John Frerichs

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Military Service
War: WWI
Branch: U.S. Army
Entered Service: 26 February 1918 Company: Co E, 132 U.S. Inf., 33rd Div.

Personal Details
Born: 3 May 1894
Died: Killed In Action: 28 July 1918
Parents: Cornelius H. and Hindertje (Abkes) Frerichs

Buried: Ackley Christian Reformed Church Cemetery
German Township, Grundy County, Iowa

Another Grundy Boy Killed

John Frerichs Meets Death In Action in France

Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Frerichs of German township, received word Tuesday, that their son, John had been killed in action. The word was sent by the sergeant of his company, E, 132, Inf. 32d Div. dated August 4th.

John Frerichs left Grundy Center February 26th as one of the contingent of fifty-seven boys. Four of the six Grundy county boys who have died in the service were from that contingent of fifty-seven. They were:
Daniel Nederhoff
Menno Wilts
Fred Engelkes
John J. Frerichs

The other two Grundy county deaths were Patrick Catherwood and George Wieben.

John Frerichs was the second Grundy county boy to lose his life in action. The other one was Patrick Catherwood, of Morrison.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 12 September 1918, pg 1

Parents Receive Sad Letter

Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius H. Frerichs who live in German township, were in town the first of the week and called at the Republican office. They recently received a letter from a Sergeant in the American army "over there" in which he gives briefly the facts of the death of their son John J. Frerichs, who lost his life in action.

The letter reads as follows:
Somewhere in France
Aug. 14, 1918

My Dear. Mr. Frerichs:

I am taking the liberty in writing you because I know my folks would like to hear of my death from some one who was there with me in my last hours.

Your son John died while in action and performing his duty like a true American hero, as he was. He was in my platoon and was helping hold the front lines when a high explosive burst above us. I am glad to say that he died, as he did not suffer but died fifteen minutes after the explosion.

I realize that this is a coldsounding letter but I can find no words that will cover up the cold facts.

Please accept my deepest sympathy.

Yours sincerely,
Sergt. John H. Harries

John Frerichs was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Frerichs and was 24 years and 3 months of age. He went with the boys from Grundy county February 26th last to Camp Dodge where he remained four weeks, then to Camp Logan for three weeks and afterwards to Camp Upton for a short time. He went overseas May 15th.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 26 September 1918, pg 10

In a letter from Pvt. C. G. Nelson from France dated 16 October 1918, printed in the Aplington News, we gather this information on John Frerichs ...

I meant to tell you more about John Frerichs than what I did. I will tell you all I know. I am pretty sure it was July 28th, when we went in the trenches, about eleven and we hadn't been in more than an hour, when some one said, John was hurt. He and I were in the same squad, but that night we were farther apart than we had ever been before, but when we heard he was hurt, we went and done everything we could for him, but he had been hit on the head and then in the arm with a piece of shell, so there was no hope for him. He only lived about a half-hour, and never knew what hit him at all. I helped to carry him out of the trench and then some one else buried him. We used to be together all the time, when we didn't have anything to do. John was a splendid companion, and we all thought lots of him and it is needless to say, "We miss him."

(s) Clarence G. Nelson

--The Aplington News (Aplington, Iowa), 14 November 1918, pg 5