Beckham County, OK - Obits: Henry O. McDonald, 1918 22 August 2008 Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* MC DONALD, HENRY O. (21 Nov 1918, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): HENRY OLIN McDONALD. Funeral services of Henry Olin McDonald were held at the Christian Church, Monday afternoon. Business houses were closed during the hour in honor of the soldier who had died in the service of his country. The church was filled with friends and neighbors. The choir composed of Mesdames Reid, Hedlund, Harris, Willison, Francis and Curry sang so sweetly as the casket covered with the beautiful flag and many lovely flowers was carried into the church, and also sang during the service. Rev. Coffey made an earnest prayer, and paid a grand tribute to the christian young man who volunteered in the beginning of the war, that our interests and our country would be safe guarded. The interment was made by his mother's grave in the Thompson cemetery northeast of Elk City. Geo. Grubitz being in charge. A large crowd was present from the neighborhood where he had lived in his young manhood days. He grave was covered with flowers. Henry Olin McDonald, son of D. P. and Sarah E. McDonald was born September 9th, 1887, in Ray County, Mo., died at 7:30 November 11th, 1918, at the Navy Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, aged 31 years, 2 months and 2 days. In the year 1896 he came to Oklahoma with his parents and settled with them on a homestead seven and a half miles northeast of Elk City. Three years later his mother died. At the age of fifteen he united with the M. E. Church South, and later transferred his membership to the Church of Christ. He belonged to the Marines, having volunteered in California at the beginning of the war and was with the 90th Company, 7th Regiment. He liked the Marine, and he said, "The corps has the name of being the finest trained body of men in the world and every man who belongs to it, deep in his heart is proud of the traditions he has the honor to uphold. It is no snap, if it was it would be no good. Our work takes us away from home and country into the tropics and the uncivilized where war isn't all we have to fear. Yet every man is glad he is a marine, if he is a man, and Uncle Sam is proud he has such a corps." Olin, as he was called by his intimate friends, was an exceptionally bright young man, of pleasing personality and had a host of friends wherever he went. He left Elk City about five years ago for the west and often wrote that when the war was over the west was the home for him. Soon after he enlisted he wrote in one of his letters: "Everyone is cheerful and we go after our work like it was something good to eat for we realize that it is business and requires our close attention, and study for success and we mean to succeed. All of us know that Kaiser Bill has met his Waterloo, but that he won't sink of his own account, but will allow us the pleasure of pushing him under." Olin was always sending kind messages home, and last Christmas while in Cuba he remembered so many, and in writing said: "Seems while I am far away, I am yet nearer you folks than ever and I find it did me much good to have Christmas come even if it seems like the Fourth of July." He was so pleased over presents sent him from home. He was also very humorous in his writings. In a letter written the 15th of April, he said that life in Cuba was going on about the same only the rainy season seemed to be in full swing and the mosquito families from the four corners were holding a reunion somewhere near their camp and were using them for their personal supply base. About the mosquitos he said: "When it comes to looking out for themselves, they are about the most energetic race of big fellows I have met. But for being congenial one cannot beat them. Always ready to sing for or dine with us, and they would never think of leaving us when on a hike or allowing one to become lonesome during the hours of evening, and one thing that puzzles me is how they can be so industrious and lose so much sleep. I hope their next convention will be held in Berlin." He was taken sick while in Cuba and had trouble with one of his arms, which seemed to be withering away. He was sent to New York City, August 14th and they felt encouraged that he would get along all right. The Board was to have made a disposition of his case last Friday, whether he was to be discharged. He became sick with influenza and in his thoughtfulness he sent a telegram to his father telling him not to worry that he was getting along all right. Later pneumonia set in and he only lived a short time. Olin is survived by his father, sister, Mrs. George Thompson, northeast of Elk City and brother, Robert McDonald of Oklahoma City, also his stepmother, whom he loved and a little baby sister, Leta Arline, whom he had never seen. D. P. McDonald received a message that his son Henry O. McDonald had died November 11th from pneumonia following influenza. He was at the Naval Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y. The deceased was thirty-one years old the 9th of last September. He had been in Cuba for sometime and became ill and was returned to the United States for treatment, as our readers will remember, he told it in extracts from letters he had written to his parents, which were published in the News-Democrat. He belonged to the Marines, having volunteered in California at the beginning of the war and was with the 7th Regiment, Company 90th. The remains are expected Saturday or Sunday and interment will be made at the Thompson cemetery eight miles northeast of Elk City by the side of his mother who died in 1901. --------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.html