World War I Deaths - Boone County, Indiana
 

A record of men and women from Boone County, Indiana who died in World War I, 1914-1918. This database contains information about those brave men and women from Boone County who died in World War I. The database includes, wherever possible, name, rank, birth date and place, parents' names, place living at time of entry into service, service record (abbreviated version), occupation, place and date of death, place of burial, cause of death, and other valuable information. The Indiana Historical Commission created the larger work for the state of Indiana shortly after World War I ended. Information in this database should prove useful to those seeking information about relatives from Boone County who fought and died in World War I.

Source Citation: Stover, T., comp., World War I Deaths - Boone County, Indiana [database online] Boone County Genealogy, INGenWeb. 2007. <https://sites.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Indiana Historical Commission. Indiana World War Records: "Gold Star Honor Roll, A Record of Indiana Men and Women who died in the service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War, 1914-1918." Indianapolis, IN, USA: Indiana Historical Commission, 1921.
 

Name: John L. Brindle
Rank: Corporal
Son of Livings H. (deceased) and Georgietta Brindle; born November 11, 1886, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service September 23, 1917, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. Embarked from Camp Merritt, N. J., April 9, 1918; assigned to Battery E, 15th Field Artillery, 2nd Division. Fought at Chateau-Thierry, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Champagne, Mont Blanc Ridge. Killed in action October 5, 1918, near Somme-Py. Awarded Croix de Guerre (posthumously) for bravery in action.

Name: Clarence Emmett Brown
Rank: Corporal
Son of Seth and Jane Brown (deceased); born July 10, 1895, near Mechanicsburg, Boone County, Ind. Painter. Entered service February 28, 1918, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Camp Greene, S. C. Overseas in May, 1918; assigned to Company I, 39th Infantry, 4th Division. Wounded July 19, and died July 23, 1918, in Evacuation Hospital, No. 18. Survived by widow, Effie Padgett Brown, Lebanon, Ind. The Emmett Brown Post of the American Legion in Lebanon is named in his honor.

Name: Herdis Brown
Rank: Private
Son of Tilman E. and Mary J. Brown; born June 13, 1891, Putnam County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service July 19, 1918, Lebanon, Ind. Assigned to Vocational Training School, No. 2, Indianapolis, for mechanical training. Died of influenzapneumonia October 7, 1918, Indianapolis, Ind. Buried in Old Union Cemetery, Jackson Township, Boone County, Ind. Survived by widow, Blanche Bernice Brown, Greencastle, Ind.

Name: Arthur Raymond Caldwell
Rank: Private
Son of Ora D. and Ella May Caldwell; born July 21, 1896, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered Service January 1, 1918. Sent to Ft. Thomas, Ky.; assigned to 428th Squadron, 22nd Company Aviation Service. Transferred to Moultrieville, S. C. Then to Camp Eustis, Va.; assigned to Headquarters Company, 45th Regiment, Coast Artillery; thence to Headquarters Company, 37th Coast Artillery. Died of influenza October 12, 1918, Camp Eustis, Va. Buried in Lutheran Cemetery, Whitestown, Ind.

Name: Omer James Coffman
Rank: Private
Son of Andrew (deceased) and Flora Coffman; born January 10, 1892, Thorntown, Boone County, Ind. Enlisted in U.S. Regular Army August 10, 1913, in Indianapolis; assigned to Company E, 26th Infantry. Served under Pershing on the Mexican Border. Overseas in June, 1917, with 26th Infantry, 1st Division. Participated in battles of Toul, Picardy, Chaumont, Montdidier, Cantigny, Chateau-Thierry, Soissons. Killed in action July 20, 1918, St. Mihiel Sector. (Burial place unknown.)

Name: Raymond William Combs
Rank: Private
Son of Jonathan B. and Anna Sparks Combs; born December 1, 1894, Hamilton County, Ind. Living in Zionsville, Boone County, Ind., when he enlisted in U.S. Regular Army December 23, 1915, Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Sent to Ft. Ward, Wash. Enlisted in Canadian Expeditionary Forces; assigned to 10th Trench Mortar Battery, 47th Battalion, 4th Division. Overseas in October, 1916. Received baptism of fire several times in front line trenches. Killed in action January 20, 1917. Buried in Military Cemetery, Vellers-au-Bois, France.

