NEGenWeb Project
Resource Center
Church

 

OUR SOLDIER BOYS

HEN war with Germany was declared, it was not generally understood what was going to happen. Because of the isolation of the United States we considered ourselves safe from attack. Now, when the war is over and events have stripped the facts of all camouflage, we become aware of the falsity of this view. That the government had considered the gravity of the situation was made apparent when the registration for military duty and the drafting of our young men began. The first registration was on June 5, 1917, of all young men between the ages of 21 and 31 years of age, the second, on the 12th of September, 1918, when all between 18 and 45 registered.

    Some of our boys volunteered, but the most of them awaited their turn to be called. They were all farmer boys and as there already was a great shortage of farm help, they stayed on the farm and worked until the government was ready for them.

    The first to leave were Oscar Youngmark and Otto Anderson. On Oct. 5, 1917, Carl Gustafson, Carl Akerson, David Erickson and Charles Hardman went. After this the boys were called, from time to time, until 20 belonging to the church had left or had been called for service in the army.

    Our boys belonged to the 89th division, also known as the Middle West Division. It was organized Aug. 25, 1917, at Camp Funston, Kansas, and was commanded by Major General Leonard Wood. On June I, 1918, the division began to leave Camp Mills, Long Island, for New York and Montreal, points of embarkation, for France.

    The division was commanded in France by Major General 'William M. Wright and later by Major General Frank L. Winn, who led it into Germany.

    The division went over the top on Sept. 12, 1918, at St. Mihiel.

After this it was transferred to the Argonne-Meuse sector where it was supported by the 57th and 58th Field Artillery, The 164th Field Artillery joined it in Belgium.

    The 89th division was ready to attack when truce was signed. It had been in a front line position for 98 days, had never been in a rest area and had been under shell fire for 93 days. The casualties in battle were 6,692 killed, wounded and prisoners. When we see these figures, it is a marvel that, though many were wounded, none of our boys were killed.

    Following is a list of our soldier boys:

    Private Otto Anderson, Co. D, 4th Infantry A. E. P.;

    Corporal Charles Hardman, Provisional Truck Co.;

    Corporal Carl G. Akerson, Co. F, 314 Motor Truck Supply Train, A. E. F.;

    Sergeant David L. Erickson, Co. F, 314th Motor Supply Train, A. E. F.;

    Corporal Carl A. E. Gustafson, Co. F, 314th Motor Supply Train, A. E. F.;

    Private Clifford Lundstrom, 9th Battery, A. A. R. D.

    Private Oscar E. Youngmark, Co. M, 355th Infantry, A. E. F.;

    Private Albert Singleterry, 48th Co., 161st Depot Briagde (sic);

    Private George Swanson, 48th Co., 161st Depot Brigade;

    Acting Sergeant Carl Oscar Philip Peters, Co. 2, Section B. S. A. T. C., Motor Transport.

    Private Matthew Hawkinson, Sect. H, Infantry, A. A. R. D., 323 Co.;

    Private John Carlson, Battery B, 83rd F. A., Am. F. F.;

    Private Reuben Swanson, 4th Co., A. R. D.;

    Private Henry Backman;

    Private Philip Anderson, Co. C, 55, M. P.

    Ernest Sjögren, Carl Hedstrom, Arvid Hedstrom, Sigfrid Swenson, Carl Larson were all called and were ready to entrain for camp when truce was signed and they were returned home.

    Frank Johnson 1879-; B. J. Fahlund 1882 and 1886-1891; Otto Gustafson 1883; John Bengtson 1901; Martin Gustafson 1907; A. A. Gustafson 1892-1900, 1902-1906, 1908 to present time (1919) and still in office.

    A. P. Falk 1879-1882; Otto Gustafson 1883; Andreas Olson 1884 ----1885; ---- 1886; A. G. Anderson 1887-1889; A. J. Olson 1890-1893; John Lind 1894-1900; C. J. Sjogren 1901; Louis Hanson 1902-1908; C. G. Gustafson* 1909-1915; T. A. Gustafson 1916; R. T. Erickson 1917 to present time (1919) and still in office.

    B. J. Fahlund 1879-1886; Peter Erickson 1887-1889; D. J. Bengtson 1890-1891; Rev. Andrew Kinnell 1892-1894; John Bergman 1895-1910; Adolf Akerson 1910 to present time (1919) and still in office.

    John Abrahamson 1879-; Charles Johnson (Fletcher) 1879-1883; Peter Ekvall 1879; B. J. Fahlund 1879-1884; 1888-1896; A. J. Olson ----; Otto Gustafson ----; N. P. Lindgren 1884-1886; C. J. Lundquist 1884, 1895 to present time (1919) and still in office; Andreas Olson 1883-1889, 1892-1897, 1900-1906; Swan Lind 1886-1889, 1890-1902; Thure Lind 1889-1894, 1901-1906; Peter Erickson 1887 to present time (1919) and still in office; D. J. Bengtson 1890-1892; Andrew Okerson* 1890-1892; John M. Peterson 1892-1894,

_____
* See "Corrections" page

1897-1899; John Bergman 1894-1910; Holcomb Anderson 1898-1900; A. A. Gustafson 1902 to present time (1919) and still in office; Adolf Akerson 1906 to present time (1919) and still in office; C. J. Sjogren 1907-1915; Charles Call 1910 to present time (1919) and still in office; August Peterson 1916 to present time (1919) and still in office.

