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10
Unknown Soldiers
USGS
Topographic Map of Montello (1991)
1918 -
1919
Montello, Nevada
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In March, 2001,
I worked on the Montello
Elementary School web site as a community service project.
While in Montello, I visited the cemetery and ran across a simple
granite monument stating: "10 Unknown US soldiers buried here
victims of the flu epidemic World War I". At the time I
included it as a page
in the school site. A quick internet search yielded the
following information about the soldiers. |
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Montello,
Nevada
Victims of
the influenza epidemic of 1918, the graves of ten soldiers buried
here represent a mystery to this day as to their identity. During a
period of World War I, troop trains ran regularly through Montello.
As soldiers became ill en route, they were unloaded at the nearest
hospitals. The Southern Pacific Railroad kept a doctor at Montello
who checked every train en route. Ill passengers were treated in a
makeshift hospital at the town's hotel.
The graves
were unmarked for years but through the persistent efforts of Mr.
and Mrs. William Kimber of Montello, and the 40 & 8 of Las
Vegas, the previously unmarked graves, although still unidentified
as to name, were marked in 1975.
Unfortunately,
fires had destroyed the original government records.
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Since that time
I have revisited the cemetery four or five times for various purposes
and have always wondered about these graves. The purpose of this
page is to provide a collection on what has been learned on the
subject. The first article is a general one on the 1918 flu
epidemic |
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http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/dca/thiswas/thiswas15.htm |
This
Was Nevada
"Think You're Feeling Sick?
Imagine Being in the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919"
By Phillip I. Earl
During a period of little more than a year in 1918-1919, some
39,000,000 lives fell victim worldwide to the Spanish Flu
Epidemic, a death toll unprecedented in all recorded history. In
Nevada, the State Board of Health recorded 3,914 cases, of which
734 died. The disease also exacerbated many pre-existing medical
conditions and the loss of life may have reached some 800.
Originating in mid-western American military posts in the
late winter and early spring of 1918, the epidemic initially
spread to the battlefront in Europe and then diffused around the
world. The ailment seemed to be spread by personal contacts
along railroad corridors and ocean and shipping channels. In
Nevada, Wendover, Halleck, Starr Valley, Deeth, Montello, Elko,
Carlin, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca and Lovelock were
particularly impacted. Austin and Eureka were also touched since
both had rail connections to the main line of the Southern
Pacific. The epidemic also struck isolated mining communities
and ranching areas. The stretch of territory north of
Winnemucca, including Paradise Valley, McDermit and Denio, was
particularly hard hit.
Nevada physicians initially prescribed traditional flu
remedies-bed rest, plenty of liquids, fresh air-but many
residents turned to folk remedies, whiskey and dozens of patent
medicines advertised as preventatives or cures. Community
leaders closed schools, churches, saloons and dance halls. Flu
masks were also ordered, although many medical professionals
questioned their effectiveness.
Community gatherings, including funerals for flu victims,
were also banned. Local clergy began holding outdoor services
and publishing sermons in the newspapers and teachers developed
home lessons for their students. Saloonmen whose establishments
were not closed took out chairs and tables and the local police
were at their wits end trying to enforce mask laws and prevent
citizens from congregating on the streets.
As the year ended, the impact lessened and many citizens
resumed their usual rounds, but illness and death continued on
into 1919.
A full account of the Spanish Flu epidemic is contained in a
new book written by Phillip I. Earl. "A Visit from the
Spanish Lady: North Central Nevada and the Great Spanish Flu
Epidemic, 1918-19" was recently published by the North
Central Nevada Historical Society in the Humboldt Historian. To
order a copy, contact Toddy Folgate, editor, North Central
Nevada Historical Society, P.O. Box 819, Winnemucca, Nevada
89446.
Phillip I. Earl was curator at the Nevada Historical
Society for 30 years until he retired in June 1999.
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Modified: 7/9/2002
Location: http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/dca/thiswas/thiswas15.htm
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While visiting
the archives section on the Northeastern
Nevada Museum one afternoon - Cheryl Carpenter, Museum Archives
Researcher, mentioned they had copies of the County death
certificates. Well, the subject of these graves came up and she
looked up the following Montello death certificates. The first
four are excellent candidates for some of the unknown soldiers as they
were signed by John M. Waste, M.D., Captain Medical Corps US
Army. It should be noted that one "soldier" R.R.
McClullum died in Montello but was moved to Ogden, UT. His
death certificate also states he caught the influenza in Chicago before
heading west. |
~ Click on Certificates and photos to enlarge ~
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Death
Certificates signed by John M. Waste, M.D., Captain Medical Corps US
Army
George Kirker, Petro Garcia,
R.R. McCullum, Charles Robinson |
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| Here is a summary table for the
above names: |
| Name |
Date of Death |
Informant Signed |
Page |
Local Registered No. |
Died |
Burial Loc. |
| George Kirker |
Nov. 24, 1918 |
John M. Waste, Captain U.S.
