Person:Charles Emery (1)

Decatur, Ill Review Jan 28, 1919^S4

Charles W. Emery, aged 28, who spent his entire life in Austin township, Macon county, is dead in France. Word to this effect was received by his parents in Maroa, Tuesday. In a letter from the hospital chaplain. Emery died of pneumonia on Dec. 31. As an odd coincidence is that just a year ago tomorrow, word was received of the death of his brother, Walter Emery, at Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico.

Charles Emery was widely known in Maroa and Austin township. He was a member of the Second army Artillary Corps, headquarters troop. He went with the contingent of drafted men from Macon county in April 1918. He first went to Fort Washington, Md. He returned in the end of July and spent a furlough in Maroa. Later he sailed for foreign shores and reached England on the Saturday before the signing of the armistice. Then he went across the channel into France. In the last letter received from him, he stated he was in the hospital with an attack of bronchitis. That letter was written on Dec. 3. On Tuesday morning two letters from the chaplain were received. One stated that he was sick with pneumonia but was doing nicely. That letter was written on Dec. 23. The other letter was written on Dec. 31 and stated that the boy had died. Emery was buried at a point 125 miles from Paris.

In 1920 his body was brought back to the US for reburial. Following are several newspaper articles about this:

Soldier's Body Reaches Maroa

The body of Charles W. Emery, whose death occurred in Lemans, France, while serving with overseas forces, arrived in Maroa, Friday night, and funeral services will be conducted in Maroa Methodist church Sunday afternoon 2:30 by Rev. C. E. Jenney, members of Weilepp-Cramer post, American Legion, in a body attending this service. The burial will be in Ridge Cemetery.

Charles Emery was farming in Austin township when the work of conscription began and knowing that he was eligible for service, at least from the age standpoint, at once began selling his property and making preparations for call and when that moment came, he arranged his business affairs and was ready for the word, never giving a thought to the possibility of claiming any exemption. His death occurred Dec. 31, 1918, and was due to pneumonia. The surviving members of the family are his brothers, Louis L. and Lawrence E. Emery, both residing in Austin township.

Maroa, Sept. 24 - (Special) - The body of Private Charles W. Emery, who died at LeMons, France, December 13 (sic,) 1918, arrived in Maroa Friday night.

The funeral was held this afternoon at the Methodist church in Maroa. The interment was in the Ridge cemetery, four miles west of Maroa.

The services were in charge of the Maroa post of the American Legion, and a large number of Legion members from Decatur attended.^S5

Many Honor Maroa Soldier

Neary 1,000 Attend Military Services for Charles Emery

Hundreds of the friends of Charles W. Emery, a Maroa soldier who died while in the service in France, attended his funeral services in the Maroa Methodist churchSunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. It was one of the largest funerals ever conducted in that part of the country. Nearly 1,000 personswere in attendance. A prefusion of flowers was sent. The Maroa post of the American Legion had charge of the services and a number from the Decatur post attended.

Rev. C. E. Jenney, chaplain of the local post of the Legion, had charge of the services. He was asissted by Rev. Mr. Jenner and Rev. Mr. Hartley. The funeral was conducted in military order. Singers were Mrs. F. O. Wikoff, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Spiecklemeyer and J. A. Barnett. Flowers were in charge of Mrs. Howard Heft, Mrs. Vaughn Hetzler, Miss Sarah Regamel and Miss Hattie Kerwood. Bearers were George Johnson, Del Blosser, Roland Newman, Hugh Hoaglin, Ray Trowbridge and Alvin Throbridge. Burial was in Ridge cemetery.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Edmund West (compiler). Family Data Collection - Births (not a reliable source). (Ancestry.com Operations Inc).

   Emery, Charles William; Father: Emery, Clarence Foster Mother: Nowlin, Eleanore Elizabeth; Birth Date: 14 January 1891 City: Austin; County: Macon State: IL

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Edmund West (compiler). Family Data Collection - Individual Records (not a reliable source). (Ancestry.com Operations Inc).

   Charles William Emery; Birth: 14 January 1891-- Macon, Austin Twp, IL; Death: 21 December 1918 --  ; Spouse:  ; Parents: Clarence Foster Emery, Eleanore Elizabeth Nowlin

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Clarence Emery household, in Macon, Illinois, United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   1900.

   Name: Charles W Emery
   Home in 1900: Austin, Macon, Illinois
   Age: 9
   Estimated birth year: abt 1891
   Birthplace: Illinois
   Relationship to head-of-house: Son
   Parent's Name: Clarence
   Race: White
   Household Members: Name Age
   Clarence Emery 43
   Annie E Emery 18
   Louis L Emery 17
   May L Emery 16
   Clarence W Emery 14
   Lawrence C Emery 10
   Charles W Emery 9
   Katie L Emery 7

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Wrights Grove Cemetery, in Find A Grave.

   Charles W Emery memorial page including obituary and photo of gravemarker statue

5. ↑ Charles W. Emery, in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States. The Pantagraph. (Bloomington, Illinois)
   27 Sep 1920.
6.   Soldier's Body Reaches Maroa, in Decatur, Macon, Illinois, United States. Decatur Herald. (Decatur, Illinois)
   26 Sep 1920.