Obituaries

 

William W. Huisman

 

 
Source: The Titonka Topic,
Thursday, August 4, 1921,
pg. 1
YOUNG WORLD WAR HERO LAID TO REST
Body of Wm. Huisman Shipped Home, Services and Interment held Tuesday.
Last Tuesday in Titonka, the flag of our country was hung at half mast in honor of the burial of Wm. W. Huisman, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Huisman, who lost his life in France while in the service of his country. Breen Post attended the burial ceremonies and had charge of the funeral arrangements. About fifty of the World War veterans followed the body to its last resting place after short services had been held at the Huisman home, two miles south of town, and at the German Lutheran church in Titonka. The funeral cortege was more than a half mile long and perhaps more than five hundred persons attended the ceremonies, the church being crowded and many remaining on the outside. The casket draped with flags and flowers was borne to the grave between the ranks of veterans standing at present arms.

Wm. W. Huisman was born Jan. 9, 1895 in Palo Alto county, Iowa. When a child he moved with his parents to S.D., where they lived for five year after which they moved to Missouri, where they lived five years. From Missouri the family moved to Oklahoma, where Wm. was given instruction and was baptized and became a member of the Ev. Lutheran church. In the year 1916 the family moved back to Iowa and settled in Buffalo township. in July 1918, he was called to the colors and was sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia. After a few weeks of training, he was sent with a number of his comrades to France, becoming a member of the 115th Inf. Reg. Co. A. Following his arrival in France he was taken ill but soon recovered. With his company he was sent near the front, where after a few weeks he was taken sick with measles which developed into a complication of bronchial troubles and soon resulted in death on the 11th day of December 1918, being 23 years, 11 months and 2 days old at the time of his decease. His body was buried in the American cemetery in France and along with others was taken up and shipped to the U.S. arriving here with an escort last Saturday evening. Upon the arrival of the remains Breen Post took charge of the body and all funeral arrangements. Rev. P. Wippermann of Belmond delivered the funeral address at the church in English, assisted by Rev. Mueller who spoke in German. he leaves to mourn a father and mother, five brothers and six sisters, an aged grandmother and many other relatives and friends. The Topic extends sympathy to the family in their bereavement.

 

-transcribed and submitted by Jeanie Belding for Iowa in the Great War