Army |
123 |
101 |
|
Montello, Nv |
| Petro Garcia |
Nov. 28, 1918 |
John M. Waste, Captain U.S.
Army |
127 |
109 |
|
Tecoma, Nv |
| R.R. McCullum |
Nov. 21, 1918 |
John M. Waste, Captain U.S.
Army |
180 |
12 |
Montello, Nv |
Ogden, Ut |
| Charles Robinson |
Dec. 1, 1918 |
John M. Waste, Captain U.S.
Army |
127 |
110 |
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Montello, Nv |
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I gave these
names to Judy Swett, a genealogist in the Elko area who provided the
following information on the above people: |
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Mornin Dan,
It's entirely possible they caught the flu on the trip
home. These 4 all died within a 10 day time frame, which is also
interesting.
The George Kirker I found in the Elko WWI Draft
reg in my opinion is more a sure thing than the Garcia
possibility (he was the only Geo Kirker in the index). It will
take lots more info though before we can be 100% sure of this. Are
there any more details available in the death certificates at the
museum (birthdate/birthplace - etc)? We really need more
info to be certain of the connections. Have you seen the death
certif book? I REALLY hope the newspapers have more
info.
John M. Waste. I don't see him listed in Edna Patterson's book
"Sagebrush Doctors".
John M. Waste: I have found him in the 1920
census (this looks like a match)
He
is listed as a Doctor, age 37
born in CA. married to Gizella
Maybe
he left a journal??? We can hope right!!
This could be
him???? Birth date is a bit off from the census record.
But more records below show this John Morton Waste was a physician.
| Surname |
Given Name |
Middle Name |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Birth Place |
Death Place |
Social Security # |
Mother's Maiden Name |
| WASTE |
JOHN |
MORTON |
24 Sep 1877 |
2 Feb 1959 |
CALIF |
LOS ANGELES |
558509238 |
HELPHINSTINE |
More: This
is mostly about the Helphenstine family but a mention of John Morton
Waste
On July 12, 1944, Mr. Zed Veale
Jr., of Flagstaff, AZ received a letter from Mrs. John M. Waste, her
husband being Dr. John M. Waste. Mrs.
Waste related that she was doing research through the California DAR
on the Veale Family as she is a descendant of Emily Veale. Her address
at that time was: 1015 Monterey Road,
Glendale, 6, CA. Mrs. Waste further related that she had
visited or contacted Mrs. Lucille Bernice Hewitt (Veale), but from her
letter that she, Lucille nor the California DAR had little true family
information.
Whether or not any
of this is useful remains to be seen. Might he have left any
personal journals or records?
If more on the soldiers
themselves comes to light I'll forward it on. Do keep me
in the loop about these or others you might find. Best.. Judy
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Dan,
Could this be Petro Garcia?? There are no Petro
Garcia's listed in the WWI Draft index (so far). This Pedro was
the only Elko listing among 37 Pedro Garcias, interesting that he was
buried in Tacoma. No Tacoma Garcias for 1910 or 1920 that I see
so far. I also have checked the Elko Co., probate index and none
of these names appear. If there is a hometown connection it will
surely be noted in the newspaper. Also the Ogden burial might
mean that soldier (McCullum) was from Utah? and reported in a
newspaper there. I also wonder if a soldier died somewhere else might
they have sent the body to Montello for burial? The death
certificate would be in the state where the death occurred. Lots
to check.
I'll do more searching tomorrow. It's exciting
that there are some names now to look for.
Best, Judy
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Birth Date: |
20 Jun 1884 |
Ethnicity: |
I |
| |
Birth Place: |
rel. lives
Aguascalientes Mex. |
City/County: |
Elko |
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State: |
NV |
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Dan,
I'll see what I can find.
They will eventually all (in theory) show up in the WW1 Draft records
index, which is being created at Ancestry.com. Any additional
identifying info will help greatly (age, birth place, resident state,
etc). If I find anything I'll let you know.
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Birth Date: |
21 Jun 1884 |
Ethnicity: |
W |
| |
Birth Place: |
rel. lives
Momcaqua IL |
City/County: |
Elko |
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State: |
NV |
George Kirker apparently signed up for the draft in Elko NV.
I'll see if I can find any Kirker's in Momcaqua IL.. I don't
see any Kirkers in my cemetery index, nor the NV 1920 census.
I'll keep checking. Good luck with the searching, I'll let you
know what more I find.
Best, Judy
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| Here is some more info on Dr.
Waste: |
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http://roswell.fortunecity.com/silbury/423/jcv1.html |
| On July 12, 1944, Mr. Zed Veale Jr., of Flagstaff, AZ
received a letter from Mrs. John M. Waste, her husband being Dr. John M.
Waste. Mrs. Waste related that she was doing research through the
California DAR on the Veale Family as she is a descendant of Emily Veale.
Her address at that time was: 1015 Montery Road, Glendale, 6, CA. Mrs.
