Joseph F. Malecek (Malacek) December 6, 1894 – November 6, 1918
Last Letter By Soldier Joseph Malacek (Malecek) Writes Home While in Hospital Shortly Before Death Calls Him
New Mexico,
Oct. 30, 1918
Dearest Mary:
How are you all
getting along? Well, we are on the place now. We came here Monday evening, and
I got sick and they took me in the hospital. I am getting better now. I guess
that I got sick from riding on the train.
We were on the
train four nights and four days, and we never get of the train until we get up
here.
I didn’t get my
soldier’s suit yet, and don’t think I’ll get it this week. Must tell you that
here is nothing but stand all over, when I came up they sent me in the tent and
there was about two inched of sand on the bed. When there is little wind it looks
like a snow storm.
But it is nice
and warm outside, the sun is so hot.
I get five more
blankets besides mine. We don’t see any birds or houses around here. It seems
so lonesome up here.
But they said
that they will send all the farm boys home in the spring to put in the crops,
and they said that we will never get in to France.
We get this
paper for nothing up here. But we have to buy our stamps. I ain’t got any just
now and I don’t know where to get them.
We couldn’t
mail them so we always gave them to some of the men in town.
Well, I guess
this will be all for to day, I feel so lonesome after you, dear friend. I don’t
know how I will stand it here before spring.
Must tell you
yet that the last two days when we were anything but sand, and big hills. Some
of them were about one mile high or more.
Well, I will
try to write you more when I will feel little better so give my best regards to
all. So bye bye.
From as ever
your friend, Joseph
This is my
address, Jos. J. Malecek, Camp Cody, N.M.,
Company 15
Harry E. McKibben October 24, 1880 – June 22, 1972
Dear Mr. and
Mrs. Chas. Whitney:
Your letter
received describing your trip to Pine City; how I would like to have been
along. I am returning the picture of the fawn immediately, as it’s so easy to loose
things here unless you have them on your back. I have been traveling some since
I last saw you.
France is a
beautiful country and I’ve traveled almost the entire length of it. We reached
this place a couple of days ago. The climate is fine, almost the same latitude
as where I was in the states, but we don’t have the excessive heat that we had
there and the nights are nice and cool. The Gulf Stream may be all right but
I’m not struck on it for we nearly suffocated until we hit the cool part. I’m
still at the same work with the same train but now that we are settled I may be
given some other work as we are permanently located here for a time at least.
I took a couple
of my boys and went for a hike up into the mountains. The lower part of the
Alps come down here and we climbed to the top and look around. On the way up we
picked grapes, figs, apples and olives. This is a great grape country and the
only way they have of saving them is to make them into wine and the people here
drink very little of anything else. Some of our boys are trying to keep some of
it from spoiling but the effect is such that they “go easy” on it as yet. After
we first landed here we were given a week’s rest, we certainly needed it, then
we traveled the length of France, crossing the Pyraneese Mountains. It was a
pretty sight to look down from the heights and see the little plots all walled
in and hedged in like gardens at home. There is a large cathedral here located
on a high bluff over looking the sea. They say it is encircled with small ships
made by and presented by sailors on their trips here, which at the time was
used as a lighthouse.
I am not struck
on either the French or Italian people, as we have and equal amount here; so I
can safely say that when this affair is settled I’m going be to the States.
This has been a
great trip and a beautiful country and a sight to see the way the people live
here. Yet I see nothing that would ever induce me to live here. Every home has
its wine cellar and you can buy all kinds of wine from the light grape juice to
the strong whiskey. They say one is enough. I haven’t tasted it yet. The little
boys (while yet in dresses) are begging cigarettes from the boys.
Guess I’ll pass
up my deer hunt this fall, this is far more exciting. Have you done any duck
hunting this fall? Got a letter from father today and he didn’t mention
hunting.
Hope I get some
home papers soon. Tell everyone to write and give them my address and see that
the paper is sent to me.
Sincerely, Lieut.
Harry E. McKibben, Motor Supply Train 420, A.P.O. 752, American Ex. Forces
Mr. and Mrs. N.
J. Martin were on Tuesday greatly relieved of anxiety when they received a
letter from their son, Bert, who several weeks ago was reported as missing in
action, the letter stating that he was in a hospital, having been wounded in
the left leg. The letter follows:
Somewhere in
France, Oct. 21, 1918
Dear Mother,
I will drop you
a few lines and let you know that I am feeling pretty good. I hope you folks
are the same. I suppose you are rather busy now. The weather is fine here.
I am having a
good time. Am in the hospital as I got wounded in the left leg but it isn’t
bad.
