The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-01-30
MANY ATTEND \
FINK FUNERAL
Percy Fink, the Crawford Soldier Boy
Who Died at Camp Cody, Was
Buried Last Saturday.
MAJOR PH,LPoT PAYS rRieUTE
Was Ideal Soldier Boy and Much Liked
by All With Whom he Came in
T.. Contact in the Army. .

Oliver Percy Fink, son, OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Oliver Fink, of Wellington, Tex.
who passed away Jan. 20, 1918, at
Camp Cody, Deming, N. NJ, at the age
of 20 years, 1 month and 20 days, was
laid to rest at Oakland cemetery on
Saturday afternoon. Funeral services
church at 2:30 o'clock Saturday after
ciating. The funeral was largely at.
tended, many friends of the family
coming down from Deloit to pay their
respects to the memory of this young
man who had enlisted in the service OF
his country.
When Percy was about five years old
the family moved to Texas, where they
resided for ten years. They returned
to Iowa five years ago, making their
home near Deloit for three years. Dur
ing this time Percy made profession
of faith in Christ and united with the
Methodist church at Deloit.
About two years ago the family
moved to Nebraska. Soon after Pres
ident Wilson declared that a state Of
war existed between Germany and the
United States Percy returned to Iowa
and at Boone enlisted in the first sep
arate company formed there, which
was in the latter part Of June. In Sep
TENDER following he was sent with his
company to Camp Cody. N. NJ, and
later was transferred to G company
125th Machine Gun Battalion and
about November 1st was raised to the
rank of first class private. Had he
lived. so the commanding officer in
formed his parents, he would have
been promoted to corporal in about
two weeks. His soldier life was brief,
but in that short time he made rec
ord clean and honorable, without re-
proach Major S. P. Philpot. command
er OF the 125th Machine Gun Battal-
ion, wrote the following letter to Mr..
and Mrs. Fink after the death of their
SOL:
HEADQUARTERS 125th Ma. Gun Bat,
Camp Cody, Deming, N. NJ,
January %, 1918.
From Major S. P. Philpot,
ITO Mr.. and Mrs. o. L. Fink,
Subject: The death of your son.
81. 1t is with very deep regard that
l offer you coincidence in the sad death
of your son. Percy Fink
"2. Percy Fink was most excel
lent soldier indeed. I watched him
loosely, was personally acquainted with
him. He was always hard willing
worker, never had to be punished in
any manner or form. We could al
ways rely on him to perform every
duty to his very best.
"3. want to assure you that the
army has lost a valuable soldier. and
he died for his country just as much
here as though he had died over
there
"Signed, S. B. Philpot,
ss,-,.s Commanding 125th NJ. G. Bat,
His commanding officers praised his
work in the camp in the highest terms.
They assured his parents that no
cleaner record would go up to Wash.
ington than his. Obedience, the first
great law of a soldiers life, he had
learned to perfection. He was soldier
ly in his bearing. faithful to the trust
committed to him-loyal to the flag.
Had he lived such qualities of man.
hood would doubtless have been re-
warded with still greater promotion.
He would have honored the flag and
been a blessing to his country.
But his race is over-brief was his
life. He was but boy in years when
his sun went down. Yet at the call or.
his country he gave himself and lived
long enough to prove his exalted de-
vOtion to the flag and with willingness
to sacrifice life if need be for liberty
and human rights. He gave himself as
truly as if he had died on the field of
battle. He has not lived in vain for
he will share with his comrades in the
final glorious victory for Righteousness
and justice and peace on the earth and
in that intimate circle Of kinship and
friendship his name will be held in
increasing affection and respect. His
influence will iive--"He being dead
yet speaketh."
That which above all else takes the
bitterness of his early death is the
hope that we have as to the future. AS
already noted he had enlisted in the
service of his Lord. Chaplin Schook,