Iowa
Old Press
West Bend Journal
West Bend, Palo Alto co. Iowa
August 30, 1945
Memorial Services for Elmer W. Alt
Sunday at 1:30 at the Christian Apostolic church east of
West Bend, memorial services were held for S-Sgt. Elmer W. Alt,
who died June 10, of wounds suffered at Mindanao, Philippine
Islands. Knoll Post 549, Burt, had charge of the military part of
the service. The procession formed at the Alt home in Lotts Creek
township and at the church the color bearers were followed in
order by the pastor, honorary bearers, the family, and patriotic
service groups. The service was in charge of the Rev. Joseph
Banwart, assisted by a son, the Rev. Paul Banwart, both of West
Bend.
Honorary bearers were Floyd Bacon, Floyd Riebhoff, John Scuffham,
Irvin Gerber, Eli Breullman and Fahe Gress. J. Luther Miller,
Commander, and W. J. Lockwood, Adjutant of the Burt Legion Post,
presented Mrs. Alt with an American flag. Concluding the services
taps were played by Dale Lockwood.
Elmer was inducted into service Feb. 3, 1942, and received basic
training at Camp Wolters, Tex. From there he was transferred to
Angel Island, San Francisco, where he remained two weeks and was
then ordered to Hawaii. In early June 1942, he was sent to the S.
Pacific, and had served in Hollandia, Leyte, New Guinea, and
Mindanao. A member of Company D, 19th Infantry, his company June
9 had taken a strategic hill overlooking the little town of
Mandog, eight miles north of the city Davao. A defense was
established which was held through the night of June 9, but on
the morning of June 10, the Japs counter-attacked and during the
ensuing battle young Alt was wounded by machine gun fire. All
possible medical aid was given but he died an hour later. He was
buried at U. S. A. F. F. E., Cemetery I, at Taloma, P.I., with
rites by an army chaplain. Last week Mr. and Mrs. Alt received
the Purple Heart which had been awarded posthumously to their
son.
Sergeant Alt was born Jan. 6, 1914, on a farm near Stephens,
Minn. When he was five years old the family moved to a farm near
Corwith, and lived there till 1924, when they moved to a Union
township farm. Elmer helped his father there till he entered army
service. Two years ago the parents moved to a Lotts Creek farm.
Surviving are his parents; brothers, Harry and Melvin, Algona;
Lawrence, Fenton; sisters, Mrs. Albert Wibben, Mrs. Harold Lampe,
Bancroft; Mrs. Albert Speth, Ringsted; Mrs. Eli Gerber, West
Bend; Evelyn and Rumy, at home; and a grandmother, Mrs. Lydia
Ringenberger, Gridley, Ill.
Persons who attended the services included: The Lewis Alts,
Deloria Trebesch, Sleepy Eye, Minn.; Wm. Wilkening, St. James,
Minn., daughters Norma and Nancy; the A. E. Ringenbergers,
Morris, Minn.; Mrs. Lydia Knohl, Hancock, Minn.; Lena Aeschliman,
Chicago; D. E. Alt, LaCrosse, Ind.; Evelyn Alt and Evelyn Dodda,
Detroit; Mr. and Mrs. Bob Alt, daughter Rebecca, the Jos. Bauers,
and daughter Laura, all of Cessna Park, Ill.
GRANT—FRIEDEN
Mrs. Patricia Grant, daughter of Mrs. O. E. Wheeler of
Iowa Falls and Arthur Frieden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Frieden of this place, were married at 4:30 p.m. August 23, at
the home of the bride’s mother. Reverend Crowl of the
Baptist church of Iowa Falls officiated. The room was decorated
with baskets of gladioli and ferns. The bride wore a rust colored
suit and carried a bouquet of yellow roses. The couple was
unattended.
The bride attended the Iowa Falls school and Iowa State Teachers
College. For the past several years she has been engaged in
teaching. The groom graduated from the local high school and
remained on the farm until he entered the U. S. Army in
September, 1942. He recently returned from service in Germany and
will report to Jefferson Barracks on September 8 for further
assignment. The couple left for a two weeks trip in Minnesota and
the Dakotas.
Guests at the wedding included Mrs. O. E. Wheeler, Mrs. Sherry,
the Misses Barbara, Shirley, and Betty Grant and Mrs. Crowl of
Iowa Falls, Mrs. Pierson of Steamboat Rock, Mr. and Mrs. Chas.
Frieden of West Bend, and Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Mendell and
daughters of Alden.
[transcribed by L.Z., May 2015]