The Ward County independent., 1921-04-07
REMAINS OF BEN BRAND, KILL
ED IN ACTION IN.FRANCE, BUR-
led WITH MILITARY H0N0RS

The funeral OF ben bran0, son Oh
Mr.. and Mrs. J. j. Brand Of Logan,
who gave his life for our country.
while in action with the U. S. forces
in France, was held from the Pres
byterian church Of this city Sunday
afternoon at 2:3O o'clock, only small
fraction Of the immense crowd that
gathered being able to find room in
the church. 1t was the first funeral
for the remains of a returned soldier
to be held in this city, and practically
the entire city and countryside turn
ed out to show their appreciation for
the services of this noble youth who
made the supreme sacrifice.
Rev. P. w. Erickson, pastor of the
church delivered very eloquent ser
mon.
Special singing, including "Amer-
ica" and Nearer My God to Thee,
by the Misses Morsene, j. H. Cotton
and C. B. Davis, with Mrs. George E.
Walker at the organ, also marked the
services. The Rev. Mr.. Erickson's
funeral sermon was tribute to the
American heroes who served and fell
in France and plea to citizenry To
be imbmued with a proper spirit of
AUleCICdllJSHi 50 INdU CllC luCSlo lOi
which Ben Brand and thousands of
other American boys fell may be per
petuated. His eulogy Of American
soldiers and the cause for which they
served in the World war was one Of
the most eloquent utterances ever
heard in Minot.
EX-service men and members Of the
Minot Lodge Of B. P. 0. E. were in
the funeral cortege. The order in
which the various units formed in the
line of march was: Bearers accom-
panying the hearse, Capt. Otto Gross
and Bugfer Walter Caverly, firing
squad, ex-service men in uniform,
sailors in uniform, ex-service men in
civilian clothes, Elks, citizens in auto
mobiles. The bearers were: w. +. .
Wilkins, H. B. Ellison, Verh Teets,
K. G.. Cook, Earl Scribner and George
Stredwick. A firing squad Of eight
ex-service men in uniform fired "a
salute at the grave. The Rev. P. W.
Erickson officiated at the cemetery.
The body Of the soldier arrived Sat
urday at 2:30 a. m. over the 500 and
was taken to the Van Fleet under
taking parlors. The body was re-
ceived in solid oak casket and was
one of 1900 soldiers shipped from
France to Hoboken. Forty-five bod
les came to western states, three to
North Dakota. Of this number one
was received at Drake and one at
Kenmare.
The casket was draped with the ns--
were pr0fuse.
Ben Brand met death in action III
France, May Is, 1918 and the remains
were first inferred in military GENE
terry in France, where it remained un-
til the government removed it and
arranged to ship to the old home. The
remains were laid to rest in the Brand
burial plot in Rose Hill cemetery.
Ben Brand was born near Lidger~
wood, N. D., and was twenty-five
years of age at the time of his death.
He came to Ward county with his par
ents when boy of eleven and took
great interest on his fathers farm at
Logan. He will be remembered as one
of the boys of the county who took
such an interest in the work of the
boys farming clubs, being winner
in the boys corn contest. Once in q
stock Judging contest he defeated
many Of his elders. He had shown
considerable ability in agriculture and
stockraisinG and most certainly would
have been heard from had his life
! been spared.
When our country went to war, he
! offered his services, enlisting in Minot
| in Co. A. At Camp Greene he was
transferred to Co. D and in France
was transferred to the First Division
, Co. &, 18th Inf. A brother, Will
Brand saw service in France, and an.
other brother, Frank, was in service
in Honolulu, during the war. Will
| now resides at Logan and Frank is
a resident of Toledo, Ohio. There
are two other brothers at home, John
and Roy. All Of the brothers, with
| the parents attended the funeral.
sister-in-law of j. J. Brand, Mrs. Wen
eel Parizek and her daughter, Paul
inc, of Lidgerwood, were in the city
expecting to attend the funeral, but
were called home the day previous
by telegram.