The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-02-06
KenOsha Soldier Reported
Dead in War Message
Received by Mother
This Morning.
WAS WOUNDED At SEDAN
Letter Infers That Corporal Ball Died
at Hospital Following Injuries in Last
Day of Fighting Buried With
Military Honors at Ardennes.

Another star in Kenosha's service
flag turned from gold to blue this
morning when a war message was re-
ceived by Mrs. Mary Ball, 469 Bond
street, telling how her son Corporal
William Ball had been buried at Ar
dennes, France on the fifteenth Of No
vember. Corporal Ball, who was bet
ter known in Kenosha as Billy
Ball, was known to have been injured
in the fighting on the day the armis-
tice was signed, but until the death
message came this morning it was hop
ed that he was recovering at a French
Hospital.
The official notice from the War De-
pertinent has not yet been received by
relatives in Kenosha. The letter this
morning was from Lieut.. -Col. Charles
c. Pierce, Chief of the Graves Regis
tration Service, Of the American Elk
peditionary Forces. It inferred that
the relatives had already received no
tice from the War Department of the
death of Corporal Ball and gave no
details of his wounds.
The letter his morning told briefly
that Corporal William Ball, Company
d, 10th Infantry, had died November
18th, 1918, and had been buried by
his comrades with all military honors
at the French Civilian Cemetery at
Authe, Ardennes, France. The spot
Where the body lies buried is part
of the American section of the GENE
terry and will be held under perpetual
care of the American government.
Several weeks ago Mrs. Ball, the
mother of the Kenosha soldiers receiv-
ed letter frem Maurice Meyer,
comrade of Corporal Ball, which stated
t at "Billyn had been injured in the
last hour fighting before Sedan. The
letter also said that "Billyn was
wounded just after he had earned the
promotion to corporal for bravery on
the field Of battle Meyer said that
Ball was severely wounded and had
been taken to the st. Agnes Hospital
but held out the hope that his condi-
tion would not prove serious. From
the letter received today tho relatives
have inferred that the Kenosha SOL
der died in the hospital two days
lcter.
"Billyo Ball was one of the most
popular young men who left Kenosha
to fight for the "Stars and Stripes. y
He was one of the first to volunteer
ir Company NJ and both in training
in this country and "over there he
had been popular with his comrades.
AS company clerk he had shown him
self of special value in his military
service. In Kenosha he is remembered
especially as the best baseball short
shop Kenosha had known in recent
years and he had established an en-
viable reputation throughout the state
in the semi-professional baseball
world.
Corporal Ball was barely twenty
years old when he left Kenosha for
Camp Douglas. He had held respon-
sible positions both in the offices of the
Simmons Company and of the Ameri-
can Brass Company, where he had
gained the respect both of his en-
ployaes and associates. He had lived.
in Kenosha all of his life and had
many friends who learned with regret
this morning Of his death in France.
Besides his mother, Mrs. Mary Ball,
Corporal Ball is survived in this city
by his sisters, Mrs. Theodore Peters,
Mrs. e. Gefinger, Mrs. Charles Cum
iskey, Mrs. Arthur Hansche, and Miss
Margaret Ball and by one brother, John
R. Ball, also Of Kenosha. Official mott
fication of how the Kenosha soldier
died is expected from the War Depart
mont within few days.
=.