Posted on 04/09/2009 5:04:30 PM PDT by slowry
My brother from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan called me, somebody he knows found a Gideon New Testament in or near a little town called Homestead in Wisconsin. (Maybe it was an entire Bible, I'm not sure.)
Written in it was "Samuel C. Peaslee, Dubuque, IA, American Expeditionary Force, France, 1918"
I have no idea if it's proper to post this here.
After my initial internet searches found that there were numerous Peaslees in Iowa, I renewed my old membership on ancestry.com to see if any descendants could be located. I did find what apparently was a father and son with that exact name in Dubuque. The father would have been about 55 in 1918, the son about 17.
But I feel like I'm stymied right now, there aren't any descendants listed. The son showed up on the 1920 census.
My brother thought it would be nice to locate a family member. Anybody have any suggestions? I had read a story this week in the NYT about restoring lost items to owners with the help of the internet. But after looking at some "lost/found" websites, none so far seem up to this task.
It happens that last year I found out that a personal Bible of JS Bach, including his written notes, was found in the 1930s in a farm outside Detroit.
BTTT !
I wish I had advice for you.
Let us know the outcome.
Good luck to you. The only way to let out the word is to spread it to as many people as possible. Wish I could help you.
Oh, you might try calling the library in Dubuque and letting them know of your find - also the local newspapers. They might publish this story.... it’s so old and from WWI that they might find it interesting (esp. small local papers). That might give you some traction.
/johnny
Some local might remember the family.
I was thinking the same thing - just Google the name. It is astonishing what is on the internet.
I think he might try calling the local libraries and newspapers there in Dubuque to see if there might be descendants. It’s sad but that probably IS the chap. He would’ve been 18 in 1918, prime age for a young man to be at war then and knowing what happened in WWI, he very easily could have died in the 30’s if he’d been exposed to the gas or other poisons. And of course, people died of pneumonia and other things rather easily back then.
I beat you by 2 minutes. My idea exactly. It’s good advice. Our paper occasionally does print these kinds of stories.
What are the odds? It even says AEF on the stone.
I thought of another idea - Craig’s List. Can’t hurt.
If he cannot find the family then my I suggest he donate it to the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo.? As the only museum in the country dedicated to the First World War it would make a nice addition to their collection.
if he’d been exposed to the gas or other poisons.
My Grandfather's brother was exposed to mustard gas in WWI and died slowly. The same could have happened to Mr Peaslee.
I can’t give you any better advice than what you already have. It does remind me of when everyone in my school, was given New Testaments by the Gideons. No one complained and I don’t recall anyone refusing. Although my parents gave me a Bible when I was 9, I still was happy to get one.
I still have it.
It may be him. Sadly.
/johnny
Yes. I thought the same.
It looks to be so. It is sad. So many lives lost and now, for what? So Obama can throw it all down the tubes with his little minions in the White House and the Supreme Court.
Exactly. It could’ve been a lot of things. I hope he finds an heir - that would be pretty neat.
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