The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-11-20
WAS AT Head OF
DELOII SCHOOLS
Francis Webster, Formerly superin-
tendent Of Deloit Schools, One OF
Last of Iowa Boys Killed
COMPANION TELLS OF DEATH
Was Doing Duty As Machine Gunner
When German Shell Ended His
Life-Many Friends Here

When German Shell Ended His
Life-Many Friends Here
The following article con corning the
death of Francis Webster appeared
in the Des Moines Register OF Mon
day, and will be of interest to many
of our readers. mir. Webster was prin-
cipal of the Deloit schools for the
year prior to his enlisting in the army.
and he made many friends, both at
Deloit and Denison, while he lived
here.
CENTRAL CITY, Nov. 17-Mem0r-
ial services were held at the Baptist
church here this morning in honor of
Francis Webster of the 168th infantry.
one of the last Iowa boys to be killed
in France. ~
The church was draped with flags
and decorated with great white chrys.
anthemums. E. P. Mitchell, of Des
Moines, delivered the address. The
service was concluded with the sound.
ing of taps.
Included in the service was a trib-
ute to Hollis Page, another member
of the Rainbow division, the news OF
whose death was received Saturday.
Francis Webster had large num-
Der of friends in Des Moines, where
he graduated from Des Moines college
and later took up the study of art. For
a time he worked with ]. n Darling
of the Register. who took keen inter.
est in his progress.
Private William Kelso, Jr., has writ
ten an account of Corporal Webster's
death to the young mans parents. The
letter follows:
Somewhere in France,
"Oct. is, 1918.
'Dear Mr.. and Mrs. Webster: This
is the first time ever undertook to
write a letter of this kind. But to
make it as simple and as easyifor you
as can, it is only to break the sad
news that Francis H. Webster, your
son, was killed on the field of battle
Oct. IA, 1918. aSs
~ will try and tell you everything.
1t was on Monday morning that the
platoon that Webster and ! were in,
were holding a little hill, we received
orders to go. into action with our ma.
chine guns. We had fired but q short
time when. the German artillery .lOcSt.
ed us and harassed the hill with their
fire We Immediately went out OF ac-s
ton and jumped into any little hole
for little protection. Francis was
lying in hole near me when shell
bursted not many feet away and q
small piece hit him on the right side
of the chest and came out his back. He
was given first aid the best we knew
how and started for the first aid sta.
tion, but he died before they could
reach it.
Francis was the true fried of .ev-
cry fellow in the company and to many
outside it. He always did the right
thing and always helped every man
with a free heart. To me Francis
was a true friend and pal. 1t seems
as though l had lost a brother We
used to be buglers together, always
bunked together and wherever you
saw one of us you usually saw the
other.
81 have his little kit bag he always
carried with his cartoons, pictures, etc.
and will send them to you as soon as
we, are relieved here. He always told
me if anything ever happened to him
to be sure and send his stuff home. SO
with the greatest sympathy, and most
sincere regrets of lost friend, must
close. Yours, William Kelso, Jr."
Mr.. and Mrs. Webster have furnish.
ed this account of their sons life:
Francis was born at Shelton, Wash.
July II, 1895. He died Oct. 22, 1918.
22 years, 3 months and 8 days old. He
graduated from the high school at
Maquoketa a month before he was 16,
and took his 3. A. degree from Des
Moines college month before he was
20, The following year he was super
sintendent of the schools at DelOit,
Iowa. May %, 1917, he enlisted as q
bugler in the machine gun company OF
the 16Sth infantry and entered the
camp at the fair ground in Des
Moines July list He left for Camp
Mills September 9th. October 14th,
Just year before his death, he, sailed
for France, but in midocean his ship
turned back for repairs.
A month later he started again ov-
erseas. Early in December he arriv-
ed in France after short sojOurn in
England On Christmas day he, with
seven Of his comrades, sang patriotic
American hymns in a French cathed.
raj. Trench life began in March. Many
Of the early days were spent making
maps Of The various sectors. Then
came the more active work when the
MACHINE gun company Of the 168ths
became one OF the most active COM
panies in the Rainbow division. May
29th, two days after the death OF hisf
captain, E. o. Fleur, he was caught by.
the German poison gas. From this he
apparently made fall recovery, res
turning to his company in about one
month. 8
He was with his company the last
week in July when the Germans took
such heavy toll of our men, and there
again July 29th he was caught by the
gas while at the front with his ma
chine gun squad. Six weeks later ne
was again at the front with his men.
His last letter home was written on
October 10TH They were all packed
up ready to move to new front.
There, four days later, while help
ing to hold a little hill the Germans
7 got range of his machine guns. Will
lam Kelso, Jr., tells the story Of the:
shell an1infpr that ctr,YCk him