Hello List Here's this week's column. I'm sending this out early this weekend, while we have a break in the weather. We've had some pretty rough storms sweeping through and more on the way. Luckily we weren't hit as hard as Hamilton County, I understand they had damage in Hico and a few tornados touch down not far from there. I hope everyone is safe and no injuries. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the column, the story included this week on Bill Flemin was sent to me by Gene Blakely and he was kind enough to let me share it with our readers in the newspaper. You may have already seen it on the list before, but it's such a great story, it's worth reading twice. Be sure to send in your Bosque County, stories, memories, reunion information, etc. to share with the readers here on the list and in the local newspaper The Bosque County News. Have a wonderful Easter. Thanks LaDawn Garland Bosque Co, Tx garland@htcomp.net +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Out of Our Past Tracing Our Bosque County Roots The Bosque County News April 3, 2002 I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Easter. Please take a minute to send in your queries, family stories or memories, reunion information or anything you would like to share on your Bosque County families. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared their families and stories with us here in the column. Bill Flemin There's a small marker in the Riverside Cemetery in Iredell. It is easily overlooked, it is kinda hard to find, and few are even aware of its existence. The marker reads "Bill Flemin 1896-1918 Killed in WWI" The small concrete marker, laying flat on the ground, was poured by John D Smith based on information supplied by Jim McCoy. Jim used to care for some of the graves in the local cemeteries, and Flemin's marker initially was only a small rock with some writing on it. Most markers for veterans and soldiers found in cemeteries are those supplied by the government, at no charge. That's as it should be. But Bill doesn't have a government marker, and I guess now I'm one of the few people around to tell his story. I thought Bill should have an appropriate government marker, so I figured I'd go to the Bosque County Historical Commission's Meridian Tribune microfilm file and see if there was anything in a contemporary newspaper about "Flemin". To save me some time, since Jim McCoy only lived a block or so from the cemetery, I decided to ask Jim if he remembered the guy. That way I wouldn't have to search for as many news articles. Jim was in his early nineties at the time I think. Or maybe he was in his late eighties. This was in May of 1995. Anyway, I knocked on his door and was invited in. I told him I was seeking information about the "Bill Flemin" buried in Riverside. Jim said yes, he did recall that burial. He explained that in 1920 he and his family were living at Chalk Mountain, and that in the Fall of 1920 a Mike Flemin, said to be a former police officer in Dallas, and his wife had moved to an adjoining 320 acre farm. Jim described Mike as being a big Irishman who had been married three or four times. Jim said Mike was then 53 years old, and his current wife was just 23. Jim said that in 1921 Mike told him that his son's body was being returned from France and would be buried in Riverside Cemetery at Iredell. Mike said that his son, whom Mike always called "Bill", was the only child of his marriage to his first wife. He said Bill had been in the Army in World War I and that he had been wounded while in France. He had been carried to a hospital in France, and that subsequently the Germans had bombed the hospital and Bill was killed. This was in 1918. Mike said that by 1921 soldiers bodies were being returned to the states, and Mike was contacted as to where he wanted the body shipped for burial. Mike told them to just ship it to Iredell, that it was on a railroad, and he explained that they would be moving one of these days, and he could have his son's body shipped to wherever they moved to. Jim said the body was shipped back, and that Mike opened the casket, and saw there Bill's mother's ring which Bill always wore. Jim said Bill's body was returned for burial in June 1921 and that later the Flemin's moved away, but Bill's body had remained at Riverside. (As you have probably already figured out, Jim McCoy was one of those rare folks who had a photographic memory. Jim died a year or so after telling me this story.) The same day I talked to Jim I headed for the Bosque County collection and those old microfilmed Meridian Tribunes. Sure enough, in the July 29, 1921 I found the following news article: Bodies of War Heroes Returned in County Remains of H.T. Harris of Morgan, and William M. Fleming, of Iredell, soldiers killed in France during the World War were shipped to their respective homes from Little Rock, Arkansas on Monday, July 25. Funeral services for Mr. Harris were held at Morgan Wednesday and for Mr. Fleming at Iredell the same day. In the Interesting Items from Iredell Community news in the same paper I found the following article: The body of Private William Fleming arrived home from France Tuesday night and was buried in Riverside Cemetery Wednesday about noon. The soldier went from Dallas, but since the war began his father has moved near here is the reason the young man was buried here. This young man