Coert L. Bunger

Military Service
War: WWI
Branch: U.S. Army

Personal Details
Born: 19 June 1891
Died: 6 October 1918
Parents: Lambertus C. and Grietje (Ruter) Bunger

Buried: First Christian Reformed Church Cemetery
Shiloh Township, Grundy County, Iowa

photo courtesy of the Library and Archives Bureau of the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines

Coert Bunger Dead

Wellsburg Boy Is Additional Victim Of Disease

Left Grundy County in July With the 97 Boys for Camp Pike, Arkansas

Another Grundy county boy has been taken by death in a United States military camp. Coert Bunger of Wellsburg died Sunday at the hospital at Camp Pike, Arkansas. Cause of the death is given as Spanish Influenza, which is causing so much trouble to soldiers and civilians alike all over the United States.

The body is being brought to Wellsburg for burial.

Coert Bunger was a Wellsburg boy. He was the son of Mrs. Bunger, living in the town of Wellsburg. His father died some years ago. He was a brother of Tielko Bunger, who was sent from Grundy county to Camp Dodge some time ago but was later rejected because of a physical disability. Tielko was married last week to Miss Ida Jaspers, well known at Wellsburg.

Coert left Grundy Center July 23rd, 1918, as one of the largest contingent sent from Grundy county. There were ninety-seven in this contingent. They went directly to Camp Pike, Arkansas, and part of the boys have remained there while part have been transferred to other camps. All cases of influenza have been quarantined and every effort is being made at Camp Pike to check the disease. Physicians claim that if the patient is in good physical condition, especially with regard to his lungs, and if he gets plenty of fresh air, there is no great danger of the influenza proving fatal.

--The Grundy County Dispatch (Grundy Center, Iowa), 9 October 1918

Another Soldier Is Called

Coert Bunger, of Wellsburg, is Victim of Epidemic

Coert Bunger, of Wellsburg, passed away at Camp Pike, Arkansas, Sunday after an attack of Spanish influenza. The remains were brought to Wellsburg for burial.

The young man had lived all his life at Wellsburg and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lanthrup[sic] Bunger, of that place. He also has a number of relatives living in that vicinity.

Coert left this county July 23rd, 1918, with the ninety-seven boys for service. He was sent to Camp Pike for training. He has been located there ever since. When the influenza epidemic broke out in camp he was one of the boys to get it and death was the result.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 10 October 1918, pg 1

The second soldier funeral for one of the local boys took place at the Bode church west of Wellsburg last Saturday when Coert L. Bunger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lambert Bunger, was laid to his final rest in the cemetery of that church, of which he was a member at the time of his death. Dan Nederhoff was the other one of our local boys whose resting place is in this cemetery. Coert left with the Grundy boys for Camp Pike and his death occurred at the base hospital there on Sunday, Oct. 6, 1918. The body arrived on the noon train Friday accompanied by Sergt. Wm. C. Buchan, who was sent from Camp Pike on special detail with the body. The funeral was held Saturday afternoon and interment was made at the Bode church cemetery, after an open-air service.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 24 October 1918, pg 6