Henry H. Ashing

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Military Service
War: WWI
Branch: U.S. Army
Entered: 23 July 1918

Personal Details
Born: 29 July 1894
Died: 5 October 1918
Parents: Sander and Kate (Voss) Ashing
Spouse: Jennie Wilts

Buried: Wellsburg Reformed Church Cemetery
Wellsburg, Iowa

Henry Ashing Dead

Mrs. S. Ashing of Wellsburg received a message Friday stating that the death of her son Henry had occurred on shipboard on his way over to England as a member of the U.S. forces. Henry was one of the ninety-seven boys who left July 23rd for Camp Pike, Arkansas.

Another son, Eddie, died at Kansas City October 20th from influenza. Eddie was not in the service but had gone to a mechanics school at Kansas City to fit himself for the auto work before he should be called. A third son, Albert, remains at the home in Wellsburg. There is also a sister in the family, Mrs. Heinie Luwe of Wellsburg.

--The Grundy County Dispatch (Grundy Center, Iowa), 6 November 1918, pg 1

A message from Washington D.C. Friday evening officially announced the sad news of the death of Henry H. Ashing. He died of broncho pneumonia on October 5th somewhere over seas. This is certainly sad news for his young wife and his mother. This makes two brothers died within 2 weeks in the service. The relatives have the sympathy of the entire community.

--The Grundy County Dispatch (Grundy Center, Iowa), 6 November 1918, pg 4

The entire community was greatly shocked Friday evening when it became known that Mrs. K. Ashing had received a message saying that her son Henry H. Ashing, had died from bronchial pneumonia on October 5th. The death of Henry Ashing bereaves two families of this town a second time. Henry was a son of Mrs. Kate Ashing whose son Eddie was buried here a short time ago. He was also the husband of Jennie Wilts, whose brother Menno died abroad a few months ago. Henry and Miss Jennie Wilts were married Dec. 12, 1917 last and he was called to the army July 23, 1918. The young widow and the bereaved mother have the deep sympathy of the entire community in their double loss. Henry Ashing was born at Wellsburg, Iowa, in 1894 and lived here all his life.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 14 November 1918, pg 6

Second Soldier Funeral Is Held

The funeral services over the body of Henry H. Ashing were held last Monday and were attended by a very large number of people. The remains arrived last Friday.

The threatening weather caused a number to stay at home, and the rain which came up during the exercises in the cemetery forced many to seek the shelter of cars or buildings.

But the comrades of the dead youth, the members of the American Legion, who were present to pay him their last respects, paid no attention to the shower. They had passed through more strenuous things, as had he. In unbroken ranks they stood till the last rites were finished.

This was to each of them, even as to the family of the departed, the last duty to one close to them. They too had passed through his experiences in camp, had, many of them, made the same long journey across the wide spaces, both land and sea, to the shore of the Old World, shrouded in the dark clouds of war. Some, like him, had fallen upon days of sickness and in strange hospitals, passed weary hours and even days. But to them was granted the privilege of again returning alive to the old scenes--while for him the end came soon after his arrival at the other side. They knew as only comrades could know what the youth who had gone on that long journey had passed through, to the place where his pathway closed on earth. What to them was a summer shower, when like him they had fronted the storms of land and sea with steady courage and unbroken front? Around his grave in solemn state they stood, a guard of honor worthy of a king, rigid at attention while the last notes of the bugle sounding "taps" were given.

And among the great crowd who gathered to honor Henry Ashing were others whose loved ones had passed beyond, while wearing the same uniform that he had worn. They too, felt the kinship that comes from the loss of a loved one. And to those of us whose boys had come back safe and sound out of the formless dangers of the past, there was meaning in all the ceremonies, more real than usual. To all of us, in the sermon, in the prayers, in the songs, there was a tone of solemn pathos that touched the heartstrings deeply. The memory of the departed youth will not--cannot soon pass from the minds of the people of this community.

Among those present at the funeral were Henry Voss and family, Sweter, Menno, Henry and Miss Etta Voss, of Aplington; Mr. and Mrs. Will Best, Otto Folkerts and family and Lester Eberlein and wife of Bristow; Wm. Kasjen and wife and Abel Kasjen of Kesley; Neil Jungling and wife of Allison; Heye Boyenga and daughters and Mr. Santen and daughters of Steamboat Rock.

Henry Harry Ashing
Henry Harry Ashing, son of Sander and Kate Ashing, was born July 29, 1894, and died Oct. 5, 1918, at Brest, in France.

He lived in Wellsburg all of his life except a short time spent in school.

In December, 1917, he was married to Jennie Wilts. Seven months later, July 23rd, he left for the army training camp. Going overseas, he was taken ill on the ship, landed on Sept. 29th, and died a week later.

He was an industrious, capable and well known young man of this community, popular with young and old, and his death was mourned by all as the untimely cutting off of a promising career.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 16 June 1920, pg 1