Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Marshall, William Allen 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net July 13, 2019, 6:40 am Ionia Daily Standard, 12 Dec 1918 Pvt. William A. Marshall Dead Braves Fury of Battle Shells, Only to Yield to Disease. The following telegram from the War Department was received by J.M. Marshall Wednesday afternoon: “Deeply regret to inform you that it is officially reported the Private Wm. A. Marshall, infantry, died of bronchial pneumonia and pleurisy, November 28th.” W.A. Marshall was the only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Marshall. “Will,” as he was best known to his friends and family, would have been 24 years of age the 28th of this December. He grew up in Ionia, attending the local schools, afterward attending the Ferris Institute at Big Rapids. For some time he was employed as a bookkeeper in Chicago. He was a member of the Methodist church. Early this year he applied for enlistment in one of the special branches of the service. This being closed, he received training at Camp Custer, sailing for overseas with the 85th division. The family and friends have received many unusually fine letters from this young soldier during the last few months. These letters, written during the hardships of the campaign, were free from all complaint, and voiced the fine spirit of our boys. The last letter, dated November 12, reached the family Wednesday morning, the message announcing his death in the afternoon. One letter, dated October 26th, stated that he had been slightly gassed and was at the time at a base hospital, where, as he put it, he was receiving excellent care and anticipated being able to join his company shortly for the big smash. The last letter, dated November 12, was written from the same hospital. This letter stated that he had been transferred some time before to the 42nd, or Rainbow Division, and it is evident that he had participated in some of the most sanguinary fighting of that division in the September battles. He wrote in his last letter: “Winter is slowly setting in, and gradually it gets colder every evening. It keeps very muddy around the wards, but at that there is a good dry place to sleep. Very much better than sleeping in dugouts full of mud and water. I suppose that you feel pretty good now that peace has been signed. That feeling is still greater among the boys and they are eagerly looking forward to the time when they can get back home to their loved ones.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/m/marshall9688gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 2.9 Kb