Henry sent me
the picture of Stanley. He is some man now.
Will close for
this time as news is scarce here, but will do better next time.
From your
loving son, Bert M. Martin, Co. K. 131 U.S. Inf., France
P.S. Don’t
worry about me. I will be all right in a short while. Greet all the folks
around Franklin.
Henry
Bleick and Joseph Graml of Cairo Arrested on Bench Warrants
Flag Kissin Exercise Here — Both
Pay Fines and Subscribe for Liberty Bonds and to Red Cross
Henry Bleick
and Joseph Graml, Liberty Bond slackers of Fairfax, were arrested on a bench
warrant issued by Judy Daly last week and brought into court. Bleick had been
allotted $800 in bonds, and Graml $350. They refused to subscribe and were
advised by Chairman T. O’Connor of the Safety Commission to appear before him.
They failed to appear and on October 25th a summons was issued out of District
Court for their appearance on October 29th. They failed to obey the
summons and a bench warrant was issues and they were arrested for contempt of
court. Sheriff Sunde brought them here last Wednesday and as soon as the
sheriff reached town a crowd gathered and without much excitement, got the
prisoners away from the officers, making the slackers kneel and kiss the flag
and then march to the jail, each carrying high above his head the flag.
Next day the
two men were taken before Judge Daly at Renville where an adjustment of the
matter was made by Bleick subscribing for $1500 in bonds, donating $100 to the
Red Cross and a like amount to the War Work fund, and paying $109.54 cents in
fine and costs. Graml subscribed for $750 in bonds, paid $75 to the Red Cross,
and $50 to the War Work fund and paid a fine of $109.54.
Wilbert G. Lammers March 1, 1892 – February 8, 1948
Word From Wilbur Lammers Tells of Wound by Machine Gun Bullet
Chas. Lammers received a letter from his son, Wilbur (Wilbert), yesterday stating that he had been wounded. Wilbur does not go into details regarding his injury, any more than to say that he received a machine bullet in the soft part of his right foot, below the ankle. He hopes for and expects a speedy recovery and says that he will soon be able to get around again. The letter was written October 18 and as his previous letter was written October 12, in which no mention was made of an injury it is presumed that he was hurt some time between the 12th and 18th.
Last Updated: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter from Joseph Malacek, Olivia Times, 11-28-1918
December 6, 1894 – November 6, 1918
Last Letter By Soldier Joseph Malacek (Malecek) Writes Home While in Hospital Shortly Before Death Calls Him
New Mexico, Oct. 30, 1918
Dearest Mary:
How are you all getting along? Well, we are on the place now. We came here Monday evening, and I got sick and they took me in the hospital. I am getting better now. I guess that I got sick from riding on the train.
We were on the train four nights and four days, and we never get of the train until we get up here.
I didn’t get my soldier’s suit yet, and don’t think I’ll get it this week. Must tell you that here is nothing but stand all over, when I came up they sent me in the tent and there was about two inched of sand on the bed. When there is little wind it looks like a snow storm.
But it is nice and warm outside, the sun is so hot.
I get five more blankets besides mine. We don’t see any birds or houses around here. It seems so lonesome up here.
But they said that they will send all the farm boys home in the spring to put in the crops, and they said that we will never get in to France.
We get this paper for nothing up here. But we have to buy our stamps. I ain’t got any just now and I don’t know where to get them.
We couldn’t mail them so we always gave them to some of the men in town.
Well, I guess this will be all for to day, I feel so lonesome after you, dear friend. I don’t know how I will stand it here before spring.
Must tell you yet that the last two days when we were anything but sand, and big hills. Some of them were about one mile high or more.
Well, I will try to write you more when I will feel little better so give my best regards to all. So bye bye.
From as ever your friend, Joseph
This is my address, Jos. J. Malecek, Camp Cody, N.M., Company 15
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Last Updated: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Letter From Harry E McKibben, Hector Mirror, 11-28-1918
October 24, 1880 – June 22, 1972
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Whitney:
Your letter received describing your trip to Pine City; how I would like to have been along. I am returning the picture of the fawn immediately, as it’s so easy to loose things here unless you have them on your back. I have been traveling some since I last saw you.
France is a beautiful country and I’ve traveled almost the entire length of it. We reached this place a couple of days ago. The climate is fine, almost the same latitude as where I was in the states, but we don’t have the excessive heat that we had there and the nights are nice and cool. The Gulf Stream may be all right but I’m not struck on it for we nearly suffocated until we hit the cool part. I’m still at the same work with the same train but now that we are settled I may be given some other work as we are permanently located here for a time at least.
