River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-09-19

On aug. Mr.. Ferry reIerS TO
John in letter to his parents as
follows:
i miss John considerable but
have to make the best of it as such
things are to be expected in war.
Of course, it will be mighty hard on
his folks, but they must remember
that there are millions of others in
the same position. You can tell
them that John established repu-
tation for nerve and fearlessness
among his company that any father
and mother could be proud of.
There seems to be no question as
to Mr.. Rasmussen's death, altho
absolutely no news has been receiv-
ed from the war department. 1t is
probable that some word will be re-
ceived shortly, as the father has
wired Washington to cable to
France for information at his ex-
pense.
The parents have received no let
ters from their son since June. o.
liver Perry writes that John wrote a
number, which however, were re-
turned by the censor.
John was born at River Falls,
Wis, and was FL years of age on
April Is, last. He moved with his
parents to Carpio, N. D., in 1905,
and became a resident Of Minot in
1911. John graduated from the
Minot schools three years ago, and
spent two years at the North Da-
kota state university. For about a
year before going into the war he
was employed in Minneapolis by the
National Biscuit Co.
He became a private and sought
to do his duty well. $50 many of
my classmates are becoming officers
that a, few of US must remain priv
ates," he said, and he surely made
a record of which any soldier might
we'll be proud. He had Fremont
ton that he would not come back,
as he wrote his parents to that eff
feet some months ago.
John was a student and philoso-
pher, and could he have been
spared, much could have been ex-
pected from him in this sphere. AL
tho in student days, he did not APP
pear to be born fighter, he proved
his worth on the field of battle. He
had the right kind of stuff in him
AS he parted from his mother, be-
fore leaving for the front, he said,
Mother, I'd rather live one year in
this war and make good, than. to
live for 20 years and not make the
right kind Of a record"
Concerning the sad word from the
battle line, the father says, Its a
terrible blow to us, but l feel that
John would rather have done just
as he did, than to have come out of
the war Scot free, without making
a record. Other Minot residents
will have to stand just what we are
going thru"
The mother, too, is standing up
under the terrible blow in a stoical
manner, characteristic of American
motherhood.
John was remarkably fine type
of young manhood. He was a
young man of sterling character and
one who sympathized with all hu-
mainly. AS writer, he expressed
himself in a remarkably clear man
ner and his letters have been read
with great interest by the indie.
pendent readers. The following
letter, next to the last one received
by his parents, is an excellent exam.
pie OF his pleasing literary style:
Over There, May 10, '18
Dear folks:
I'm fuller of news than Ladies
Aid, but l somehow don't feel very
expressive. I've seen too much,
likely, like kid at the first Christ
mas tree. We're on the Great Road
that all the world is treading to the
trenches; we're crowding that way
ourselves, and from our place in
the mob there's not much to be
seen, but the stirring and confusion.
It's Supplying to think of the vast
machinery back of us and the intri-
cate system around and ahead of
us. We members of it have our
own set of details to attend to and
our minds are kept pretty much on