WW I VETS

These articles have been taken from a private collection of newspaper clippings. Dates have been handwritten on articles and none contain newspaper name, but the vast majority appear to have been clipped from the Garland News.

Belcher, George .-008
Cabiness, John D.-002
Cross, Jacob Elmer-003
Kirby, Raymond D.-009
Merritt, Thomas N.-004
Newman, Guy C.-005
Odel, Walter S.-007
Wells, George W.-006

002
John Davis Cabiness
Gives Life For Freedom Of World
September, 1918
First Garland boy to give his life for the freedom of the world.

Dave, as he was familiarly known here, was born in Cleburne, TX on September 6, 1892, but came to Garland with his parents when quite young and had lived here practically all his life, where he was well known and liked, being a quiet, gentlemanly youth who made many friends and no enemies.

On May 1 he was called into service and sent to Camp Travis. June 6, only five weeks after being put in training, he was sent to France where he was soon placed in the trenches as a fighting unit. The battle in which he was killed occurred on September 26, only five months after being inducted into service.

The message conveying notice of his death reached the family last Thursday morning, and naturally caused them great grief, though they have the satisfying consciousness that he died an honorable death in the most glorious cause the world has ever known.

Mr. and Mrs. Cabiness, his parents, and a brother, Walter, are the only surviving immediate relatives, W. W. Whitfield being an uncle, and many other people here and elsewhere being related in different ways. These have the profound sympathy of all their friends and the friends of their deceased son.

003
Jacob Elmer Cross
April 10, 1888 - March 1964
Jacob Elmer Cross, 75, father of Foy Cross of Garland, died early today at his home in Wylie following an extended illness. Funeral arrangements are pending with Roy Moore Funeral Home of Wylie.

Surviving besides his son are his wife, Zelma Nelson Cross of Wylie; brothers, Bob Cross, California; Garner Cross, Ft. Worth; Raymond and Bruton Cross, both of Wylie; sisters, Mrs. Madge Parker, Houston; Rudy Evans, Dallas; Mrs. Eunice Walker, Royse City; two grandsons, Duane and Douglass Cross, both of Garland.

Born April 10, 1888 at Lipan, Texas, he was the oldest of nine children. The entire Cross family moved to Liberty Grove in 1913. Mr. Cross saw active duty in France and Russia throughout his three years of active service during World War I.

He was the son of Andrew Jackson and Laura Etta Williams Cross, both deceased. Elmer's father, Andrew, was a member of the famed Texas Rangers. Mr. Cross married Zettie Zelma Nelson December 28, 1919. Interment was in the pioneer cemetery at Pleasant Valley.

004
Thomas Newell Merritt
Gave his life for his country.
Rowlett newspaper, September, 1921.
Another Dallas County lad who gave his life for his country will be laid at rest Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, not far from Rowlett. The soldier for whom the final services are to be held Sunday is Thomas N. Merritt, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. N. Merritt of Rowlett. A detail from the John W. Low Post, American Legion, will attend the service and help pay the last respects to the young man who died in the cause of his country. According to advises received by relatives, the body will reach Rowlett Saturday evening. It will be taken to the family home and held there until the services Sunday afternoon.

Thomas N. Merritt was 21 years of age when he was called to fight for his country. He went overseas as a private in Company F, 169th Infantry of the Nineteenth Division. He was killed in the drive made on the Argonne Forest on September 26, 1918, almost three years to the day that his last rites are to be held at Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

Guy Newman, son of Dr. G. W. Newman of Garland, was with young Merritt when he received the wound that caused his death. Thomas N. Merritt was born at Rowlett (Liberty Grove) and lived all his life in that community until he entered the service at the call of his country. Besides his mother and father he is survived by four brothers and two sisters, all of whom reside in the neighborhood of Rowlett.

Born April 27, 1896 and killed in action on September 26, 1918. Buried at Pleasant Valley in September of 1921. Survived by his parents Robert N. and Udorah Flowers Merritt, brothers, Walter Ray; Charles Clifton; Oscar; Bobbie, and Frank, sisters, Nettie A. and Beulah Mae Merritt.

005
Guy C. Newman
April 12, 1889 - October 1, 1946
Guy Newman, 57, Garland Constable, was critically injured in a traffic accident near midnight Monday and died at Parkland Hospital Tuesday of head injuries.

The accident occurred when the car owned by Harold Bell 21, of Garland, collided head-on with a truck on Garland Road near Buckner Boulevard.

Bell is reported recovering from internal injuries at Parkland Hospital, and Miss Edna Chambers, 18, also of Garland, the driver of the car, escaped with minor bruises and cuts. The driver of the truck, M. A. Johnson, was not seriously injured.

Funeral services for Mr. Newman, son of the late Dr. and Mrs. G. W. Newman, were held at 10 a. m. Thursday at the Garland Methodist Church, of which he was a member. The Reverend W. D. Craig, pastor, officiated, and burial was in the family plot at Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Mr. Newman was a World War I veteran, having been with his childhood friend, Tom Merritt, when he was killed in the Argonne Forest.