Name: Grace Copeland
Rank: Army Nurse
Daughter of Taylor S. and Martha E. Copeland (deceased); born August 19, 1890, Boone County, Ind. Graduated from Indianapolis City Hospital in 1917. Enlisted as Army Nurse July 18, 1918, Indianapolis. Assigned to Base Hospital, Camp Wadsworth, S. C.; then to Hotel Holley, N. Y. Overseas in September, 1918, with Base Hospital No. 68. Died of meningitis September 30, 1918, in U.S. Base Hospital, Portsmouth, England. Buried in Magdalen Hill Cemetery, Winchester, England. Body later returned to U.S. and buried in Lebanon, Ind.

Name: Joseph Rastus Gregg
Rank: Private
Foster-son of Joseph R. and Melvina Gregg; born December 25, 1901 in Cocke County, Tenn. Enlisted in Company H, 2nd Infantry, Indiana National Guard (152nd Infantry) June 18, 1917, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Camp Shelby, Miss. Went overseas in June, 1918; assigned to Company A, 4th Infantry. Participated in Second Battle of Marne, and the Argonne Forest. Killed in action October 21, 1918. (Place unknown).

Name: Leon L. Hardesty
Rank: Private
Son of Charles and Blanche Colgrove Hardesty; born March 15, 1901, Lebanon, Ind. Farmer. Enlisted in U.S. Regular Army May 6, 1917, and was sent to Ft. Thomas, Ky. Transferred to Eagle Pass, Tex.; assigned to Machine Gun Company, 3rd Infantry. Died "from accidental causes", September 18, 1917, Eagle Pass, Tex. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Ind.

Name: Ernest Erastus Harshbarger
Rank: Private, S.A.T.C.
Son of Arlando Leotus and Sarah A. Harshbarger; born January 5, 1894, Worth Township, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service July 1, 1918, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Valparaiso University for special training; transferred to the University of Michigan; assigned to 4th Company, Student Army Training Corps. Died of influenza October 19, 1918, in St. Joseph Hospital, Ann Arbor, Mich. Buried in Mounts Run Cemetery, Union Township, Boone County, Ind.

Name: Mason B. Hittle
Rank: Apprentice Seaman
Son of Lawrence and Mary A. Hittle; born September 9, 1900, Boone County, Ind. Student. Entered U.S. Naval Reserve Force August 14, 1918, Indianapolis, Ind. Sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, Ill. Died of bronichal [sic] pneumonia, following influenza, September 15, 1918, Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Buried in the West Side Cemetery, Milton, Ind.

Name: Loring Eugene Imbler
Rank: Cadet, Signal Corps
Son of Samuel and Ora E. Imbler; born June 15, 1896, Zionsville, Ind. Laborer. Enlisted in U.S. Air Service October 30, 1917, Indianapolis, Ind. Sent to Ft. Thomas, Ky.; thence to Kelly Field, Tex., and later to Garden City, N.Y.; assigned to 245th Aero Squadron. Overseas in January, 1918. Joined the 135th Aero Squadron in England. After four months of active service in France, he contracted influenza, and died October 29, 1918, Toul, France.

Name: Chester Pleasant Kimble
Rank: Private
Son of William B. and Alice Kimble; born April 9, 1890, Terhune, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service September 3, 1918, Lebanon, Ind., and was sent to Camp Grant, Ill. Assigned to Company G, 5th Limited Service Regiment. Transferred to Camp Hancock, Ga.; assigned to 19th Company, Machine Gun Detachment. Died of pneumonia October 13, 1918, in Base Hospital, Camp Hancock, Ga. Buried in Crown View Cemetery, Sheridan, Ind.

Name: Bernard Earl King
Rank: Fireman, 1st Class
Son of Newton J. and Mary E. King; born February 23, 1891, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Enlisted in U.S. Navy July 23, 1917. Sent to Norfolk, Va. Promoted to 1st class fireman. Overseas in August, 1918. Died of bronchial pneumonia, October 4, 1918, on board U.S.S. Nicholson in foreign waters. His body was returned to the United States, and buried in Crown View Cemetery, near Sheridan, Ind.

Name: Gail Bryan Lucas
Rank: Private
Son of Lafayette and Lena Lottie Lucas; born October 12, 1896, near Advance, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service September 3, 1918, Lebanon, Ind., and was sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. Assigned to 16th Company, 4th Training Battalion, 159th Depot Brigade. Transferred to Camp Knox, Ky.; assigned to Battery A, 67th Field Artillery. Died of influenza-pneumonia October 13, 1918, Camp Taylor, Ky. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Ind.

