Jackson County, Ohio

History and Genealogy


Influenza Epidemic Claims Victims


Rigid Quarantine Being Enforced to Stamp Out Contagion.

With twelve deaths, more than four hundred cases, and more than a majority of families in the city affected, the Board of Health has taken action to check the influenza-pneumonia epidemic which has Wellston, as well as many other cities in the country, in its grasp. Saturday afternoon an order was issued closing the churches, schools, and theatres; and Tuesday, the closing act was extended to include saloons, ice cream parlors and confectionerys. The miners' trains must be fumigated daily and the windows left open at all times. An order prohibiting the burning of leaves has also been issued, as it is claimed the smoke irritates the throat and nostrils and makes them a convenient lodging place for the influenza germs.

Wellston Telegram, Wellston OH; October 9, 1918



INFLUENZA TAKES FOUR WELLSTON BOYS IN CAMP

Gallant Young Men Sacrificed Life For Country On This Side of the Sea

Four young men from Wellston and the immediate vicinity, who only a few short weeks ago, confidently and gladly entered camp, to begin training, have fallen victim within the last week to the scourge of influenza which is sweeping the country.

Four weeks ago, Robert Pierpont, one of the city's finest young men, left for Norfolk, Va., having enlisted in the radio service in July, and this morning his body was recivied here by his sorrowing family and friends. His death occured Sunday morning and at his bedside were his mother and his fiancee, Miss Hazel Wallace, who left here Thursday evening on receipt of the message that he was ill with pneumonia, developing from influenza.

Messages containing the announcement of his death were sent to his family here but were not received and the first word here was brought by his mother, when she and Miss Wallace returned Monday morning.

The young soldier was 21 years old and graduated from the local High school in 1915. Before enlisting, he was employed by E.E. Chambers, acting as manager of the Kingston store during its existence, and later as clerk and ad writer for the local store. He was a young man of splendid character and real ability and the future seemed more than ordinarily bright for him. Surviving him are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pierpont, five sisters and three brothers, Misses Emma, Mae, Mildred, Betty and Dorothy and Frank Jr. and Rodger at home and Will in Detroit, and by his fiancee to whom he was to have been married as soon as the war ended.

The funeral will be held from the home on South Pennsylvania avenue Thursday afternoon, the local band, of which he was a member attending in a boday, and interment will be in Ridgewood. Among those called here by his death are his brother from Detroit and his Grandfather, John Pierpont of Ironton and his aunt, Mrs. Anna Nelson of Nelsonville.

At Camp Sherman, three local boys have died since Friday. On that day, Pearl Hutchinson, who had been in the service one month being a member of the 14th Company, 4th training Battalion, died after a brief illness. He was 22 years old and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hutchinson of Clarion, who survive him with four brothers and four sisters, John of of McArthur, Jerry of Millfield, Aurthur in France, Marion, Mrs. Lewis Thacker and Mrs. Clarence McKenzie of Clarion, Mrs. Ed Ervin of Berlin and Mrs. Jack Oiler of Carrollton. The body, accompanied by the brother Marion, was taken to the home at Clarion Saturday and the funeral was held at Mt. Olive Sunday afternoon, Rev. H.W. Buck officiating. Interment was in Mt. Olive cemetery in charge of Simons.

The funeral of Henery Canter, who died Monday at Camp Sherman, was held this afternoon at the home of his grief-stricken parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Canter, west of Wellston. The young man was 21 years old and had been in service only a few weeks. Besides his parents, he is survived by three brothers and one sister, Edgar, Vernon, and Delbert at home and Mrs. Jennie Rowland of west B street, all of whom were with him during his last illness.

The death of Herschel Seiberts which occured at Camp Sherman Tuesday afternoon was a great shock to his many friends, as he had left here in the best of health just two weeks to the day before his death, being one of the registrants of 1918. He was 21 years old and was a driller before going to camp. Surviving him are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sieberts, two brothers and one sister, Charles, Horace and Mrs. Herman Wills, all of this city, and all of whom were called to his bedside Monday. The body arrived here this evening, accompanied by Pvt. Charles Ellis and the funeral will be held at the home on North Wisconsin avenue Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

Wellston Telegram, Wellston OH; 09 Oct 1918



Three More Soldiers Victims of Influenza

Harold Welsh, Cecil Canter and Fred Fair Brought for Burial

Three more of Wellston's finest young men succumbed to influenza and pneumonia during the past weeks in the camps, in which they were having military training, increasing the death list of those who died in camp to seven.

Harold Spurgent Welsh, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. David R. Welsh died Friday night at Norfolk, Va., where he had gone September 23rd, as a second class seaman in the United States Navy. The young man was 21 years old, and graduated from the local High School in 1916, the family moving here from Glen Roy the year before.

Until his enlistment he was employed as weigh boss with his father, who is superintendent at the Iron Valley mine. He was a member of the Methodist church and of the K. of P. lodge. His death occured after ten days illness from influenza and pneumonia. His mother and sister, Miss Fay, teacher at Mohawk, went to his bedside several days before his death, and his father started to Norfolk last Friday, passing on the way the train on which his son's body was being brought home, and not learning of his death until he reached the hospital.

Mrs. Welsh and daughter started home with the body but the train was wrecked at Williamson,WVa., the baggage car in which the body of the young seaman and those of nineteen others were being transported, being badly damaged. Mrs. Welsh and Miss Welsh came home Saturday and the body arrived Sunday night. Before his death the young man called to him the Y.M.C.A. secretary and expressed to him his readiness to die. The body was accompanied here by his cousin, Russell Law, who is in the same branch of service.

Surviving Mr. Welsh are his parents, three sisters and two brothers, Ethel, a teacher in the local schools, Fay, Erma, Ray and Glendon. A cousin George Welsh, also in the Navy, is in France. The funeral was held at the home on South Indiana avenue this afternoon, Rev C.F. Bowman officiating and interment was in Ridgewood cemetery.

At Camp Sherman, Frederick Fair died Thursday night, and Cecil Canter passed away Sunday. Mr. Fair went to Camp Sherman five weeks ago, and had been ill little more than a week when his death occured. He was 22 years old and is survived by his wife who was Evelyn Patton, a son, Frederick Hubert, who was born the day before the father left for camp, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Fair, and five brothers and two sisters, Wm. Fair of Putney, WVa., James, Mont, Earl, Ed and Mrs. Clarence Steece of this city and Miss Blanche Fair of Dayton.

The body was brought here Saturday night, accompanied by Private Floyd Williams of Dayton, formerly of this city, and the funeral was held Monday morning at the home of his parents in South Wellston and interment was in Ridgewood cemetery. The Liberty Band played the funeral march and the pall bearers were Joe Cunningham, Cecil Whetstone, Charles Moshier, Wm. Marcus, Oliver Leo and Granville Reed.

Cecil Canter, who went to camp early in September, died Sunday, his sister, Miss Clara being at his bedside. His relatives were summoned two weeks ago, but he improved and they returned home, and his sister had gone back to care for other soldiers when her brother grew worse. The young man was the eldest son of Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Canter, living east of Wellston, and besides his parents, he is survived by four sisters and two brothers. Clara, Esther, Aaron, Thomas Jr., Veronica and Eileen. He was a member of the Liberty Band. The funeral was held at the home this morning and interment was in Ridgewood.


Wellston Telegram, Wellston OH; October 9, 1918