VOL. 27, No. 4

Elizabeth Awe Receives Letter From Brother

Camp Grant, Ill.

Oct. 12, 1917

Dear Sister:

Since my arrival at Camp Grant I have been quite busy, haven’t had very much time and less inclination to write. I have learned a great deal since I came here. The first thing I learned was that we don’t get meals at all, but mess. This sure is the right name for it. Every man has or rather gets what is known as a mess kit, which consists of a meal pan, a plate, knife, fork, spoon and cup. When the cook shouts "Right at it Boys,’ it is some stampede for the mess hall door. We are only allowed 19c a meal, so we don’t get very fancy grub and not any too much by the way. Still we get all that is necessary and I believe that it is good medicine for a great many to have to tighten up the belt a few notches. We have a fine Captain, who tries his best to make us feel at home. After we get settled we expect to get a Victrola for our company and other conveniences such as wash tubs, wash boards, shoe polish and the likes.

To cover the cost of this we have what is known as a company fund, which has been soley financed by the soldier boys so far. You May hand this to the Gleaner for publication, and any big hearted individual who will make a small donation to this fund May send same to Captain Hanna, Commanding Officer Co A., 341st Infantry, Camp Grant, Ill. I am sure that a great many will want to push a little in this direction and anybody who will May be sure that his help will be greatly appreciated by many a Clark County and Wisconsin soldier boy.

Best wishes from your brother,

Arthur Awe,

341st Inf. Co. A. Camp Grant, Ill.

Note from transcriber: Arthur Henry AWE and Elizabeth Marie AWE (who later married Henry Paul Voigtlander) were the 5th and 6th children of Henry Friedrich Johannes AWE and Charlotte Friedericke (nee:LOOS) AWE of Clark County, WI. Arthur Henry AWE was born Jul 20, 1895 and died December 15, 1989 in Clark County, WI. Elizabeth Marie AWE VOIGTLANDER was born Mary 21, 1901 and died October 2, 1993 in Clark County, WI.

Note from Kipp Kippenhan: Camp Grant was razed in the Autumn of 1947. Much of the property parcel was used to construct the Rockford, IL airport.

Responses

BioM: Awe, Arthur Henry (12 Oct 1917)

Contact: Kipp Kippenhan

Thank you so very much. I did not know that my paternal grandmother's brother was a World War I veteran. Arthur H. Awe was the son of Henry Awe and Charlotte Frederike Loos. Henry was born in the area around Lockport, N.Y. When he was a few years old, his folks moved to the area around Sheboygan, Wis. He and his wife came to Clark Co. in the 1880's. He opened the first sawmill in Clark Co. and did pretty well for himself. My grandparents met because my grandfather Theodore Kippenhan was workig for Henry Awe at his sawmill.

It brings a smile to my face to write (er, type) this, but my grandfather really did marry the bosses daughter. 8-)

Thanks again for the info.

Best regards - Kipp -