C.H. Cannon’s New Livery

Mr. C.H. Cannon has now completed and moved into his elegant new livery, feed and sale barn, just west of the Commercial house, fronting the north-west corner of the public square, which he has erected and fitted up in the best of style for his own use, and is now adding a large number of the best teams to be purchased in this country. The new barn is an ornament to the part of the city in which it is located, and is in fact, the finest livery barn in Southern Kansas. Mr. Cannon is an untiring worker and makes a number one liveryman, and if we are to judge from the number of teams that are going and coming to and from the barn, he is doing more livery business than any three or four liverymen in Southern Kansas. The new barn is a model of beauty, and every one who sees it pronounces it the “boss.” It is 25 x 125 feet and two stories high, well furnished and painted inside and out. In the front on the first floor is a neatly arranged and furnished office, of commodious size. On the second floor, in front is arranged a splendid suit of rooms for the use of assistants. Mr. Cannon may well feel proud of his new quarters, as every citizen of Howard are proud of the fine addition to our city.
Submitted by L. Morgan

The most destructive prairie fire that has occurred in our county for many years, it is supposedly started at or near the farm of Mr. Boys on last Thursday in Greenfield township. From there it took a northerly course, sweeping everything in its path and layed it in ashes. We were unable to obtain the particulars of the losses sustained by unfortunate persons. Among those who were victims to the fire ______, all in Union Center township, are as follows: Newton Hadsell lost his stables, wagon, cow and calf, bridle and saddle, all his hay, and several rods of hedge fence. Mr. Jacob S. Oakes lost his stable, reaper and mower, a plow, and all his hay and corn. Henry King who recently sold his farm to a new comer who lost all his farming implements, house, stable, all his hay and corn and Mrs. King's clothing was partly burned from her body. Mr. Bell(?) who recently purchased a claim, lost all his corn and hay, seventeen head of hogs, two cultivators, corn planter, and two saddles. D.G. Nigh had all his hay burned and a lot of fence. H. Myrick, lost all his hay and farming implements. Mr.Hazen lost all his farming implements, corn and ten head of fat hogs. The total amount of losses will aggregate over twenty-five hundred dollars. Fire is sometimes our warmest friend, while it is also our most destructive enemy.
Submitted by L. Morgan

                               
 
Remaining uncalled for in the Howard, Kansas, Postoffice, March 1st, 1880:

Allen, Alfred C.                   Myers, A.J.
Allcot, E.G. (2)                   Mills, M.S.
Arnold, Zach., (3)                 Murphey, Elias R. (2)
Black, H.                          McKenzie, C.F.
Behsens, C.                        McConihe, J.C.
Brown, Alex                        McClintoc, John
Bollinger, Wm. (2)                 Miller, G.F.
Boham, Lawrence                    McLinzie, Frank
Burke, Jas.                        Moses, Thomas
Browne, Mrs. John                  Martin, R.W.
Crabbo, I.R.N.                     Marshal, Margaret
Cingfelter, S.F.                   Martin, Edd E.
Clifford, John                     Morten, L.R. (2)
Clark, George W.                   Peace, Capt. A.C.
Clark, Clarles T.                  Robert, George
Cusby, Thomas                      Russell, Harvey T.            
Cramer, Milton                     Richards, Robert
Cotton, Alec. C.                   Spaulding, Levi
Defenbaugh, J.J.                   Symms, Mary E.
Dougherty, William                 Smith, Jasper
Deyaman, Mrs. Lide                 Schorfnd?, Joseph
Hills, Wm.                         Sharpley, Dr. J.M.
Fishpool, J.H.                     Spaulding, Levy
Fread, Stephen                     Sumter, H.
Frey, Mr.                          Stone, W.M.
Gladin, W.R.                       Studley, A.B.
Graham, G.T.                       Thomas, W.H.
Hunt, Chas. W.                     Tillston, James
Highborger, W.H.                   Taylor, William
Johanson, Johan                    Thomas, Thomas
Lamb, Phillip                      Tracey, Hattie
Metcalf, H.A.                      Williams, J.R.
McDonald, U.S.                     Welty, Mrs.
Mahas, Dan                         Wilcox, W.A.
Merrill, Geo. W.                   Willey, Anna

When asking for any of the above letters, please say “advertised.”  If not
called for before April 1, 1880, the above letters will be forwarded to the
Dead Letter Office, at Washington, D.C.