Survivors are two sisters, Miss Margaret Newman, Garland, and Mrs. T. S. Bonner, of Fort Worth; five brothers, Jim Newman, Garland, and Clinton, Tom, George and Eugene, of Dallas.

Pallbearers are his first cousins, G. W. Newman, Lloyd and Leslie Compton, of Dallas, and Harmon Raney, Nolan Poovey, Clem Tucker, Ed Munday and Harmon Newman.

006
George W. Wells
1895 - 1983
George Washington Wells, son of the late James Madison "Matt" and Louisa Ballard Wells, died last week (January 1983). Mr. Wells was born at Liberty Grove March 3, 1895 and later served as member of the US Army during World War I. He was 87 years of age.

Mr. Wells was preceded in death by both parents and by sons, George Henry and Jimmy D. Wells. He is survived by wife, Stella Patterson Wells and by daughters Beverly, Patricia, Imogene and Arlene. Mr. Wells was buried at Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

007
Walter S. Odell
Succumbs To War Injuries
A message was received in the Rowlett community on Sunday, December 2, 1923 that Walter S. Odell died in Fort Sam Houston Hospital at San Antonio earlier in the morning. The body was shipped to Rowlett Tuesday morning and carried to the home of a friend since the roads were too bad to get to the home of his father.

Friends remained with the deceased until Wednesday when funeral services were held at the church by his pastor, Rev. Dean of Royse (Royse City, Texas). Interment followed in Mills Cemetery with military honors. Sargent J. S. Rowland, Corp. J. M. Dobby and Privates Baker, Young, Harris, Keith and Holding of Company G., 144thInfantry, Texas National Guard carrying out the regulation military ceremony by firing the salute and sounding taps over the grave.

Rev. Dean then offered a short prayer and the body of this fine and honorable young man was committed to the earth for all time.

Surviors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Odell, a wife, formerly Miss Mamie Garrison, two children and several brothers and sisters. He was married to Miss Garrison August 19, 1919.

Walter was born November 6, 1895 and joined the church at the age of eighteen and had lived an exemplary Christian life since. He was probably one of the most pupular young men in the Rowlett community. He enlisted in the army when volunteers were called for. He served eleven months across the seas where he was gassed. This affected his lungs and finally resulted in tuberculosis.

He remained home for several months, but was finally forced to return to the hospital. Realizing that the end was near, he requested that his body be sent to his parents home and that the coffin be opened at the church but not at the cemetery and that he be buried in Mills Cemetery and that Nearer My God to Thee be sung at his funeral. All of his request were complied with except the later since all the rain had caused the road to his parents home to become impassable.

The news reporter mentioned that his life was another contribution to the lust of war and that he was only one of the thousands who were sacrificed and ask for an end to human sacrifices.

008
George Belcher
The following 1918 newspaper article is reprinted in order to provide a better understanding of the effects of World War I had on the families in the Rowlett community. Also see Thomas Merritt story.

Georrge Belcher enlisted from Rowlett, where he was reared, in the infantry, as a mechanic. He was in the big battles beginning in September, and was reported missing on September 26, the date so many boys from this section were killed and wounded. No further information has been received than the mere statement of "missing in action". It is feared he was killed and his body not found.

A later article (undated) provided additional details. The rowlett community was saddened Tuesday of last week when the telegram was received from the war department to the relatives of George Belcher that he had died in a German prison camp. George had been reported missing since the battle of September 26, and nothing could be learned of his whereabouts until the telegram conveying the sad news came Tuesday. George has a number of friends here who are deeply grieved over his death for he was well liked by all.

009
Raymond D. Kirby
Another Victim of War
Raymond D. Kirby died in the Fitzsimmons Hospital near Denver Colorado Sunday, December 30. His death was caused directly by disease contracted in the service of his country, in the awful world war.

Raymond was born at Rowlett October 13, 1897, his father and mother being A. R. and Gertie (Gertrude Jones) Kirby. His mother died October 22, 1901.

Raymond joined the Christian Church at the age of 12. He lived in Fort Worth after leaving Rowlett until 1917, when he went to Abilene, where he volunteered for service in the army to fight for America. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he made a clean record as a soldier.

After the war he was sent to the Danish West Indies for a year and a half where he contracted the dread tuberculosis from exposure in that damp climate. He was sent back to the Fitzsimmons hospital where he remained until 1920, being discharged with total disability rating. He remained in private life until 1922, when his condition demanded that he be placed in the hospital again, where he reamined until his death. Those who knew Raymond loved and respected him.

His younger brother, Paul, was with him when he died.

He died Sunday, December 30, (1923) at 4:25 a. m. The body was shipped to Garland where Undertaker Williams took charge of it and conveyed it to Rowlett, where the remains were buried Wednesday morning. A large concourse of friends met the body here and accompanied it to Rowlett.

Rev. V. L. Graves conducted funeral services and the mortal remains of this young man were laid to rest in the family plot in Big A Cemetery Wednesday morning, a large crowd being present to honor his memory.