The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-10-03
MEMORIAL SER
VICES FOR JOHN
RASMUSSEN
In1sresting Address Delivered Sum
~ Night in Memory of Minot
Ksfo Who Sleeps Beneath
the POppies.

who met his death recently while
fighting in France.
A very large crowd attended the
seevices. Addresses were given b.
T. C. Upton, w. H. sibbald, F. B.
Lambert and Rev. C. l. Clifford, the
pastor, all of whom had been closely
associated with the brave soldier lad
in church work
Rev! Mri' Clifford chose for his
text: "He saved others; himself he
could not save"
Mr.. Lambert, who was Johns Sum
day school teacher for years, said in
part:
It has been we'll said that the COM
ine Of human events cast their shad-
sWs before, yet who could imagine,
seven years ago, when John Rasmus-
sen entered my Boys class in the
Sunday school Of this church, that we
50 soon would be called upon to mourn
what may we'll appear to human mind
to be his untimely transition from
a terrestrial to a celestial habitation.
The happening of such events as this
brinr forcibly to our mind the. COM
plste helplessness Of humanity In the
universe of God. At such an hour as
this, how much we can appreciate tne
words of the poet Gray when ne SAID:
Life is real, life is earnest,
And the grave is not its goal;
BUST thou art, to dust returneth' \
Was not spoken of the SOUL"
Even as boy John was study IN
hunaanity. and as he grew and devel-
e,ed into manhood the unusual tralts
Il his character were more and more
bpought to the surface.
Ia was bright, intellectual, and his
,.ird was matured way beyond his
years. Added to these characteris,
tiss. hs possessed becoming modesGy
~ was constantly hiding the orll-
liancx Of his own acts benlna the
deeds Of others. No greater evidence
e his budding genius is left to US
thau his work as edltor-ln-cmeI oI ;,
- 1915 edition Of the "Searchllgn1,
~ annual publication Of the Mlnog
Iieh school. Herein will be tound
susk a combination of wit and wisdom
AZ il infrequently found in the pro-
Auctions of men of collegiate educa-
t;er and a life of experience.
willie attending the State Unlver-
shv of North Dakota he mingled E1-
IL With his fellow students, and was
= seeker of solitude. Miles upon, miles
=. walked alone and communed with
,.t.re. and thus permitted his phllo-
senh;csi mind to figure out the prob
lera Of life to an unusual degree
H.rI I. seemed to rise above the COM
49, tI;noa of life. and, in a meas
ure. solve the greater proplems u
nature and natures God. :,
Jetn's use of English and the beau-
t;f,I .entiment of his life can be no
k.tter illustrated than by a para
~arh from a letter to his people al.
= tLa receipt from them by hlm OF Of
u last Christmas package: j.. ara arau
"Ts me these little Things are
signs Of the love and care you
have for me-. constant anu Ilue'
and as they are symbols OF some
thiag so beautiful and above ma.
terial things, mere thanks IRON
me- mean nothing. l only can
say that the same feeling that
these things mean to you, live IN
me also, and that tho sent no
shocks or flowers, my heart holds
whole libraries and flower gar
dens for you"
When sentiment of this kind is
found in anyone, it is greatly to be ad,
rired, and when we add to it t|hsf
,teadfastness of purpose and adher'
erce to duty that was found in Johr
Rasmussen, the combination is mar
ef whom we can all well be proud.
His record in the great war Was
lull Of energetic purpose; he fought
With others against common enemy
INT = great deal Of the time he fought
= he had lived-alone and on his oW1
reseurces. His work as a scout anc
,ketcher took him almost constantly
ITO No Mans Land, and where
Sa.ring from place to place and o!
necessity in hiding, he was in almos
ruch danger from his own compan
1 10 and allies as from the Germahs
- hs persisted in this extremel!
aaeersus task, and from time 20 tlm'
4 0t1raed to the officers headquarter
Nth Information and sketches OF IN
e sstimable value to our army. OnA!
= lav before his death ne single
4 anhed and alone captured two Ger
4 90 prisoners in the forefront OF Tn
/ W. and marched them back to On.
Eneri,an lines. This was not done II
: cleanup campaign over land wner
y battle had previously ragged, by
vas in new and clean fighting at tn
very front. -. i;
Aerd from France says that nj
rarseaai valor and bravery then dis
2lavea was rewarded by news benz
"a to him even: onsthe day Of ~ y
dath that he had won and would re
6eive the American War Cross 0
Hsner. Now that he has passed t