On Monday, March 22d, Thos. Wooden. The deceased leaves a loveable wife and three children to mourn their loss. On Saturday, March 30, Miss Melia Ann Blizzard On Tuesday, March 23d, John Blizzard. He leaves a kind wife and mother and five small children. On Wednesday, March 24th, Moses Freed, aged about 50 years. He leaves six children to mourn their irreparable loss. On the 1st of April, Mary Hall, oldest daughter of Mr. E.K. Longley, aged one year, five months and twenty days. The bereaved parents have the sympathy of their many friends in the loss of their little darling.
Submitted by L. Morgan

TRIBUTE TO ELK COUNTY “DOUGHBOYS OF 1918”
By Carol Sanderson

The United States celebrates Veterans Day this Sunday, November 11, and for eleven Elk County World War I Veterans, it brings back many vivid memories of November 11, 1918.

With her last ally gone, Germany stood alone, facing a world of determined enemies, and the armistice was signed, bringing to an end World War I. History books record that the Americans were undoubtedly the decisive factor in winning victory, without their aid the war would have been lost.

The United States entered the war in 1917, three years after the battle had begun. The French, British, and Canadians sustained great losses, and fought valiantly against the Germans. When the Americans entered the battle, in all, 2,034,000 American soldiers reached France, and of these 1,390,000 saw more or less active service at the front. In all, 29 divisions took part in active combat service.

The Meuse-Argonne offensive during World War I is considered the bloodiest battle in American History, a conflict comparable to that in the Wilderness in Civil War days, but on a larger scale and much more prolonged. Both sides constantly threw fresh divisions into the battle, and every day bitter but confused fighting took place. German machine-gunners fought for every foot of ground and exacted a heavy toll from the Americans, most of whom were taking part in their first great battle.

The American losses were enormous, but the troops from beyond the seas fought with a dogged determination to win at any cost. By October 10, 1918, with French assistance, they had cleared the Argonne Forest of the enemy. By the end of October, the Americans were through the Kriemhilde zone of defense, and on November 1 the final advance was begun. On November 6 the Rainbow Division reached a point on the Meuse opposite Sedan. The Americans had now obtained their objective--the railways running through Sedan and Mezieres. In the words of General Pershing: "The strategical goal which was our highest hope was gained. We had cut the enemy's mail line of communications, and nothing but surrender or an armistice could save his army from complete disaster."

In all, the United States lost approximately 337,904 Americans during World War I. Of that total 62,106 died of disease, many losing their lives to the deadly influenza epidemics that attacked the men, both at home, and abroad. There were no antibotics, no penicillin, to save the men at that time, many in crowded camps and tents.

Elk County has eleven World War I Veterans, and they are: "Ike" Arnold of Longton, Lee Bailey and Claude Mills of Moline, Byron Stiles of Grenola, Willard Morss, Cecil Morss, Ralph Coile, Roy Workman, John Huntsinger, Bert Bennett, and Jennings Loyd, all of Howard. Fred Shepherd of Howard, who passed away on October 30th, was also a veteran of World War I.