Name: Elbert Franklin Mills
Rank: Private
Son of Thomas and Alice Mills; born January 12, 1893, Zionsville, Boone County, Ind. Stone worker. Entered service April 27, 1918, Elk Point, S. D. Sent to Camp Funston, Kan.; assigned to Company K, 355th Infantry, 89th Division. Transferred to Camp Mills, N. Y., and went overseas in June, 1918. Killed in action September 12, 1918. Survived by widow, Olive Mills, and one son, Elbert Alexander Mills, Sioux City, Ia.

Name: Edgar Evert Myers
Rank: Private
Son of George Milford and Carrie Myers; born February 25, 1893, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service July 22, 1918, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Camp Taylor, Ky.; assigned to 17th Company, 5th Training Battalion, 159th Depot Brigade. Transferred to 1st Company, Development Battalion; later to 7th Regiment Infirmary. Died of pneumonia October 8, 1918, Camp Taylor, Ky. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, near Boone-Clinton County line.

Name: Ogle Dallas Nance
Rank: Private
Son of Felix and Ida May Nance; born May 14, 1895, near Lebanon, Ind. Farmer. Entered service July 22, 1908, Lebanon, Ind. Sent to Camp Taylor, Ky.; assigned to Battery C, 36th Field Artillery. Transferred to Camp McClellan, Ala. While home on a furlough, attending the burial of his wife, Margaret Eastburn Nance, in Sheldon, Ill., he was stricken with influenza, and died October 21, 1918. Buried by the side of his wife, near Sheldon, Ill. Survived by son, Kenneth Eastburn Nance.

Name: Francis William Neidlinger
Rank: Private
Son of Lewis M. and Anna E. Neidlinger; born January 6, 1898, New Augusta, Ind. Employee of Pitman-Moore Company, Zionsville, Ind. Enlisted in U.S. Regular Army August 6, 1917, Indianapolis. Sent to Camp Grant, Ill.; assigned to Ambulance Corps, No. 341. Transferred to Company G, 342nd Infantry, 86th Division. Overseas in September, 1918; transferred to Company L, 56th Infantry. Killed in action November 7, 1918, Preney Ridge. Survived by widow, Hazel M. Neidlinger, Indianapolis, Ind.

Name: Albert Noel Nelson
Rank: Private
Son of Lloyd T. (deceased) and Florence Alexander Nelson; born May 21, 1897, Lebanon, Ind. While a student in Swarthmore College, Pa., he withdrew at the close of his Junior year and was admitted to the Central Officers Training School, Camp Taylor, Ky., August 29, 1918. Assigned to 12th Training Battery. Died of pneumonia October 13, 1918, Base Hospital, Camp Taylor, Ky. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Ind.

Name: Bert A. Nicely
Rank: Private
Son of David and Candis Nicely; born December 13, 1896, Advance, Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Enlisted in Company L, Indiana National Guard, June 22, 1916, Lebanon, Ind. Served on Mexican Border in summer of 1916. Re-enlisted, and was sent to Camp Shelby, Miss. Overseas in June, 1918; assigned to Company C, 168th Infantry, Forty-second (Rainbow) Division. Killed in action October 16, 1918. Buried in Commune of Exermont, Grave No. 2. The American Legion Post No. 201, Jamestown, Ind., is named in his honor.

Name: Virgil B. Surber
Rank: Private
Son of William Henry and Emma Rilis Surber; born December 20, 1895, in Pulaski County, Ky. Since 1912 had been working on a farm in Boone County, Ind. Called into service July 22, 1918, Lebanon, Ind., and was sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. Assigned to 17th Company, 5th Battalion, 159th Depot Brigade. Later transferred to Camp McClellan, Ala.; assigned to Battery F, 36th Field Artillery. Died of pneumonia October 25, 1918, Camp McClellan, Ala. Buried in Freedom Cemetery, Pulaski County, Ky.

Name: Jacob Ralph Witt
Rank: U.S. Navy
Son of Wallace and Ida Witt; born April 16, 1896, in Boone County, Ind. Farmer. Entered service June 7, 1918, Indianapolis, Ind. Sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, Ill.; assigned to Radio Branch of U.S. Navy. Contracted influenza, and died October 28, 1918, in Base Hospital, Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Buried in Bethel Cemetery, near Lebanon, Ind.