Compiled by Linda Balk, Research Librarian. Editor’s Note: The soldiers’ names in red have their local American Legion post named for them. We have not found any name on the Buffalo Lake Legion to date.
“Sixty-nine graves many of them in far off France, give silent testimony of the valor, courage and patriotism of Renville County soldiers. These graves may be seen, not in one section of the country, but all the way from Flanders Fields to Alsace-Lorraine. In them lie the remains of the young men of Renville County, who gave their lives on the altar of their country that the principles which gave this nation birth might not perish from the earth. At Chateau Thierry, in Artois, in the Argonne and along the Meuse these many brave young Americans paid the supreme sacrifice. They chose to risk all that we might be spared from a ruthless domination. The memory of the sacrifices will never cease as long as freedom reigns, and gratitude lives in the hears of the men and women of Renville County.” From the book Renville County in World War I: 1917, 1918, 1919.
The following is the list of World War I soldiers that were killed in action, died of wounds, or died of illness while serving their country in World War I. If you have information to add to this list please contact Nicole at the Museum 507-697-6147. We preserve the history of all our Renville County veterans and need your help to gather this information.
Bird Island: Thomas Francis Devaney died June 12, 1918 in France; Ray Franklin Lee died September 29, 1918 at Winnebago, IL; Helmuth A. Thomas died September 25, 1918 in France; Arthur Theodore Ledin died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Olaf Ytterboe died October 8, 1918 in France; Alfred Knutson died October 13, 1918 at Camp Grant.
Buffalo Lake: Herschel A. Ralston died May 27, 1918 Edgewater, Maryland; Paul R. Schuetz died October 16, 1918 in France; Peter A. Winkler died October 25, 1918 at Camp Grant.
Danube: Clarence Winnifred Lueck died September 13, 1918 in France; William Charles Manthei died October 5, 1918 in France; William Tolzman died October 6, 1918 at Camp Hancock.
Fairfax: William H. Bruggeman died September 16, 1918 in France; Charles Buehler died September 29, 1918 in France; Clarence Albert Buehler died October 5, 1918 in France; Otto Semerud died October 5, 1918 in Georgia; Calmer Melchar Carlson died October 9, 1918 in France; Raymond Arthur Mantel died October 17, 1918 in France.
Franklin: John Engen died November 17, 1917 at Camp Dodge; James C. Leary died January 4, 1918 at Camp Douglas; Maurice Henry Johnson died August 13, 1918 in France; Carl Joseph Martin died September 28, 1918 in France; Julius H. Jensen died October 5, 1918 in France.
Hector: Albert Beack died September 28, 1918 in France; William W. Prelvitz died September 29, 1918 in France; John Lawrence Thompson died September 30, 1918 in France; Arthur Beske died October 4, 1918 in France; Ernest Hilding Nelson died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Allen George Wenz died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Carl Orin Potter died October 8, 1918 in France; George Paul Arlt died October 9, 1918 in France; Vladimer Orlando Lindgren died October 17, 1918 at sea; Joseph Conrad Loftness died October 17, 1918 in France; Charles Leroy Nelson died October 21, 1918 at sea; Gerhard Hilding Hallquist died October 23, 1918 in France; William Edward Habel died November 28, 1918 at Camp Cody. Note Potter used Brookfield Township as his World War I registration.
Henryville Township: Joseph F. Malecek died November 6, 1918 at Camp Cody.
Morton: Oscar Alfred Wellnitz died December 22, 1917 at Camp Pike. Note Wellnitz used Birch Cooley Township for his World War I registration.
Norfolk Township: Alfred Clement Reger died September 26, 1918 in France.
Olivia: Samuel G. Erwin died December 20, 1917 at Camp Cody; James Vern Neuenburg died March 21, 1918 in Vancouver Barracks, WA; John Schanil died August 27, 1918 Jefferson Barracks, MO; William Erickson died September 14, 1918 in France; Charles Jakes died September 26, 1918 in France; Adolph Majxner died September 28, 1918 in France; Sidney Harrison Bergstrom died September 29, 1918 in France; Frank Charley Spevacek died October 16, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Thomas Flannigan died October 23, 1918 in France; Reuben Arthur Pfettscher died November 11, 1918 in France; Melvin Elmer Amundson died December 20, 1918 at Camp Cody. Editor’s Note: After World War II the Legion Club added Strom to their name.
