The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-09-27
YOUNG MAN OF WELLS
DIED IN THE SERVICE
Walter PauIson Succu mbed To
Pneumonia In the League
Hospital

Walter PaulSon, son of Mrs Marie
Paulson, is the fourth of Wells sons
to give up his life in the military
service of the United States and Old
Glory. The young man passed away
at the League Station hospital in
Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon,
the cause of his death being phneu-
monia. The remains reached Wells
Saturday afternoon and were given
a military burial from the Methodist
church Sunday. Interment was made
in the family plat at Rosehill Gene
terry.
Walter Paulson was born in Wells
on August IL, 1895, and was twenty
three years of age. His boyhood and
youth were spent at Wells; he attend
ed the local grade schools and attend
,, ed high school until the Junior year
Walter was always ikeable young
chap, favored by Providence with a
most agreeable nature and was pop
ular with his school mates. He was
one of the leaders in athletics and
goes down in the history of the Wells
schools as one of it's football stars.
When every indication lead to a
possible break of peace between the
United States and the enmey nation
Walter proved his loyalty to Old
Glory by being one of the first to
enlist in the military service. He did
not wait for the declaration of open
hostilities, but took it upon himself
as his sacred duty, in the face of the
lnd1gnities cast upon Americas neu-
trality by the German imperial gov
eminent, to enlist in the naval
branch of the service in March 1917
month before the declaration of war
He accepted lowly station, one
that meant unusually hard labor and
began as stoker in the boiler rooms
OF one of the coal burning warships
or the United States. His aggres-
s1Veness soon brought his advance
ment to station after station on the
ladder of achievement and several
months ago, after a short furlough
spent with home folks, Walter was
sent to technical school at Phila-
delphia to fit himself for a position as
assistant acting chief engineer of one
OF Uncle Sans biggest types OF
Warships. 1t was while at school that
he contracted the dread disease
which invariably spells death to big
and sturdy men like Walter, and his
mother received message from the
hospital authorities at Philadelphia
on Saturday of the critical condition
OF her son. Mrs. Paulson, who is
making her home with her daughter.
Mrs. Margaret Meyer, at Westbrook.
and who had been visiting with
friends here, anticipated attending
the bedside of her son, and shortly
after wiring for information relative
TO his condition, received the notice
on Tuesday evening of Walters death.
Three of the Paulson family have
given their service to the nation.
Charles is engaged in the shipyards
at Seattle, Washington; and Ray
mond, the youngest, who found it
necessary to get his mothers permit
to enter the army, is stationed at
Fort Oglethorpe, Ca, and is home on
a furlough.
The news of Walter Paulson's
death has brought the war home to
wells more than ever Wells was
watching with pride the progress this
young man was making and the fun
eral on Sunday was one of the most
manifest showings of honor to the
soldier and sailor dead that is pos
sible
J. E. Stiles and Fred Hansen had
charge of the arrangements for the
funeral.