updated May 6, 2018

Soldiers & Sailors Homecoming Celebrations
World War I

Lansing

Lansing Planning Big Homecoming - Will welcome soldiers and sailors of World War with big program
Lansing, Ia, Sept. 29 - At a meeting of citizens last Friday evening, with Mayor Dempsey presiding and John H. Thompson secretary, it was unanimously decided to give the returned soldier boys from near and far a rousing welcome and to honor them in proportion to the merits of their deeds. Watch for further particulars next week.
~Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Monday, September 29, 1919

Lansing is Ready for Homecoming - Program is completed for big welcome home for the veterans
Lansing, Ia., Oct 4 - Following is the outline of the program for Lansing's Homecoming Celebration for returned service men to be held next Wednesday, October 8th.
~Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Sunday October 5, 1919
[the program consisted of a baseball game, aeroplane exhibition flight, ban music and a Grand civic parade with soldiers and sailors of all wars, addresses by officials, etc.]

~the above news articles were transcribed by S. Ferrall

postcard: Lansing, Ia. Oct. 8th 1919

back of the postcard (above) To Myrtle & Lloyd Lansing, Iowa Oct. 26, 1919 This is the War tank we had here. Ada

When my grandmother passed away in 1983, we found this postcard. Prominent behind the army tank is Horsfall’s Variety Store. On the back of the card is a note from Ada to Myrtle. Myrtle was my grandmother. Ada and Myrtle were sisters and their father was Henry T. Bechtel. The sisters were raised in Center, Iowa and then Churchtown, Iowa. Ada married Gottlieb Schellhammer and they lived, from the 1920’s to 1983 in Lansing in a nice wood house on a corner at 391 Dodge St. The house was torn down in 1984. (see also: photo of Gottlieb & George Schellhammer in their army uniforms) Ada Bechtel 1892 - 1982 Myrtle Bechtel 1898 – 1987 I believe it to be, without a doubt, a scheduled patriotic gathering, and perhaps they are celebrating the end of WWI, which ended Nov. 11, 1918. There is a large U.S. flag hanging out of a second story window just to the left of the tank. Just guessing, but the tank may have been on a tour, courtesy of the U.S. Army for just such events. What is interesting about the variety store, as shown in the picture, is that the store has large stone facing rather than the dark red small brick that is on the store today. I wonder why the change? I have a picture of myself in front of the store in 1949 and it has the small dark red brick at that time. So somewhere between 1920 and 1949, the change was made. ~contributed by Terry Wostal, Baraboo, WI (Terry's contact info. is on the surname registry for Schellhammer)

~*~*~

Postville

Wednesday, at the Soldiers' Home-Coming in Postville, a sufficient number of names were secured on a petition to obtain a charter for a local Post of the American Legion. It has been found, however, that only those names which appear on the petition will be inscribed on the Charter. All who come in later will be new members and not Charter members. Therefore, the petition will be held until Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, at Kohlmann Bros. clothing store. Every man who served in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps during the war, whether at home or abroad, is invited to sign this petition.

Harpers Ferry will have a community homecoming picnic in honor of the soldiers and sailors in that section of the county on Labor Day, September 1.

Allamakee's big Homecoming event for her returned soldiers, sailors and marines will be staged at Waukon on Thursday, September 4th. It is believed that almost every service man will be home by that date.

~Postville Herald, Friday, August 29, 1919
~transcribed by S. Ferrall

Postville's Home-Coming Was One of the Big Red Letter Days in the City's History
Wednesday, August 27, 1919, will go down in history as one of the really big days in the history of Postville and as you will remember we have had some in the past of monstrous size. As usual, we had ideal weather for the occasion. It was the first time in the city's history, and we hope the last, when town and country [illegible] joined hearts and hands to extend to the soldiers, sailors and marines of the great World War a royal Welcome Home, and from the expressions we have heard on every hand it fulfilled the mission for which it was planned.

The day's festivities opened at 10:30 with a Peace Parade participated in the the Postville Band and about 70 of the boys in kahki. The big event of the day for "the boys" and their partners - the big free banquet dinner at Turner Opera House by the ladies of Postville Chapter American Red Cross. Amid delightful surroundings and with tables decorated and adorned, "our boys" sat down to a feast the likes of which they had never dreamed of in all their lives before. From cigaretts to chicken there was nothing missing, and the boys went after it with the same relish they went after the Huns.

Following dinner came the long afternoon program of sports and entertainments. The balloon ascension and parachute leap by Capt. Adair was as good as can be seen anywhere. The band concerts by the Postville and Waukon bands were much appreciated by all. And the bowery dance, which was free to everybody did a big business until the roosters were crowing for breakfast next morning. The addresses by Attorney Delbert W. Meier of Monona and Judge H.E. Taylor of Waukon, two gib brainy former Postville boys elicited much favorable comment.

It was a big glad day for everybody and especially the soldier boys as Postville extended a cordial Welcome Home to her soldiers that was second to none.

~Postville Herald, Friday, September 12, 1919
~text extracted from the much longer article and transcribed by S. Ferrall

~*~*~

New Albin

I came across this brittle WWI sign all folded up while scanning photos at New Albin Savings Bank.  I brought it home and pieced it together, and was excited to see that it was nearly complete and legible! ......Errin

The returned soldiers listed near the bottom of the poster are:

~source: original poster (poster is undated, but August 15, 1919 was a Friday)
~scanned by Errin Wilker for Allamakee co. IAGenWeb

 

Return to Military Records Index

HOME