The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-11-29
ELMER |. NEELEy
REPORTED DEAD
SAID TO HAVE DIED OF WOUNDS
IN FRANCE.
Mother Receives Official Notice on
Same Date She Received a
Letter From Her Son.

may be added to Vienna's honor roll
of young men who have laid down
their lives for their country in the
great war that has just been brought
to a close. AS the news comes to us,
day by day, of those who have laid
down their lives or been seriously
wounded, we are enabled to realize
what a deadly thing this war has
been, and while sympathizing with
those who have been personally
touched by its sorrows, we are moved
to thank God that it lasted no long
err, that it's sacred object was wholly
attained, and that the great majority
of our fine young men are coming
back to their native land safe and
sound. The latest to have made the
supreme sacrifice, if the official re-
port proves true, was Elmer L. Nee
ley, SON of Mr.. and Mrs. E. d. Nee
ley,. of this place, who went into the
National Army but few months ago.
Last Saturday the young mans
mother received an official telegram
giving the sad intelligence that he
had passed away at a hospital in
France. Inasmuch as she received a
letter from her son at about the same
time the telegram came, in which he
stated that he had been wounded and
was in base hospital, but was i'm
proving nicely, and because of the
further fact that his cousin, Louvern
Neeley, who was also serving with
the army in France, had previously,
though unofficially, been reported
dead, the mother thinks there may
be some confusion of the names and
that her boy is still living. Let us
hope that both of these, our boys,
may yet be alive and return to their
homes, although there is, we fear,
little ground for the hope. Letters
have been written to the hospital
where Elmer was sbeing cared for,
and as quickly as may be it is ex-
pected that information concerning
him will be at hand.
The following are extracts from
the last letter he sent to his mother.
1t bears date Oct. %, and was writ
ten for him by nurse:
Base Hospital IT, A. E. F.,
October %, 1917.
Mrs. E. ID. Neeley,
Dear Mother:
/ have been at the frcnt and am
now in the hospital with a wound in
my left leg. Am getting along all
right Will be up in two or three
weeks.
Am in Ward 1O7 with number of
other wounded men. There are three
nurses on duty in this ward and the
doctor comes every day. He's an
awful careful doctor.
l was wounded about two o'clock
the first day of October. We took
our sector in 20 minutes and drove
the Germans back. l went all through
the battle without getting hurt, got
back by the Red Cross station and
then was wounded by the explosion
of high explosive shell.
1t gets tiresome lying in bed all
the time>but sometimes they bring in
Victrola, and the other day some Y
M. c. A. entertainers came through
the hospital and sang in the wards
| would like to know how things are
at home when you write. Hope you
will write often. l will write myself
as soon as can get up.
l am sending one of the labels fol-
Christmas package. If you senG
me a Christmas gift it must have
this label pasted on the outside anG
you must follow the directions giver
on the label.
Cat this point there are severa
references to relatives and friends
which are omitted, the closing para
graph being given belowD
Is Uncle Fred still in Saginaw
Tell George Farnsworth I'll be home
to play ball with him next spring.
Your loving son,
Elmer L. Neeley,
Co. c., 58th Infantry.
(Per X. H. 3D.