Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-11-06
In MemOrium,


I have the letter that his captain
wrote me.
I treasure too, the cleaning cross
of gold;
But 1. his mother, cannot mourn the
soldier
1 mourn the little boy l used to
hold"
Ray Steers died at Camp Dodge, Ia,
on the 10th of October, for his flag
and for his country. He was Grant
county boy, born here as were his
parents. He was a nephew of the Re-
tallick boys and Mrs. Chris Garner,
Beetown. He visited among his rel
atives and friends here a year ago,
and many are the hearts now sorrow
ing for his untimely passing. Ray
entered service from his home in Alb
erdeen, S. D., July %, 1918, marching
away with the light of courage and
valiant youth shining in his eyes.
His last letter to his widowed mother
was written Sept. 30th telling her not
to worry if she did not hear again
soon as the camp was going into
quarantine. The brave boy must
have been i'll when he wrote, as the
letter was never mailed. The strick-
en- mother found it in his suitcase af-
ter his burial. Her first intimation
of sickness was by wire. Before she
could get a train the message was
followed by the dread intelligence of
death Ray was aged 20 years, one
month and Is days. The body was
sent home where private service was
held and the beloved remains, borne
by companions of the dead soldier,
were reverently laid in the Catholic
cemetery at Aberdeen beside his faith
er. A beautiful and consoling letter
was received from the chaplain at
Camp Dodge. He was with the boy a
few hours before his passing and re-
ceived with him he blessed sacra-
ments of the faith that can make ev-
en- a dying bed "soft as downy pill
lows are" And thus the brief story
Of another fair young life is told
and the tribute, all inadequate, paid
to the sacrifice of another soldier boy
who has proved his loyalty to coun-
try than which there is no greater in
all the world Another hero sleeps
with the nations honored dead, an
other golden star is shining on it's
bed of blue And another mother is
fighting the bravest battle that ever
was fought.
One golden star CLEANS out among
the rest,
A soldier boys bright guerdon
quickly won;
Not fame, high rank, nor earthly
glory his,
Just one fair star for faithful duty
done
At the time of this great sorrow,
Mrs. Steers father was and still re-
mains very i'll at Aberdeen. His re-
coyery is hopeless and the time of
his sufferings has been long and very
severe. Her son Roy was in the hos
pital at Rochester, not yet recovered
from an operation. He prevailed up
on the doctors to allow him to come
to his brothers funeral Since then
he is seriously Frustrated again. The
youngest boy, Dewey, is in France
with our grand Americans at the
front. God bless the boy and keep
him that in safe return he may COM
fort the stricken hearts at home. To
him, his brother, and only little sis
ter, to "Aunt Anna" and most of all,
to the widowed little mother so sorely
bereft, many hearts go out in deepest
sympathy May the star that guided
the shepherds to the feet of the in
FAINT Jesus guide them all in this dark
hour, and through the days that are
to come, to that blessed source of COM
fort for all sorrows.
with strengthened lives, with
deepened faith and love
So shall their sorrows not have
been in vain"
B. D. S.