Renville: Frederick Fess died September 19, 1917 at Camp Cody; Palmer Alexander Adwell died June 6, 1918 in France; William Henry Ashley died August 16, 1918 in France;Helmut Albert Goeltz died June 14, 1918 in France; Emil Hermann died September 27, 1918 in France; Dirk Tjepkema died October 3, 1918 at Camp Sheridan; Howard J. Youngs died October 4, 1918 in France; Dick W. Bakker died October 5, 1918 in France; Howard McBroom died October 5, 1918 at Camp Hancock; William J. Lawrence died October 6, 1918 in France; Elwell G. Engelking died October 8, 1918 in France; Edward Michel Burdick died October 12, 1918 in France; Abraham Schendel died October 17, 1918 at Camp Fremont; Thomas James Dvorak died October 20, 1918 in France; John Kronlokken died November 2, 1918 in France; Odean Sweiven died November 6, 1918 at Camp Forrest. Editor’s Note: After World War II the Renville Legion Post added the name Garvey to their title.
Sacred Heart: Abner Rude died August 6, 1918 in France; Otto Stoa died September 29, 1918; John Throngard died October 11 ,1918 at Camp Custer; Joseph Alfred Viken died December 2, 1918 in France; Arthur Mahlum died December 1918; Frank Christian Larson died February 7, 1919 in France.
Listed as outside of Renville County but included in the book, Renville County in World War I: 1917, 1918, 1919 published by the Olivia Times in 1920: James Gustaf Mattson (Winthrop) died August 17, 1918 in France; Edward August Ewald (McLeod County) died October 10, 1918 in France and Oscar Loftness (Gibbon) died October 10, 1918 in England.
Editor’s Note: If you have additions to this list please contact Nicole. We strive to preserve the history of our entire county.
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Posted: May 25, 2020 by Renville County Historical Society
Honor Roll of World War I: Renville County
Compiled by Linda Balk, Research Librarian. Editor’s Note: The soldiers’ names in red have their local American Legion post named for them. We have not found any name on the Buffalo Lake Legion to date.
“Sixty-nine graves many of them in far off France, give silent testimony of the valor, courage and patriotism of Renville County soldiers. These graves may be seen, not in one section of the country, but all the way from Flanders Fields to Alsace-Lorraine. In them lie the remains of the young men of Renville County, who gave their lives on the altar of their country that the principles which gave this nation birth might not perish from the earth. At Chateau Thierry, in Artois, in the Argonne and along the Meuse these many brave young Americans paid the supreme sacrifice. They chose to risk all that we might be spared from a ruthless domination. The memory of the sacrifices will never cease as long as freedom reigns, and gratitude lives in the hears of the men and women of Renville County.” From the book Renville County in World War I: 1917, 1918, 1919.
The following is the list of World War I soldiers that were killed in action, died of wounds, or died of illness while serving their country in World War I. If you have information to add to this list please contact Nicole at the Museum 507-697-6147. We preserve the history of all our Renville County veterans and need your help to gather this information.
Bird Island: Thomas Francis Devaney died June 12, 1918 in France; Ray Franklin Lee died September 29, 1918 at Winnebago, IL; Helmuth A. Thomas died September 25, 1918 in France; Arthur Theodore Ledin died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Olaf Ytterboe died October 8, 1918 in France; Alfred Knutson died October 13, 1918 at Camp Grant.
Buffalo Lake: Herschel A. Ralston died May 27, 1918 Edgewater, Maryland; Paul R. Schuetz died October 16, 1918 in France; Peter A. Winkler died October 25, 1918 at Camp Grant.
Danube: Clarence Winnifred Lueck died September 13, 1918 in France; William Charles Manthei died October 5, 1918 in France; William Tolzman died October 6, 1918 at Camp Hancock.
Fairfax: William H. Bruggeman died September 16, 1918 in France; Charles Buehler died September 29, 1918 in France; Clarence Albert Buehler died October 5, 1918 in France; Otto Semerud died October 5, 1918 in Georgia; Calmer Melchar Carlson died October 9, 1918 in France; Raymond Arthur Mantel died October 17, 1918 in France.
Franklin: John Engen died November 17, 1917 at Camp Dodge; James C. Leary died January 4, 1918 at Camp Douglas; Maurice Henry Johnson died August 13, 1918 in France; Carl Joseph Martin died September 28, 1918 in France; Julius H. Jensen died October 5, 1918 in France.
Hector: Albert Beack died September 28, 1918 in France; William W. Prelvitz died September 29, 1918 in France; John Lawrence Thompson died September 30, 1918 in France; Arthur Beske died October 4, 1918 in France; Ernest Hilding Nelson died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Allen George Wenz died October 7, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Carl Orin Potter died October 8, 1918 in France; George Paul Arlt died October 9, 1918 in France; Vladimer Orlando Lindgren died October 17, 1918 at sea; Joseph Conrad Loftness died October 17, 1918 in France; Charles Leroy Nelson died October 21, 1918 at sea; Gerhard Hilding Hallquist died October 23, 1918 in France; William Edward Habel died November 28, 1918 at Camp Cody. Note Potter used Brookfield Township as his World War I registration.
Henryville Township: Joseph F. Malecek died November 6, 1918 at Camp Cody.
Morton: Oscar Alfred Wellnitz died December 22, 1917 at Camp Pike. Note Wellnitz used Birch Cooley Township for his World War I registration.
Norfolk Township: Alfred Clement Reger died September 26, 1918 in France.
Olivia: Samuel G. Erwin died December 20, 1917 at Camp Cody; James Vern Neuenburg died March 21, 1918 in Vancouver Barracks, WA; John Schanil died August 27, 1918 Jefferson Barracks, MO; William Erickson died September 14, 1918 in France; Charles Jakes died September 26, 1918 in France; Adolph Majxner died September 28, 1918 in France; Sidney Harrison Bergstrom died September 29, 1918 in France; Frank Charley Spevacek died October 16, 1918 at Camp Hancock; Thomas Flannigan died October 23, 1918 in France; Reuben Arthur Pfettscher died November 11, 1918 in France; Melvin Elmer Amundson died December 20, 1918 at Camp Cody. Editor’s Note: After World War II the Legion Club added Strom to their name.
Renville: Frederick Fess died September 19, 1917 at Camp Cody; Palmer Alexander Adwell died June 6, 1918 in France; William Henry Ashley died August 16, 1918 in France;Helmut Albert Goeltz died June 14, 1918 in France; Emil Hermann died September 27, 1918 in France; Dirk Tjepkema died October 3, 1918 at Camp Sheridan; Howard J. Youngs died October 4, 1918 in France; Dick W. Bakker died October 5, 1918 in France; Howard McBroom died October 5, 1918 at Camp Hancock; William J. Lawrence died October 6, 1918 in France; Elwell G. Engelking died October 8, 1918 in France; Edward Michel Burdick died October 12, 1918 in France; Abraham Schendel died October 17, 1918 at Camp Fremont; Thomas James Dvorak died October 20, 1918 in France; John Kronlokken died November 2, 1918 in France; Odean Sweiven died November 6, 1918 at Camp Forrest. Editor’s Note: After World War II the Renville Legion Post added the name Garvey to their title.
Sacred Heart: Abner Rude died August 6, 1918 in France; Otto Stoa died September 29, 1918; John Throngard died October 11 ,1918 at Camp Custer; Joseph Alfred Viken died December 2, 1918 in France; Arthur Mahlum died December 1918; Frank Christian Larson died February 7, 1919 in France.
Listed as outside of Renville County but included in the book, Renville County in World War I: 1917, 1918, 1919 published by the Olivia Times in 1920: James Gustaf Mattson (Winthrop) died August 17, 1918 in France; Edward August Ewald (McLeod County) died October 10, 1918 in France and Oscar Loftness (Gibbon) died October 10, 1918 in England.
Editor’s Note: If you have additions to this list please contact Nicole. We strive to preserve the history of our entire county.
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