EDITOR’S NOTE: 2017 is the 100th year commemoration of WWI. As part of that observation, the Bay City Sentinel will run the stories of Matagorda County’s casualties in the ‘War to End All Wars,” as well as related local pieces of that time, through the month of June.
Private First Class Joe Warren Barlow
U.S. Army
November 5, 1898 – October 15, 1918
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery
Belleau, France
Gold Star Mother
Elizabeth Till [Burkett] Barlow
Private First Class Joe Warren Barlow [November 5, 1898 – October 15, 1918] was born to Andrew Jackson Barlow [August 29, 1859 – March 18, 1929] and Elizabeth Till Burkett Barlow [October 18, 1859 – June 7, 1925] at Sabine Parish, Louisiana.
He died from combat wounds he received in France during WWI and was attached to 144th Infantry Regiment, 36th Division (Texas T Patch).
He is buried at: Plot B, Row 1, Grave 49, Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, France.
Besides his parents, he was survived by seven brothers and three sisters.
As best as can be determined from available records, his family was living in Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas when he enlisted and in Mabank when he died.
His parents are buried at Elm Grove Cemetery, Van Zandt County, Texas.
Private Lenard* Ernest Blackburn
U. S. Army
March 9, 1891 - December 15, 1917
Hawley Cemetery
Blessing, Matagorda County
Gold Star Mother
Octavia Ellen [Taylor] Blackburn
Private Lenard Ernest Blackburn [March 9, 1891 - December 15, 1917] was born to John Edward Blackburn [May 28, 1857 - April 9, 1934] and Ellen (Taylor) Blackburn [December 15, 1861 - February 18, 1934] at La Grange, Fayette County, Texas.
He died from Pneumonia (lobar) acute, right lower lobe [probable Spanish Flu] at the Base Hospital, Camp Travis, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.
He was attached to Battery C, 344th Field Artillery, 36th (T Patch) Division. He is buried at Hawley Cemetery, Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas. Besides his parents he was survived by three brothers and three sisters.
As best as can be determined from available records his family was living at Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas when he joined the Army and when he died. Later they moved to Markham, Texas. He gave his occupation as farmer on his draft registration card. His parents are buried at Hawley Cemetery near him.
* Various spellings have been found in the assembled records for his first name: Lenard, Leonard and Lennard.
Private William Ernest Downer
U. S. Army
November 6, 1893 - October 15, 1918
Hawley Cemetery
Blessing, Matagorda County
Gold Star Mother
Fannie [Atkins] Downer
Private William Ernest Downer [November 6, 1893 - October 15, 1918] was born to William Downer [June 6, 1860 - April 10, 1948] and Fannie (Atkins) Downer [December 8, 1857 - January 1, 1947] who immigrated from England in 1883. He was born at Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas.
He died from Broncho-Pneumonia [probable Spanish Flu] at the Base Hospital Camp Travis, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. He was attached to 27th Company, 7th Battalion, 165th Depot Brigade, 36th (T Patch) Division.
He is buried at Hawley Cemetery, Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas. Besides his parents he was survived by one brother and four sisters.
As best as can be determined from available records his family was living at Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas when he joined the Army and when he died.
He gave his occupation as farmer on his draft registration card. His parents are buried near him at Hawley Cemetery.
Private John Ervin Fisher
U.S. Army
October 23, 1888 - October 13, 1917
Cedarvale Cemetery
Bay City, Matagorda County
Gold Star Mother
Sallie [Smith] Fisher
Private John Ervin Fisher [October 23, 1888 - October 13, 1917] was born to Sidney Joshua** Fisher [April 5, 1862 - June 3, 1925] and Sallie (Smith) Fisher [November 4, 1868 - February 5, 1942] at Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas.
He died from Pneumonia, (lobar), acute, left lower lobe [probable Spanish Flu] at the Base Hospital No. 1, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. He was attached to Supply Company, 360th Infantry, 36th (T Patch) Division.
He is buried in a lost grave at Cedarvale Cemetery, Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas.
A memorial marker is placed at the foot of his mother’s grave. Besides his parents it is not known if he had any siblings. As best as can be determined his family was living in Bay City when he enlisted and when he died.
He gave his occupation as farmer on his draft registration card.
His parents are buried at Cedarvale Cemetery (father’s grave also lost).
Wagoner Cyrille Marion Foisy
U. S. Army
December 11, 1893 - February 8, 1919
Palacios Cemetery
Palacios, Matagorda County
Gold Star Step-Mother
Alice Duffy Foisy
Wagoner Cyrille Marion Foisy [December 11, 1893 – February 8, 1919] was born to Alfred Fred Foisy [July 20, 1865 – January 22, 1935] and Louisa Bernard Foisy [March 3, 1864 - January 10, 1896] at Jefferson, Union County, South Dakota.
He died in an accident at [Bellingen] Germany. He was attached to Supply Company, 360th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division, Army of Occupation of Germany.
He was first buried in France, then in November 1920 he was returned to Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas for burial.