    Andrew Carlson 1879-1882; A. P. Falk 1879-1882; Charles Johnson 1879-1883; Otto Gustafson 1882-1883, 1890-1892; B. J. Fahlund 1882-; Nels Anderson 1886-1888; August Anderson 1887-1889; John Stone 1888-1890; A. J. Olson 1889-1891; J. A. Borgstrom 1891-1893; John Lind 1892-1907; B. M. Johnson 1893-1895; Nels Tuveson 1895-1899; Frank Hedstrom 1896-1898; C. J. Sjogren 1899-1901, 1904-1907; Louis Hanson 1900-1909; Andrew Anderson 1901-1903; Oscar Sand 1901-1905; C. W. Gustafson 1901 to present time (1919) and still in office; Oscar Peterson 1902-1904, 1908 to present time (1919) and still in office; T. A. Gustafson 1905-1916; Emil Olson 1906-1911; Julius Gustafson 1907-1909; C. H. Lundquist 1907-1909. C. G. Walline 1910 to present time (1919) and still in office; Emil Lind 1910 to present time (1919) and still in office; August Nelson 1912-1917; Swan Carlson 1917 to present time (1919) and still in office; R. T. Erickson 1917 to present time (1919) and still in office.

     Mrs. John Bloom 1885-1886; Ellen Halden 1886-1887; Julia Sodergren 1887-1889; Mrs. C. H. Sodergren 1889; Ida Lind 1889-1894; Augusta Lind 1895-1901; Alice Akerson 1902-1903; Ethel Peterson 1904-1909; Mabel Eklund I909-1910; Mrs. O. G. Berg 1911-1914; Helga Franzen 1915 to present time (1919) and still in office.

     Jacob Anderson (?) 1879-; E. P. Erickson 1883; Carl Lindquist 1884; ---- 1885; in 1886 and 1887 the church members changed about serving a month at the time; B. L. Fahlund was sexton in 1889; Oscar Peterson 1890; John Hokanson 1891; D. J. Bengtson 1892-1893, 1895-1898; Axel Nelson 1894; in 1899 and 1900 members again changed about; T. A. Gustafson 1901; Adolf Carlson 1902; A. A. Gustafson 1903; Emil Lind 1904-1905; Claus Abrahamson 1906; Emil

Nelson 1907-1908; Carl Hokanson 1909-1911; Harold Hokanson 1912; George Swanson 1913-1914; Frank Peterson 1915-1917; A. P. Soder 1918; C. G. Walline 1919--.

   Bengt Swedberg 1884--; J. F. Peterson 1887-1888, 1891-1899; B. J. Fahlund 1889-1890; B. M. Johnson 1900-1910; T. A. Gustafson 1911 to present time and still in office.

    In 1901, after the number of trustees had been increased from 4 to 6, collectors were not elected at the annual business meeting, but were appointed amongst themselves, by the trustees, when necessary.

    1898--John Bengtson (first official usher -- was to serve when necessary.

    1910--Claus Abrahamson, Walter Bergstrom, Carl Larson, Robert Lundquist.

    1912--Carl Hokanson, Bert Akerson, Arvid Hedstrom, Edward Anderson.

    1913--E. B. Person, August Nelson, Oscar Peterson, T. R. Gustafson.

    1914--Oscar Peterson, August Nelson, T. A. Gustafson.

    1915--Oscar Peterson, August Nelson, T. A. Gustafson.

    1916--Oscar Peterson, Bert Akerson, David Erickson.

    1917--Carl Peterson, John Erickson.

    1918--Carl Peterson, John Erickson, Martin Anderson.

    1919--T. A. Gustafson, Ernest Sjogren, Lawrence Peterson.

    Bert Akerson 1907; Carl Akerson 1908; Benjamin Andrén 1907; Emil Hokanson 1910-1911; after this turns were taken by the young men until 1916 when an electric blower was installed and the office discontinued.
    11.

    On Oct. 3, 1909, Tillie Akerson, Alma Akerson, Edward Anderson and Julius Gustafson were appointed by the Luther League to ascertain what the proper decorations for Christmas would cost. This committee reported on Oct. 17th, and an allowance of $50 was made for the decoration of the church the following Christmas. The above named committee was also appointed to put the decorations up. They were, therefore, the first Decorating Commitee (sic). Since then a committee has been elected each year. The duties of the Decorating Committee are to decorate the church for festive occasions and to drape it for funerals. The following subsequent committees were:

    1910-Mabel Eklund, Alma Akerson, Tilda Akerson, Julius Gustafson, Edward Anderson.

    1911-Violet Johnson, Selma Person, Frances Peterson, Richard Larson, Harald Person, Gustaf Anderson.

    1912-Robert Lundquist, Frances Lundquist, Bert Akerson, Frances Johnson, Ellen Larson, T. A. Gustafson, Edward Anderson.

    1913-Ethel Olson, Oscar Peters, Bertha Akerson, John Erickson, Carl Akerson.

    1914-Frances Hedstrom, Viola Olson, Charlotte Cobb, Arvid Hedstrom, Philip Anderson, Henry Nelson.

    1915-Eulalia Johnson, Inez Bengtson, Winnefred Franzen, Elmer Gustafson, Ludvig Bengtson, Arthur Peters.

    1916-Henry Sjögren, Johannah Bengtson, Viola Olson, Bert Akerson, Ellen Larson, Carl Akerson.

    1917-Axel Sjogren, Sylvera Holmquist, Dorothy Peterson, Anna Erlandson, Emil Gustafson, Bert Akerson.

    1918-Elsie Soder, Lawrence Peterson, Hanna Hedstrom, Violet Peterson, Arthur Peters, Luella Olson.

    1919-Ludvig Bengtson, Emily Bengtson, Ernest Sjogren, Ellen Peterson, Emil Gustafson, Lenora Burman.

   The property of the Fridhem congregation consists of twenty acres of land, one residence block in Funk, the church and the parsonage, all of which is valued at $20,200.

---

© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller.