Groveland Township Memorial Souvenir, Tazewell County, IL ...part of Genealogy Trails

Imperishable as is history, will be the memory of our Groveland Township heroes of long ago.

"Brave boys were they, Who came at their Country's call!"

The unalterable blue of the skies seems to have caught its coloring from the sheen of that uniformed host that marched away from their homes
to suffer, bleed, and die, that the United States of America might life.

Tho it all happened in the Sixties, long before the mass of this present generation was born, Groveland Township today, with reverential pride entrusts the honor roll of that deaths less band to the pages that follow. There was pain then; but it has long since been graciously healed by the soothing touch of time's finger. There were eyes wet and swollen in those long ago days of mortal anguish; but they are radiant again, for they have opened in Heaven where God's kind hand wipes away all tears. There are yet in our midst a few remaining of those boys in blue. To them; All hail! May God's angels attend their every footstep, and lead them gently toward Home.

With the month of August, 1914, came rolling the din of awful conflict from the far away European Continent, even into the ever peaceful seclusion of our own Groveland Township, Tazewell County, Illinois. The flashings of the cannon grew more vivid, and their muttering thunders rumbled louder, until it were wont to freeze the souls of our people who felt the awful sacrifice it must mean to European homes; and every mother iutuitively felt to hide her own sons in her bosom to protect from impending evil. Days, and months, and years drug their torturous course of awful history on the blue Atlantic, and in the world beyond.
Finally, there were such in this great and glorious land of ours who thought that we, too, should become a part of the bloody conflict. On this question, in connection with the Spring election on April 3rd, 1917, Groveland Township answered emphatically: "No," ten to one. At three o'clock in the morning of April 6th, 1917, our American Congress voted to resolution that we were in an existing state of war; and the die was cast.

"Then, there was mounting with hot haste the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car Went pouring forward with impetous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war." --Byron--

Our Groveland Township sons, in fullest ratio, and among the bravest of the brave, marched with that mustering squadron, joining in the ranks of war. It was the flower of our young manhood that marched away. They were bound with a thousand ties to our hearts. They were a part of our very life. They had heard their country's call, and they waved us an adieu, smiling at our tears through their own. Some of that priceless treasure returns not to us again. They dropped with their faces toward the foe, as they were going over the crest. We had every reason to know that it would be so. We knew that:

"Many a belted breast Low on the turf would rest Ere the dark hunter the herd had passed bye," (Holmes)

and we could not deceive ourselves into the thought that some of ours would not be with them. It so came to pass. With one excepted, our noble dead sleep shrouded with foreign soil in a strange land, far across the sea. Groveland Township bows in tears to their sacred memory, on the occasion, and after the manner set forth on pages following. The breaking of eternity's morning shall bring us together again, breathing the bliss of God's Eternal day; for it will have been then, that an Angel came down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more.

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Tazewell County, IL Genealogy Trails
County Coordinator: Candi Horton ©2006
Genealogy Trails History Group is a Volunteer Organization Dedicated to providing FREE access to Historical and Genealogical Data.
© 2006 - 2007 by Genealogy Trails - All Rights Reserved - With full rights reserved for original submitters.

Program Of The Groveland Township Memorial

Service For The Year of 1919

Time: May 25th, at 2:30 P.M.
Place: United Evangelical Church

*Opening*

*Song by the Congregation: "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" Scripture

*Lesson: 2nd Samuel 1:1-12, 17, 19-27. Psalm 46: 8-11
Read by Rev. J. J. Fliginger, Groveland, Illinois

*Song - "Marching in Heaven"
*Prayer...... Rev. H. C. Stephan, Pastor of Church
*Song - "Scattering Flowers"

*Subject of the Memorial Address*

*"The Path of Glory"

*Scriptural Text: "We will Walk in His Paths." Isaiah 2:3

Sermon preached by the:

*Rev. Joseph G. Eller P. E., El Paso, Illinois

*Song - "The Angels Are Calling the Roll"

*Biographies of our Fallen Soldiers, read as follows*

First by: Miss Abigail Helmne McLallen

Second by: Miss Amelia Selma Loew

Third by: Mrs. Rosetta Mooberry

Fourth by: Mrs. Josephine Cevelia Voll

Fifth by: Mrs. Mable Francis Rohlfing

*THE SOLDIERS' FAREWELL TO MOTHER*

Farewell Mother, you will never

Press me to your heart again,

But Oh you'll not forget me Mother,

When I'm numbered with the slain.

"TAPS"

Mizpah Benediction
"The Lord watch between thee and me, while we
are absent one from the other."

*Choir for the Occasion*

Sopranos - The Misses Clarah Brecher and Viola Strickfaden

Altos - The Misses Laura Goetz and Clarah Eller

Tenors - The Messrs. John Jacob Eller, Newton Strickfaden and Samuel Strickfaden

Basses - The Messrs. George Goetz, Edward Strickfaden and M.R. Stephan.

Buglar- Mr. Eli Gladfeld - 75th Regimental Band, A. E. F.

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