Albert W. "Bert" Bennett, of Howard, remembers. Bennett, who will be 90 December 13th, served as a Private in the Infantry in France, and was on the front lines of battle. "I remember. Two men were killed right beside me in a trench, and one in a dugout nearby, when shell fire hit. I was twenty-two years old. We never had enough food. Most of the time it was stale bread. I remember when I was trying to eat some mush with syrup in it, in between fighting and had my mess kit on my knee. Shrapnel hit the kit and my food went flying. I received only a slight scratch on the knee, and a little bit of blood came, but that was the only time blood was drawn on me during the war. Cigarettes were scarce, but I have to hand it to the Salvation Army. They are a great organization. They would give us cigarettes and supplies, and wouldn't charge us a dime. I didn't get paid for two years. I was in France from 1917 to 1919, and was paid when the Armistice was signed. We were paid in francs by the U.S. Government, and I had my pockets full, my hands, and all the money I could stash in my helmet. We weren't paid in American money. Later on, I was able to get a money belt and put it in that until I got back to the states. Arthur Cummings, of Howard, was near me in France during the time I was over there. I went into the service on March 2, 1917, and was discharged in June 1919." Bennett has four children and eight grandchildren, and lives with his daughter, Mrs. Waldo (Jean) Gray in Howard. He has helped his daughter in the greenhouse and floral business for twenty years, and worked for the Elk County Road Department for may years before his retirement. His wife, Myrtle Joyce, passed away four years ago, in March 1980.

John Arthur Huntsinger, 89, remembers. Huntsinger, a retired construction worker, who lives with his wife, Audrey, in Howard, served two years during World War I, from August 2, 1917 to May 21, 1919. He spent most of that time building Army buildings in France. "When the armistice was declared, on November 11, 1918, we celebrated it with free champagne given to us by the French, at Chatenay. We celebrated it with the French Veterans of the War of 1872, the war between France and Germany. I think the most lonesome experience I remember was when I was in France, and the fog was bad, and we were going to work early, I could hear an American freight train with a steam engine in the distance. The bells were ringing on that train, and the whistle was blowing--that was in August of 1918---and I really felt homesick for the U.S. When that American train came into view, everybody yelled and shouted--a little bit of home to some homesick guys."

Huntsinger continued, "I was stationed during the War at the Air Production Center #2 at Romorantin, France. Our outfit, the 485th Army Aero Construction Squadron, would put up an airplane hanger, 100 feet by 300 feet, every two days. We covered six acres with airplane hangers. It was a volunteer outfit. I spent thirteen months in France, went in as a Buck Private and came out a Sgt. First Class, a four striper. I was born on August 20, 1895, in Oronoco, Minnesota, ten miles north of Rochester. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1917 with a degree in Agriculture, and went right into the service. I lost ten school buddies in the Marines during the War, only two of my buddies survived. I learned how to take care of airplanes in the Army-AF 73rd Signal Corps. There weren't many airplanes at that time. The Curtis-Jennie Plane was a darn good airplane, we used that in training when I was in San Antonio. I trained at Kelly Field."

Huntsinger showed this reporter a cane (with French coins inbedded in the wood) made out of walnut and spruce wood, part of the wooden propeller from a DH-4 American Fighter airplane. "The DH-4 had machine guns on it. The pilot was going to fly it in a demonstration against a French Newport plane with a rotary engine, but the American pilot forgot to put sand in the tail (which holds it down for the gunner) and the tail tipped up and broke the propeller. The French really showed up the Americans on that one. That is how I got the wood for this cane, from that broken DH-4 propeller."

"On March 21, 1918, I left and went in the 73rd Squadron of the Signal Corps and woke up on April 21, 1919, and was in the 485th Aero Construction Squadron in St. Nazaire, France. At noon, March 21, 1918, the 485th Squadron first set foot on French soil.

Huntsinger wasn't too impressed with his first visit to Paris during the War. "I didn't think they treated the Americans right. It was a tourist place, and they were looking for money. During leave, we went to the Monte Carlo gambling houses and I won $30.00 in francs (equivalent to American money) at the roulette table. I have a souvenir chip from the gambling table. I remember meeting a young Britsh boy between Nice, France and Monte Carlo when I had that short leave. He had been in Boston for four years, and he said, "Do you suppose I could find a piece of apple pie and have some syrup on my pancakes somewhere in France?" He said he missed the apple pie in America and syrup on his pancakes."

"I have got to say, I have nothing but praise and thanks to the Salvation Army for the way they treated the boys overseas. They did everything they possibly could for them, and tried to help the boys not feel so far away from home--they did a lot to help homesick guys and gals. I remember I met a Nurse, a Captain, who couldn't speak a word of Fench, and she was working in a hospital long hours, and didn't know a soul. She was a long way from home, had been in France three weeks and I never saw anybody in my life who was so homesick. But, it wasn't only the women who were homesick--you can bet those boys, especially the ones on the front lines -- were darned homesick, and maybe you don't really appreciate the U.S. till you get away from home, and get in situations like that before you really understand what we have here."

"There was a saying among the outfit that I was in when the Armistice was signed, 'The Military Police won the War and the YMCA helped them out."

Lee Bailey, 89, photographer for many years, and still practicing his profession at his studio in Moline, has written an interesting journal on his service during World War I. The diary was published, in series form, in The Moline Advance.

Bailey was a cook in the 35th Division. "The Harry Truman Division." He went into the service during World War I in October 1917, and was discharged in May, 1919, and his unit was the C.O. 110th Ammunition Training of the 35th Division.

Bailey has lived in Moline since 1910 and started taking photos with a Kodak in 1913. In 1917 he built his first small studio.

The following are excerpts from his remembrances of his experiences during World War I.

"On October 3, 1917, a bunch of 28 of us left Moline for Army training at Camp Funston, Kansas. We left Howard at 7:30 a.m., and our first stop was at Emporia where we changed cars. Dinner was served us at the Harvey House and it was an elegant one. Taking the "Katy" railroad from there about 1:00 p.m., we arrived at Camp Funston at 7:00 p.m. and marched to the Barracks. We were assigned to Company 48, 164th Depot Brigade."

"We were only at Camp Funston three weeks when I was separated from the rest and transferred to Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma. The rest were sent to Camp Pike, Arkansas. I took sick with pneumonia and was sent to Base Hospital and was very sick for three weeks, but I was improving, when I took the mumps and was sent to the mump ward where I was for two weeks."

"We left Hoboken, New Jersey, at 2:00 p.m.on the Justicia. About three days out we began to get a little seasick and each morning I would go up on the upper deck in the fresh air and lie down as it helped the seasickness. On the boat we had drills, etc. Our beds were hammocks stretched on hooks and they were not very satisfactory. Our eats consisted of bread, butter, eggs, meat, cheese, marmalade, etc. We had tea and coffee occasionally, but it was hard to distinguish one from the other. So we drank what we liked and saved the rest for the mess kit water, which was very satisfactory. There were about 8,000 aboard our boat. We had life boat drills each morning and evening. It was necessary to keep the portholes closed on account of submarines. At one place we thought we spied a submarine and the ship turned loose its guns. At another place we heard one of the guns burst forth again, but it was only a salute for the Lusitania which was sunk off the coast of Ireland and a cross marks the grave in the water.

Bailey continues, " We arrived at Nancy in eastern France in the Vosges sector where we had our first experience in billets, which were evacuated French homes. We stayed here until the time of the Battle of the Argonne, which began on September 29th. Then we moved up to a place called Newvilly, a small place near Verdun. Our company, Co A. 110th Ammunition Train, was located right along a road leading to the trenches. There we hauled ammunition, without any lights, over muddy roads, a day and night,a very difficult job. Often a truck would go into a ditch at the side of the road. All the time we were under heavy shell fire and had to keep moving, for stopping would mean death."

"Our Ammunition Train hauled ammunition mostly for the artillery and would bring back wounded soldiers to the field hospitals, and there was a great scarcity of ambulances and our boys when wounded would lie for hours on the ground before being cared for. We moved back from the lines and were shelled by the long range Germans guns. We were billeted in an old chair factory at this place and one evening about 4:00 we heard a peculiar racket and noise around us and soon discovered that the German long range guns were firing on us. There were about a half dozen big shells that came over and then they stopped. The next morning about 3:00 they started again and sent over a few more. Two of us cooks were not up yet, while two were already at the kitchen on duty. When the Huns had fired about two I jumped out of bed and said to my comrade, "Hey, you'd better get up. the Huns are firing.' He says, "Oh, hell, I can't be bothered. They have about fired their quota.' Bang! Another burst near us. I was down under the old chair factory and looked out from a little window when I spied my comrade beating it for the kitchen and dressing himself as he ran. Bang! Another came and burst near the kitchen. It made a funnel shaped hole big enough to bury three trucks in. We examined the hole after the firing ceased and picked up several pieces of high explosive. It was fortunate that there were only two of our boys wounded and only one killed in all this shelling. We left that place the same day."

"The crown said it was the German's greatest mistake when they tried to take Verdun, France, on accuont of its being a so strongly fortified city. A little town at the northeast of Verdun had been qiped entirely off the map, and all that was left of it was powdered earth and fine rock. The hills in the Verdun region on the battle fields, were all covered with shell holes and trenches and dugouts were everywhere just as far as you could see. There were all sorts of souvenirs and relics on the fields. Occasionally you would see a German boot with a leg sticking out of it and helmets with shells in them. Verdun is partly underground. You enter it like going into a tunnel. In there for several miles there are churches and stores, etc. It is lighted by electricity. They say for a time when the city was under shell fire and a good number of soldiers were there, the only means of feeding them was by pouring soup through a pipe that entered underground."

"We stayed in Xyre, another small village near Lee Mans, for about eight days. It was a disagreeable place and we quartered in horse stalls, part of which the horses still occupied. The stalls were all numbered. One of the guards wanted to know where the cooks slept so he could wake us next morning, and I said, "You'll find us in stall No. 1, and it raised a great laugh."

"One can't imagine how glad we were when orders came to sail, but there was not a word from any of us as we were hiking from the camp to the dock. And this was the reason: (I don't know if this is actually true or not), but it has been told that when some of the first troops left France, as the boat was leaving the dock, they cried out, "To hell with Brest," and the commanding officer of the camp brought them back and kept them there two weeks longer doing detail work."

Early Easter morning, on APril 20, we spied the lights on Long Island. About 10:00 a.m., we anchored in the harbor at Hoboken, having been on the water about seven days. We unloaded, took dinner at the Red Cross and left for Camp Mills, Long Island. This we found an entirely different camp from what we left it, the barracks all painted brown and fine Y.M.C.A.'s in operation. Here we had our regular cooties baths."

Jennings Bryan Loyd, 88, of Howard, remembers World War I. Loyd went into the Army on September 1, 1918, and was a Corporal in the 116th Brigade Replacement Unit. He was stationed at Camp Funston, neat Fort Riley, and remembers when the men "dropped like flies" during a deadly influenza epidemic.

"It was terrible - you never forget things like that. The hospitals were overflowing, and they had to stack the bodies cross-wise in the tents, and were building on to the tents, and were to hold more bodies. The flu seemed to take the bigger, stronger men, for some reason. In those days they didn't have penicillin."

"There were four of us boys from Howard that had gone up to South Dakota to work in March of 1918, before we were inducted into the Army. We went to file a land claim of 640 acres, and planned to work there. We could get paid $75.00 a month up there, and in Elk County we could only get $1.00 per day, so that sounded good to us."

"Then Charlie Rader and John Leo were inducted first into the Army, and they went to Camp Funston in June of 1918. Otis Rader and myself went in September, 1918. Otis came down with the flu in the Army, and died in October 1918 at Camp Funston. There wre only four or five out of our whole unit that didn't go to the hospital with the flu."

"It was near the end of the war, and after we recovered, we were given orders to clean all of our guns,and be ready to go the next day for overseas suty. The authorities at the Camp knew that the war was going to be over, but they didn't have orders to let us go, and so we cleaned those guns which were covered with grease."

"The Captain would come along with white gloves and run his fingers along the guns, and if there was any grease you were in big trouble. We just got all of the guns spotless, and then the orders came down for our discharge. We had to cover them all up with grease again to keep them from rusting while they were in storage."

Jennings was discharged from the Army on December 3, 1918.

Loyd and his wife, Gladys, farmed for 46 years before moving in to Howard, where they now live. They both have lived in Elk County all of their lives. Gladys attended the Fairview School and Jennings attended the Union Center school. Loyd wsa born on September 28, 1896, five miles west of Howard in the Union Center neighborhood.

Jennings' brother, Ernest C. Loyd, is nows in the Veterans Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. He, also, was in World War I, and fought on the front lines. Ernest was a journalist and linotype operator for The Tacoma Times.

Byron Stiles, 89, of Grenola, remembers World War I. He was twenty-two years old when he was inducted into the service on June 27, 1918. "I could have been deferred at that time because I was working on a farm, but I felt I should go. I remember I went up to the front lines on my birthday, October 7, 1918. We were on horses, but the horses were exhausted, so we had to get off and keep on hiking to the front lines, which we did. I remember a captain getting made at me because I ate my C. Rations. They were supposed to be kept only for an emergency. I figured this was an emergency, so I ate them. I have seen many of my friends shot down, when in the Army 313th Engineers Unit. When I was coming home, the train I was on had a bad wreck near Parsons, and several were injured. I escaped injury. I thought at the time, "Here we were on the front lines, and finally get home, and almost get killed. But so many boys died from the flu before they even got overseas."

Stiles continued, "I never will ever forget when the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and we were on our way home. There was a dense fog, and just as we entered the harbor at New York City, the fog lifted, and right there was the beautiful Statue of Liberty. I can tell you, that was the prettiest sight I had ever seen, and I will never forget how beautiful "she" looked. All of the guys on the ship cheered and yelled. I will never forget it."

Byron and his wife, Ida Mae, recently lost a son, Dale, in Iowa, and they have three grandchildren, Terry, Cheryl, and Larry, and five great-grandchildren. Troy and Lisa, children of Terry and Nikki, Cabel and Yancy, children of Cheryl.

Stiles concluded, "I just want to say that the Salvation Army was great to all of us overseas. They did so much for us, and I appreciated that very much. Also, the French people were good to us when we were over there."

John A. Huntsinger, 89, Howard, Retired Army Sgt. First Class, has a book published by the 485th Aero Construction Squdron of the U.S. Army in 1919. The book is very interesting, and gives many insights into the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers in that squadron at that time. The squadron served in Kelly Field, Texas, Morrison, Virginia, and in France in St. Nazaire, Romorantin, Gievres, Chatenay, Abzac and Bordeaux.

Claude Mills, 89, of the Elk Manor Nursing Home, in Moline, is a World War I veteran, also. He was stationed at Camp Funston, and has farmed in the Elk County area. He was born on July 5, 1895.

Roy Workman, 89, of Howard, remembers World War I. He was in the Quartermasters Corps in the Army, and entered the service on May 25, 1918. He remembers sharing a ship to France with 518 miles and fifty sailors and 50 soldiers for the entire trip. Workman recalls, "I entered the service on May 25, 1918, as a Private, and went from Howard to Camp Funston, Kansas, and from there to a camp below Jacksonville, Florida."

"From there I went on to Newport, Virginia, and took a ship from there to Bordeau, France, the biggest shipping dock in France. There were eighteen ships, big freighters in the convoy, all loaded with supplies for the U.S. Army. We were twenty-three days going across to Bordeau, France. We then went to a camp fifty miles northeast of DeJohn, France.

The ship I was on had 518 mules and enough fresh water for the mules, and fifty sailors and 50 soldiers for the entire trip of 23 days. There were eighteen ships in the convoy, and they sailed in formation of one-quarter mile apart. When the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, we didn't know it for two days. I got back to Howard July 19, 1919."

Workman retired from farming in 1960. He orginally farmed northeast of Longton, in Elk county. He and his wife, Clara, have three sons, andone son, Robert, who passed away on November 18, 1949.

Their son, Hobart, was in the Air Force in World War II. Hobart and his wife live in Kansas City and have three children, Michael, Patrick, and Paula. Another son, Walter, also served in the Army Light Artillery in Europe during World War II. He and his wife, Ruth, have three shildren, Joe, Marsha, and Robert. A third son, Gene, lives in Wichita with his wife, Lillian, and they have two children, Craig and Diane.