was wounded and carried to a hospital and was recovering when the hospital was blown up and killed about four hundred and he was one of them. The funeral service was conducted by Rev. George Smith in the presence of a large concourse of people; after which the soldier boys took hold and gave some military ceremonies and laid the remains to rest. This is the fourth body of soldiers shipped here from France and buried in this cemetery; and as far as we can recall there will not be any more shipped here. Using the above information, I went to the National Archives Branch in Fort Worth and searched the World War I Draft Registration cards now on microfilm there. In doing so I found a William Madison Fleming, 1223 Peabody, Dallas, born Aug. 23, 1890, natural born at Dallas, Texas, occupation Painter, employed by J.F. Fleming at the same address, described as single, slight build, having brown eyes and black hair. He registered in Pct. 22 in Dallas County on June 5, 1915. Using that information, I wrote to the National Personnel Center (Military Records) in Saint Louis and requested a photocopy of any records pertaining to Fleming. They replied with a form and checked thereon was the block saying they were unable to identify a military service record from the information given. And there Bill's story has ended for now. But he hasn't been forgotten, even if his existence is marked only by that small concrete marker and this tale. You might look for Bill's marker the next time you visit the cemetery. That would be nice. Gene Blakley Iredell geneb@htcomp.net Old News From Around Bosque County Bosque Citizen Thursday, July 28, 1887 Personals: Mrs. A N Tandy visited her relatives in Temple this week. Miss Lorena Wirtz of Morgan with her friend Miss Mattie Nelms of Trinity County, paid the Citizen a complimentary visit Tuesday. Mr. E E Hudson of Kopperl was on the jury this week and honored the sanctum with a call. Billy Adams took in the anti grand rally at Ft. Worth. All the members of Mr. Kinsolving's family have been down with Malarial fever, but are now improving. Mr. John Patton and family and Mr. Wm. Wate, old Virginia friends of the Kinsolvings, now of McLennan county, paid a visit to Mr. Kinsolving's family last week. Miss Janie Johnson is visiting friends and relatives in DeLeon. Messrs. Cicero Jenkins and Cary W. Styles will speak at Norse today. Married Jennings - Vickery Seated in a buggy at the foot of the mountain just across the Bosque from Meridian, with the young moon's silvery rays resting upon them on the night of July 25, 1887, Mr. Robert Jennings, aged about 18, and Miss Cora Vickery, aged about 15, both of Meridian were joined in Wedlock, E. B. Harris, Esq. officiating. Vickery - Welch At the residence of Mr. John Rizer, Monday night, July 18, 1887, Mr. John Vickery to Miss Bettie Welch by Rev. J. R. Randle. George W. Leaverton died in his room of the Arlington Hotel, Dallas, about 5 p.m., Friday, July 22, 1887. Mr. Leaverton had for some months been working in the office of the Western Newspaper Union and was at his post of duty until near 4 o'clock the afternoon of his death, when complaining of dizziness, he went to his room and was dead in an hour. He had been drinking excessively for sometime which probably occassioned his sudden taking off. Mr. Leaverton's home was in Bosque County, and here he had many friends who will drop the tear of sympathy. He was a kind, good-hearted man and whiskey was his worst enemy. The artesian well is now cased with galvanized iron to a depth of 470 feet, and the drilling was resumed on Tuesday. Mr. W. A. Potter manufactured and inserted the casing and made a most satisfactory job of it. Later She flows! She flows! A few minutes before 5 o'clock yesterday morning the artesian water flowed over the casing and formed minature lakes on the street. The sand stratum was entered late Tuesday evening but the drilling was suspended to repair the drill. As soon as the break is mended and the stratum is penetrated five or ten feet a vigorous and bountiful flow may be expected. Give Thanks ye suffering denizens of Meridian and ye incubi get out and give the town a chance. Be sure to visit the Bosque County site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbosqu2/ there's a wealth of information on Bosque County and it's families provided by volunteers and other researchers. Contribute your family information, you might just find something on your ancestors there. You're quite likely to find others researching your family line as well. There you can check out the new project for the TxGenWeb archives, you can submit Texas Family Group Sheets, be sure to submit your Bosque County family. The Bosque County Collection in Meridian has a treasure trove of history just waiting to be explored. From the many newspapers covering the county through the years, census, death and marriage records to the old deeds. There is sure to be something there for every researcher, for more information visit their website at http:www.htcomp.net/bcc Good luck to all who are researching their Bosque County roots. If you would like to submit a query, family story or reunion information on your Bosque County family to be included here in the column in the newspaper as well as online, please email me at garland@htcomp.net, or mail it to Bosque County News, P.O. Box 343, Meridian, Tx 76665 or fax it to 254-435-6335.