Waste further related that she had visited or contacted Mrs. Lucille
Bernice Hewitt (Veale), but from her letter that she, Lucille nor the
California DAR had little true family information. |
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Here are some
more Death Certificates for Montello area residents who died of the
Influenza 1918- 1919. |
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Other Death
Certificates in Montello area for deaths from Influenza 1918- 1919
Sheridan Blaine
Johnson, Cash Douglass McClure, Charles Harold Moody, Giovanni
Pavletti, Mrs. J.A. Zundell |
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Steve Highbarger
has also been working on this subject and I hope this information
helps him on the quest. |
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: Montello - Unknown Soldiers 1918
Dan
Thank You so very much for the email and
the update. It certainly sounds promising. I will give
you a brief up date on my efforts.
I contacted my federal delegation in
Washington D.C. about this problem. The Congressional Inquiry
Office, The National Archives and The Military Personnel Records
Center are all working on this mystery. They are interested
and committed to resolving this.
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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: Unknown Soldiers, Montello, Elko County,
Nevada
Dan
It seems as though the only record that
truly exists on these 10 soldiers is an oral record, and at this
time it is a second hand record. The ones who truly lived thru
this period in Montello and might know the story are probably gone
by now. Are there really 10 unknown soldiers buried there?
I have been doing family history
research for many years, and locating records that are four or five
hundred years old, and not once have I had so much difficulty as we
seem to be having now. This all happened in the 20th century,
and involved a great many agencies. The City of Montello, the
County of Elko, the State of Nevada, the U.S. Army, the Department
of Defense, and the Southern Pacific Railroad not to mention the
numerous individuals the were involved. I keep asking myself
why this is so difficult. It shouldn't be.
The four death certificates you have on
the web page all list a different undertaker. The undertaker
that buried those 10 soldiers would want to be paid right? Who
did he send the bill to? Who was the undertaker? Did he
keep any records? There is a J.J. Thurston, Montello; Larken(?)
& sons, Ogden; C. Lee, acting, Tecoma; and J.H. Keyser in Elko.
Do these mortuaries in Tecoma and Elko still exist?
.This should not be so difficult.
Steve
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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: Unknown Soldiers, Montello, Elko County,
Nevada
Steve,
Before the white stuff flies, I will go
back to the Montello cemetery and see if any of these names (the
nine) are marked. If not then my first assumption is that 10
(I may be missing 1) people died here during the flu epidemic and
that four of them were soldiers and 6 were locals. One soldier
was moved to Ogden. But the quote "Assumption is the
mother of all screw ups" may apply here, too. I did post
your note to the site as it adds to the thought process. I
have learned a lot on this quest though. It was quite an
epidemic one I have never seen in my lifetime - and hopefully never
will either. Best as always, Dan
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Hi Dan,
There are burials for Montello (Survey conducted in
1957 for the D.A.R.) at:
Name
Birth Date Death
Date Comment
MCCLURE, Carl
18 Jan 1919 30 Apr 1919
Son of Charles & Bernice
ZUNDELL, Baby
07 Aug 1923
Montello Catholic Cemetery
PAOTETTE, Geonanni 28 Aug 1894
03 Nov 1918
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Hi Dan,
Thanks for putting the death certifs up. I
concur with your "more questions than answers " statement. They
are fascinating, and should yield much more info on these men. How
can we be sure these are (or ever were) soldier? the
occupations don't seem to fit that. Even if they
were listed in the WWI draft they may not have served. I also
am wondering what federal records might exist as part of Dr. Waste's
records as a Capt. ?? Have you learned anymore from
the newspaper re: obits etc? With the additional
information I'll see what I can find. I'm not sure any
Elko area mortician records exist prior to Burns? Perhaps the
museum can help? I agree that checking with the RR and the US
Gov. might yield something. Also I think by then burial
permits were required to transport a body across state lines. Might
health depts have required special permits because of the flu? Keep
me posted and I'll let you know if I learn more. Best,,
Judy
- Judy-
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Here are some
recent photographs of the unknown graves in the Montello cemetery: |
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I have now gone
through the fourth quarter, 1918 Elko Independent newspaper and have
located no information on the graves. I still need to go
though the Elko Free Press paper and the Wells Herald for this time
period. |
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Lots of questions come to mind. How do we know there were 10
soldiers? Why are there no death certificates for 10
soldiers? Are the graves of the above five non-soldiers
marked? Are they part of the ten? Why have no relatives
ever come searching for them? Are the first four people actual
unknown soldiers or are their graves marked? Does the one moved
to Ogden leave only nine? Should the bodies be exhumed to
determine their identity? I don't know the answer to any
of these questions. If you know or would like to add anything about this
subject, please let me know.
Let's see if we can get to the bottom of this mystery. |
Additional Information: Northeastern
Nevada Museum
© 2002 - Elko Rose Garden Association
Photos by Dan Turner, 3/18/01 & 5/19/02
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