois, October 11, 1875 and died on March 5, 1937. Married to Ella Coleman, June 7, 1899. To this union was born one son, glenn H. Kingman, who preceded his father in death on November 26, 1932.

Mr. Kingman came to Avoca with his parents when a small boy and lived in the vicinity of Avoca until his death.

Mr. Kingman learned to cook while just a boy and always followed this profession except from 1910 to 1917 when he was a rural mail carrier on one of the rural routes out of Avoca. He enlisted in the Army in 1917 and went overseas with Company L, Rainbow Division, 168th Infantry. Citation medal shows he saw action at Champagne-Marne, Aisen-Marne, St. Mihiel, Mense-Argonne, Chateau Thierry, and the Defensive Sector. He held the rank of Sergeant. While they were headquartered with the Army of Occupation in Germany he was cook for Brigadier General MacArthur and his staff. Mr. Kingman was given an honorable discharge from the United States Army on May 12, 1919. He was a charter member of the local post of the American Legion.

Survived by his widow, Ella Kingman, one sister, May Lucas of St. Louis, Missouri, one brother, R.W Kingman of Muscatine, Iowa.

Mont Kingman was engaged in the restaurant business in Avoca for years; his restaurant being the most popular eating place in our city. He gave up the restaurant business about 3 years ago, and a little over a year ago he purchased the restaurant he, with Mrs. Kingman, were running at the time of his death.

On account of poor health, Mr. Kingman was not as active in the business affairs of Avoca, as he would like to have been, but never failed to assist in any proposition that was for the good of our city and community.

At the first call for volunteers held in Avoca during the World War, Mont Kingman was among the first to offer his services to his country. He was a man who was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. He was the same in the army as in his private life; he attended strictly to his own business. He was always ready to give a helping hand to those in need. Many are those, whose path was made brighter, by the assistance given them by Mont Kingman, many of these acts his closest friends knew little about.

Mont Kingman loved to see his friends succeed in life, especially the young people whom he had known from childhood.

Those attending funeral services from out of town were: Mr. and Mrs. L.L. Lucas of St. Louis, Missouri; Jean Kingman, George McKenna, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Smith all of Storm Lake, Iowa; Mrs. Gladys Carroll of Neola, Iowa; Miss Grace Judy of council Bluffs, Iowa; Mr. William Wilson of Des Moines, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Powell of Red Oak, Iowa and Mr. and Mrs. Lem Moore of Red Oak, Iowa; comrades and Company L boys from Council Bluffs, Iowa.

From the Scrapbooks of Bessie Gross Gustafsen
Source: Avoca Journal Herald