I took a couple of my boys and went for a hike up into the mountains. The lower part of the Alps come down here and we climbed to the top and look around. On the way up we picked grapes, figs, apples and olives. This is a great grape country and the only way they have of saving them is to make them into wine and the people here drink very little of anything else. Some of our boys are trying to keep some of it from spoiling but the effect is such that they “go easy” on it as yet. After we first landed here we were given a week’s rest, we certainly needed it, then we traveled the length of France, crossing the Pyraneese Mountains. It was a pretty sight to look down from the heights and see the little plots all walled in and hedged in like gardens at home. There is a large cathedral here located on a high bluff over looking the sea. They say it is encircled with small ships made by and presented by sailors on their trips here, which at the time was used as a lighthouse.
I am not struck on either the French or Italian people, as we have and equal amount here; so I can safely say that when this affair is settled I’m going be to the States.
This has been a great trip and a beautiful country and a sight to see the way the people live here. Yet I see nothing that would ever induce me to live here. Every home has its wine cellar and you can buy all kinds of wine from the light grape juice to the strong whiskey. They say one is enough. I haven’t tasted it yet. The little boys (while yet in dresses) are begging cigarettes from the boys.
Guess I’ll pass up my deer hunt this fall, this is far more exciting. Have you done any duck hunting this fall? Got a letter from father today and he didn’t mention hunting.
Hope I get some home papers soon. Tell everyone to write and give them my address and see that the paper is sent to me.
Sincerely, Lieut. Harry E. McKibben, Motor Supply Train 420, A.P.O. 752, American Ex. Forces
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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Bert Martin Writes, Franklin Tribune, 11-28-1918
March 5, 1896 – November 21, 1976
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Martin were on Tuesday greatly relieved of anxiety when they received a letter from their son, Bert, who several weeks ago was reported as missing in action, the letter stating that he was in a hospital, having been wounded in the left leg. The letter follows:
Somewhere in France, Oct. 21, 1918
Dear Mother,
I will drop you a few lines and let you know that I am feeling pretty good. I hope you folks are the same. I suppose you are rather busy now. The weather is fine here.
I am having a good time. Am in the hospital as I got wounded in the left leg but it isn’t bad.
Henry sent me the picture of Stanley. He is some man now.
Will close for this time as news is scarce here, but will do better next time.
From your loving son, Bert M. Martin, Co. K. 131 U.S. Inf., France
P.S. Don’t worry about me. I will be all right in a short while. Greet all the folks around Franklin.
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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Bond Slackers Are Penalized, Olivia Times, 11-18-1918
Henry Bleick and Joseph Graml of Cairo Arrested on Bench Warrants
Flag Kissin Exercise Here — Both Pay Fines and Subscribe for Liberty Bonds and to Red Cross
Henry Bleick and Joseph Graml, Liberty Bond slackers of Fairfax, were arrested on a bench warrant issued by Judy Daly last week and brought into court. Bleick had been allotted $800 in bonds, and Graml $350. They refused to subscribe and were advised by Chairman T. O’Connor of the Safety Commission to appear before him. They failed to appear and on October 25th a summons was issued out of District Court for their appearance on October 29th. They failed to obey the summons and a bench warrant was issues and they were arrested for contempt of court. Sheriff Sunde brought them here last Wednesday and as soon as the sheriff reached town a crowd gathered and without much excitement, got the prisoners away from the officers, making the slackers kneel and kiss the flag and then march to the jail, each carrying high above his head the flag.
Next day the two men were taken before Judge Daly at Renville where an adjustment of the matter was made by Bleick subscribing for $1500 in bonds, donating $100 to the Red Cross and a like amount to the War Work fund, and paying $109.54 cents in fine and costs. Graml subscribed for $750 in bonds, paid $75 to the Red Cross, and $50 to the War Work fund and paid a fine of $109.54.
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Posted: February 21, 2019 by Renville County Historical Society Leave a Comment
Fairfax Boy Gets Bullet in Foot, Fairfax Standard 11-14-1918
March 1, 1892 – February 8, 1948
Word From Wilbur Lammers Tells of Wound by Machine Gun Bullet
Chas. Lammers received a letter from his son, Wilbur (Wilbert), yesterday stating that he had been wounded. Wilbur does not go into details regarding his injury, any more than to say that he received a machine bullet in the soft part of his right foot, below the ankle. He hopes for and expects a speedy recovery and says that he will soon be able to get around again. The letter was written October 18 and as his previous letter was written October 12, in which no mention was made of an injury it is presumed that he was hurt some time between the 12th and 18th.
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