Willard Morss, 89, of Twilight Manor in Howard, remembers World War I. Morss commented, "I was a Buck Private at Camp Funston and went there on a train with 39 other Elk county boys. I was in Infantry and Medics, too. They used to kid me and call me "Doc Mayo." I served all my time, approximately one year, in the states. I had the flu and was in the hospital at Fort Riley." Morss has seen much adventure in his lifetime, including working as a cowboy in Dillon, Montana, working on night duty at a hotel in Hutchinson, working for the Kelier Cattle Co. in Montana, wintering in the Dakotas and carrying mail on a buckboard for twenty-five miles, spending 41 years employed at The First National Bank in Howard, twenty-five years as president, and twelve years at the Howard State Bank as vice-president, and is presently Honorary Vice-President.

Wile working at The First Natinal Bank, he worked up from the bottom, sweeping floors, to becoming bookkeeper and president. "My dad wanted me to go to business college instead of high school, and in those days you could do that, so he sent me to business college in Hutchinson, and I took all of the courses they offered in four years, including banking, bookkeeping, and everything else they had. I had no idea I would g into banking at that time--that was the farthest thing from my mind. I wanted to be a cowboy in Montana, i guess. I learned to ride horses when I was four years old."

"My dad was bound and determined that high school would be no good because my relatives all went to high school and he didn't think it did them any good, so he made up his mind I was going to learn business, so that's why I ended up in business college."

Morss received an award on September 26, 1984, on behalf of the National Veterans Rehabilitation Comm. of the U.S.A. Only four persons have received this distinguished award in the U.S. and he was honored for more than fifty years as Service Officer for the AmericanLegion Carter-Rader Post #149 in Howard. Willard's wife, Nettie, was teacher and School Superintendendent in Elk County for over eighteen years. Willard and Nettie will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this coming December.

Cecil Morss, 88, of Howard Twilight Manor Nursing Home, is a Verteran of World War I, and was in the service from 1917-1919. He was born on July 26, 1896, in Elk City, the son of William and Ella Morss. Cecil has two children, Dale Morss and Mrs. Mary Morris, of Wichita. Cecil's brother, Ollie, was killed in action during the First World War.

Fred Lyonel Shepherd passed away recently, on October 30, at the age of 86, and he was a World War I Veteran also. Fred was born on October 24, 1898, and we received information from his widow, Beulah Shepherd, and his daughter, Lucille Morgan, for this article.

Fred was in Army Officer's Training at teh College of Emporia during WOrld War I, in preparation for going overseas, but the Armistice was signed, and he did not go. Shepherd was well known in the Elk County area, and throughout the state of Kansas, for his beautiful wood carving, woodworking and furniture making. The couple demonstrated in many craft shows in Kansas over the years. Mrs. Shepherd has three grandchildren, Michael A. Hogan and Christy Jones of Chanute, and Charles E. Morgan of Waterloo, Iowa. She also has six great-grandchildren, Anthony D. Morgan, Azure Dawn Morgan, Lisa Diane Morgan, Melissa Jones, Brandy Leigh JOnes, and Sandy Lee Jones.

R.J. Coile, 89, of Howard, is a Veteran of World War I, and went into the service in May 1918, and wsa discharged on March 19, 1919, after being stationed at Pensacola, Florida, in a Naval Aviation Special Detail.

Coile taught school in Wichita in 1917 for part of the year, went into the service for one year, and then returned to Wichita to teach for forty-seven more years until 1965. He retired at that time, and is now in business in Howard. Coile is in the business now in Howard selling and setting monuments, and also farms. His office is located at 114 Randolph, in the building also occupied by Fornshell Insurance.

Coile graduated from Howard High School in 1915, the son of Henry and Luella Mae, and was born on a farm in the southern part of Elk county. "I'm the last of my family. I lost my mother in 1964, my farther in 1932, and have lost my sister. Coile likes Kansas and is a booster of the State. I like the climate - the weather. I think Kansas has some of the most beautiful scenery. There is always something fascinating to see, something new. The seasons are beautiful, and the hills west of Howard are fascinating and interesting to me.

Note: There was a picture of each World War Veteran along with this article, but it just doesn't work well to try and post copies of photos.
Submitted by L. Morgan

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