Prior to serving in the Army of Occupation his unit fought at St. Mihiel and Argonne France and Rhine, Germany. The 90th Division (Texas and Oklahoma) nicknamed the Tough Ombres (T – Texas & O – Oklahoma) trained at Camp Travis in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Besides his father, he was survived by sister, Eugenia Wenell and brothers, Ernest, Oscar, Ignac and Napolean.
As best as can be determined from available records his family was living in Palacios at the time he enlisted and when he died. Cyrille’s mother, Louisa, died on January 10, 1896 and his father married Alice Duffy on March 2, 1897.
Alice is considered a gold star mother since she reared Cyrille from the age of three until her death July 7, 1910.
His father died on January 22, 1935. They are all buried at the Palacios Cemetery in Section 4, Row .
Private George W. Hawk
U.S. Army
October 30, 1887 - November 1, 1918
Hawley Cemetery
Blessing, Matagorda County
Gold Star Mother
Martha Jane (Hess) Hawk
Private George W[ashington] Hawk [October 30, 1887 - November 1, 1918] was born to Joseph Washington Hawk [May 16, 1858 - October 11, 1935] and Martha Jane (Hess) Hawk [May 7, 1859 - December 12, 1936] near Kirwin, Phillips County, Kansas.
He and his family lived here until 1908 at which time they moved to Clemville, Matagorda County, Texas.
When he completed his WWI Draft Registration card on June 5, 1917 he was doing road construction work in Elliott Township, Sanborn County, South Dakota.
It has not been determined when he joined the Army, but it is known he was attached to Company G, 355th Infantry Regiment, 178th Infantry Brigade, 89th “Middle West” Division. The division first mustered at Fort Funston, Kansas in August 1917.
Movement of all units to overseas commenced on May 21, 1918 and was completed by July 8, 1918. Most of the units attached to the 89th Division participated in the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Lorraine Campaigns in France as part of the U.S. First Army.
George died from combat wounds on November 1, 1918 - the geographic location where he was wounded or the date he was wounded are not known. His unit was participating in combat near Barricourt Heights, France in the Meuse-Argonne offensive on the day of his death.
He was interred at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, which had been established on October 14, 1918 and would eventually be 130 ½ acres in extent.
His remains were repatriated back to the United States at his family’s request and he was re-interred at Hawley Cemetery, Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas.
At the time of his death his family was living at Clemville and he was survived by his parents, brothers: John W., Charles E. and Joseph Hesacar Hawk, sisters: Hattie, Edith and Rose (Rosie) Hawk.
Private First Class Leo Francis Kelly
U.S. Army
November 9, 1893 – September 29, 1918
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery
Romagne, France
Gold Star Mother
Caroline “Carrie” [Wallace] Kelly
Private First Class Leo Francis Kelly [November 9, 1893 – September 29, 1918] was born to Michael Edward Kelly [August 16, 1864 – May 25, 1933] and Carrie [Wallace] Kelly [May 10, 1863 – May 24, 1946] at Emmett, Pottawatomie County, Kansas.
He was attached to the 69th Infantry Brigade, 129th Machine Gun Battalion, 35th Division – the Santa Fe Division.
On September 29, 1918 he was killed in Action by a high explosive shell and was temporarily interred in a battlefield cemetery on Chadron Farm approximately 2 kilometers (approx. 1.2 miles) East of the village of Exermont; his grave was in Plot A, number 25.
After his family declined to have his remains repatriated to the United States he was disinterred from Chadron Farm on May 2, 1919 and transferred to the new American War Cemetery that was being developed a few miles away at Romagne-sous-Montfacom, which was named the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.
Initially this cemetery, which covers 130.5 acres, contained the remains of 25,000 American soldiers, today there are 14,246 graves. Leo’s grave is located in Plot B, Row 22, Grave 15.
Besides his parents, he was survived by four brothers, Henry, Joseph, Lawrence and Harrold and one sister, Monica.
His mother was the only Gold Star Mother from Matagorda County to make the Gold Star Pilgrimage to France in 1930. She sailed to France on the S. S. George Washington and returned to the United States on the SS Republic.
At the time of his enlistment and death, his family was living in Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas.
His parents are buried at Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas.
Messages which pass in a battle are always full of interest and significance. Often times they tell parts of the story better than a story can.
One such message came back from Montrebeau Wood on the afternoon of September 28, 1918, the location and day before PFC Kelly was Killed In Action:
From 1st Lt. Verne Breese, Co. D., 137 at North edge of Montrebeau Wood on the afternoon of Sept. 28:
12:10 p. m.
140th Inf. [not PFC Kelly’s Unit] being cut to pieces by German light artillery and Minnewerfers* coming from 3 sides. We must have barrage and counterbattery work or disaster will occur. What is left of 1st and 3rd bns. are here with some of the 138th. No communication with either right or left. Have dug in but being slaughtered by artillery.
*German mortar
From Vauquois Hill To Exermont
A History of the 35th DivisionBy Clair Kenamore 1919
