Reflections From the Fence: World War I Soldier

Bill West, of the blog, West in New England, is hosting the First Geneablogger's First World War Challenge, which reads:

Where your ancestors were in 1914, and what effect the war would have on their families?

Did any of them see military action? Were any family members killed? Do you have any photographs of them in uniform?

Did the War force your ancestors to leave their homes? Was it the reason they emigrated to another country? Where did they go?

Write a blogpost on any of the above, or something else about World War 1 and your family. When it's posted, send me the link. If you have already written a blogpost that you'd like to use, then send me the link to that post.

The deadline for submissions will be July 29th, 2014. I'll publish the list of links here a week later on August 5th.

See Bill's post here.

This is my entry.

Roscoe Clyde Lashbrook was born Feb 21, 1896 at Swanton, Butler County, Iowa to Moses Lashbrook and his bride, Mary R. (nee Moran) Lashbrook.

In 1914, Roscoe was living with his parents, somewhere in Butler County, probably very near New Hartford. Not much is known about his childhood, his father was a farmer up to at least 1910, so, we can imagine that Roscoe grew up helping his parents around the farm.

On June 5, 1917 we find Roscoe registering for the draft. The registration states he was born on February 21, 1896, in Parkersburg, Iowa (Butler County). He was a "creamery employee" for Albion Creamery Company, was single, was tall and of slender build with brown eyes and dark brown hair. He registered at Albion, Butler County, Iowa.

I have been able to trace Roscoe's entry into the service via the Iowa Recorder, published in Green, Butler County, Iowa. Ancestry.com has a great collection of the papers, I spent hours searching, reading, and collecting articles about Roscoe.

In the July 18, 1917 issue of the Iowa Recorder, Greene, Butler County, Iowa appears a list of "Registration Names and Serial Numbers", the list is a list of men eligible for the Army draft of World War I, which list includes R. C. Lashbrook, Parkersburg, number 1267.

In the July 25, 1917 issue of the Iowa Recorder, Greene, Butler County, Iowa appears the following:

"Draft Numbers for Butler County

The following list is not absolutely correct but it is as correct as was possible to make it. It was compiled from the early telegraphic reports and therefore is not official. Errors were made in sending the numbers over the wire, some numbers were omitted and some were duplicated. Watch the official posting of the list by the county examining board. This list should be posted at least by Thursday or Friday.

The first number shows the order in which the drawing was made in Washington and the second number is the registrants serial number and is the number you should look for on the official list. If your number is not among the first 300 names you will likely not be called in the first call for the 687,000 men. If your number is not on the list as published below, it may, however, show up among the first 300 on the official list.

141 1267 R.C. Lashbrook, Parkersb'g"

From the August 1, 1917 issue of the Iowa Recorder, Greene, Butler County Iowa:

"268 Must Appear

For Examination

Will be Held at Allison

August 3, 4, and 5

Claims for Exemption Must be Made

Within Seven Days After Date

Of Posting Notice

Following is the official "Notice for Physical Examination: as sent out by the county auditor. The first 90 will be examined Friday, August 3, and those from number 91 to 179 on Saturday, August 4, and the last group, from number 180 to 268, on Monday, August 6. The notice follows:

The following-named persons are hereby notified that, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved May 18, 1917, they are called for military service of the United States by this Local Board.

The serial number and the order number of each of such persons is shown below. They will report at the office of this Local Board for physical examination on the 3rd day of August, on the 4th day of August, and on the 6th day of August, 1917, at 7 o'clock a.m., according to the three groups below.

Any claim of exemption or discharge must be made on forms which may be procured, or the form of which may be copied at the office of the Local Board, and must be filed at the office of this Local Board on or before the seventh day after the date of posting of this notice.

Your attention is called to the penalties for violation or evasion of the Selective Service Law approved May 18, 1917, and the Rules and Regulations which may be consulted at this office.

Friday, August 3, 1917

18 1267 - - R.C. Lashbrook, Parkersb'g."

Below, the banner for the September 12, 1918 issue of the Iowa Recorder. Note the article heading at the far left of the paper, column 1. See next image.

This column mentions R. C. Lashbrook of Parkersburg. The article reads:

"Butler County Will

Send 53 More Men

Will Probably Be Called To

Report Next Wednesday.

County Auditor Has Not Yet Received

Official Notice to Make Call.

----Expects it Soon.

Although the local board of Butler county has not yet received official notice to make the call it is generally understood from previous reports from higher officials that the second apportionment will be called to report Wednesday, September 19. This call will be 40 per cent of the quota or 53 men from Butler County.

If the present plan will be carried out the first 53 in the list below will be called to report at Allison next Wednesday morning. This is the entire list of those who have so far been passed by the local and district board and are certified as selected for military service and not exempted or discharged.

18 1267--R.C. Lashbrook, Parkersb'g"

From the September 19, 1917 issue of the Iowa Recorder, Greene, Butler County, Iowa this detailed article describing the soldiers "shipping out" :

"Conscripts Honored

At Allison Tuesday

Fifty-Four Leave For Camp

Dodge Today.

Thousands of Butler County People

Pay Tribute To Our Boys - - Largest

Crowd Ever in Allison.

Tuesday afternoon at Allison was held a great Patriotic demonstration and the people turned out from all sections to honor the occasion at which time 54 of Butler County's young men appeared before the local board for military service, registered and were ready to entrain on Wednesday morning for their respective training camps where they will be prepared to serve in defense of their country.

Allison was not only crowded with people, there was a perfect jam and a recording breaking crowd.

The monster open air gathering held on the Court House grounds was addressed by Judge J. J. Clarke of Mason City and Attorney C. G. Burling of Clarksville, both speakers demanded the closest attention and gave good addresses.

The program as given was as follows:

Invocation, Minister from Parkersburg.

Spokesman, State Senator W. T. Evans

Music, Ladies quartet from Clarksville.

Address by Attorney C. G. Burling, Clarksville.

Song, "The Long Long Trail" by Mrs. Hunter of Allison.

Address of the day by Judge J. J. Clarke of Mason City.

Benediction, Rev. Lilly, Bristow.

Seven Bands in Attendance.

To say there was band music galore is putting it mildly. Greene, Clarksville, Shell Rock, Allison, Bristow, Parkersburg and Aredale bands were all present and there was music in the air in every direction.

Mayor Geo. Wilson of Greene was flag bearer and led the bands through Main Street. At the closing of the program five bands formed a circle under the large flag hanging over Main street and played in unison the "Stars Spangled Banner."

Reported this Morning.

Following is the list of those who reported for duty at Allison and left for Camp Dodge this morning:

R.C. Lashbrook, Parkersburg."

And so, Roscoe went off to war. I have no knowledge of his next year and a half, but, we do have this tidbit, again from the local newspaper.

In the April 9, 1919 issue of the Iowa Recorder, Greene, Butler County, Iowa appears a list of "Discharges Recorded, Following Soldiers and Sailors Have Had Their Discharges Recorded From March 8, to April 5, 1919, Roscoe C. Lashbrook of Shell Rock appears on this list.

Roscoe is the only World War I solider I have been able to follow in this manner. I found the news articles to be fascinating.

Several years after the Great War, Roscoe married and had one son. Roscoe died on December 20, 1970 at Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa.

Roscoe's obituary was published in the Monday, December 21, 1970 issue of the Waterloo Daily Courier, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa:

"Roscoe C. Lashbrook

New Hartford- - Services for Roscoe C. Lashbrook, 74, who died Sunday evening at the Veterans Hospital in Knoxville, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in New Hartford in New Hartford; burial in the Oak Hill Cemetery; survivors include a son, Clyde of New Hartford; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren."