Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-03-18
Soldiers From Congregational Church
and Congregation are HOnOred
ut Unique and Impressive
Service.
BIG AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE.
Twenty men on Honor ROll.-Anth.
ems, Hymns, Next Of Kin
Responses, Etc.

: from llle CuuICI WIZ dlc Scl Wig dl
the front during the war. AS they
left the church old members and
regular attendants for many years
were heard to say that it had been
the best and most notable service
ever held in the building. At pres
ent the Congregational roll of honor
numbers twenty men, twelve of
whom are members Of the church.
Eight other men went into khaki
from the choir or Sunday school or
from families within the membership
of the church. Sixteen of the men
are now in active military service,
and four are regularly enlisted and
are awaiting the call to join the
colors. Every man on the list is a
volunteer, most of them having gone
into the ranks long before the draft
came, into operation. Three of the
men are in France, and all are eager
for service across the ocean.
An Impressive Program.
The progrom last night was very
impressive, hymns, anthems, prayer
and roll call combining in an appeal
successful and memorable. The
pastor presided and called the roll
With two exceptions responses were
made for the men by next Of kin. In
the case of Alva Glenn and Prof
Albert Nelson, who, being out of
town men, have no next of kin in the
community, the response was made
by Oscar F. Donaldson and Prof. D.
M. Kelly respectively-Mr. Donald
son being teacher of Alva Glenn's
Sunday school class, and Prof.
Kelly being superintendent of public
schools, from the faculty Of which
Prof. Nelson went into military serv
= ice.
A The service was intimate and ten
der throughout. great human ex-
perience which will long be remem-
bered in the community. 1t was a
new fashioned experience meeting,
growing out Of family experience
connected with the war, the very
thing that will be the nerve of the
new literature the war will bring
forth. Indeed, if an author could
succeed in gathering the sentiment,
in fathoming the rich and tender
humanities of last nights meeting,
his fortune as we'll as his reputation
would be made. The responses We're
by mothers and fathers of soldiers,
by sisters and brothers and aunts,
and they brought out the intimate
military biography connected with
these Webster City mems khaki ex
perience. 1t proved to be that all
branches OF the service were includ-
ed in the responses. Webster City's
far flung battle line reaches from
Manila and the Siberian waters of
the Pacific to the American front in
France The large audience listened
with intense interest to details of
personal experience told from
eighteen different points Of view.
The plan of the program was simple
and effective. AS each name on the
roll was called some member of the
family come forward with a small
service flag property starred, which
committee pinned on a wire
stretched across the total width of
the platform. The next of kin then
told the military history of the man,
and no speaker ever had finer
audience or more wrapt attention.
Flag Unveiled.
The climax of the meeting came
when the roll call had been COM
pleted. Then Mrs. Robert E. Jones
unveiled large service flag which
had been hung upon the wall. In a
few well-chosen and well-spoken
words, in behalf of the church, Mrs.
Jones uncovered the flag with twenty
stars, and called upon the congrega-
ton to rise and sing the added verse
to the American National anthem, a |
verse adapted from the English and |
Canadian original:
God bless our splendid men,
Bring them safe home again,
God save our men.
Keep them victorious,
Faithful and valorous,
They are so dear to us,
God bless our men.
The audience sang the sentiment
and prayer in fine spirit, and then
cheered the beautiful flag which the
parting drapery revealed as Mrs.
Jones slowly unveiled the flag.
II. L. Hampton Speaks.
H. L. Hampton gave the address of