One grave in Flanders Field

[Ithaca Gunner]

A cousin found something in an old trunk in the attic of the home she grew up in last week, a photo of a grave among many. William E. Matter, a great uncle killed in Europe during the "Great War". I never thought too much about William until I saw his grave in the photo, he lived, grew up almost where I did, married, loved and was loved. I'm sure he worked hard on the farm and ate of the bounty of the land, William E. Matter was just like any one of us, but one day in 1918 his life ended on foreign soil and he became a part of that soil. I don't know who may have taken the photo, a friend, a brother, he had two on the Western Front with him. It's almost certain his wife never made the voyage as a farmer's wife wouldn't have had the money. Some kind soul took the time and expense to photograph his grave and send it home to her. Most likely the second piece of foreign soil he occupied, the first, probably a hasty dug trench on the battlefield where he fell one day in 1918. Lore has it the grave is in the American Cemetery in Flanders Field. The poem was with the photo;


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


143346

I heard of William and remember the poem as a child. This photo brings him and the poem very close now. If you look closely you'll see the cemetery is new and the cross's wooden, no grass yet, no stone markers, probably taken in 1919 before all the boys shipped back home. Thanks to the friend who took the photo and the family members who preserved it.

[richhodg66]

Very moving, cherish that photo.

If you ever get a chance, go see the WWI museum in Kansas City. As you walk in the main entrance, you walk on a transparent floor with a full scale diorama of a trench line with poppies growing all over it, each poppy represents 1,000 dead from that war. The loss of life that went on is simply staggering.

[Djones]

Thank you very much for sharing. Brought a tear to my eye. So many young folk have passed through the years protecting us.

[bikerbeans]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders_Field_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial

BB

[MrWolf]

Thanks for posting that, very moving.

[Ithaca Gunner]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders_Field_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial

BB

Thanks, I didn't think it was that big.

[smoked turkey]

What an enormous price we have paid in battlefields around the world in order to keep peace at home. If God's return tarries much longer, it seems the battlefield will eventually move to our shores. God's rest to those who have paid the ultimate price, those whose lives are forever changed due to severe injuries, and God help us to carry that torch when the call comes.

[Ithaca Gunner]

What an enormous price we have paid in battlefields around the world in order to keep peace at home. If God's return tarries much longer, it seems the battlefield will eventually move to our shores. God's rest to those who have paid the ultimate price, those whose lives are forever changed due to severe injuries, and God help us to carry that torch when the call comes.

Amen to that, brother!

[Blacksmith]

A cousin found something in an old trunk in the attic of the home she grew up in last week, a photo of a grave among many. William E. Matter, a great uncle killed in Europe during the "Great War". I never thought too much about William until I saw his grave in the photo, he lived, grew up almost where I did, married, loved and was loved. I'm sure he worked hard on the farm and ate of the bounty of the land, William E. Matter was just like any one of us, but one day in 1918 his life ended on foreign soil and he became a part of that soil. I don't know who may have taken the photo, a friend, a brother, he had two on the Western Front with him. It's almost certain his wife never made the voyage as a farmer's wife wouldn't have had the money. Some kind soul took the time and expense to photograph his grave and send it home to her. Most likely the second piece of foreign soil he occupied, the first, probably a hasty dug trench on the battlefield where he fell one day in 1918. Lore has it the grave is in the American Cemetery in Flanders Field. The poem was with the photo;


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


143346

I heard of William and remember the poem as a child. This photo brings him and the poem very close now. If you look closely you'll see the cemetery is new and the cross's wooden, no grass yet, no stone markers, probably taken in 1919 before all the boys shipped back home. Thanks to the friend who took the photo and the family members who preserved it.

Are you certain his remains stayed buried over there? I ask because I did a search on the Name at Find-A-Grave and discovered this.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23375961

Of course it could just be someone with the same name. There is enough information in the link so you should be able to figure if he is your relation. There is another William E. Matter listed who who died in 1908 that could be this ones father(?) or maybe another relative he was named after(?) here is that link:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=115526822

Many war dead were later disinterred and returned home.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Are you certain his remains stayed buried over there? I ask because I did a search on the Name at Find-A-Grave and discovered this.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23375961

Of course it could just be someone with the same name. There is enough information in the link so you should be able to figure if he is your relation. There is another William E. Matter listed who who died in 1908 that could be this ones father(?) or maybe another relative he was named after(?) here is that link:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=115526822

Many war dead were later disinterred and returned home.

This keeps getting stranger, I just today got the same link from a fellow on the Great War forum. The name is exactly the same, and they look very similar in photos, but the William E. Matter of my family was married to a woman named Bertha, (which would have surly have been on the obituary) and was from Tioga County, PA. I do have a pre-war photo of my relative and wife, but my scanner is down, as I said, they look very similar!

[Blacksmith]

You need to work on the Matter genealogy and figure out just who all these people are. If in the same area of Pennsylvania they are most likely related somehow.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Halifax to Gains, PA is about 170 miles, I would say they're not of the same family, but this is very strange.

[TXGunNut]

I heard today that in at least some of the American cemeteries in Europe local people "adopt" graves and act as caretakers. Some even keep a portrait of our/their fallen hero in their home.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I heard today that in at least some of the American cemeteries in Europe local people "adopt" graves and act as caretakers. Some even keep a portrait of our/their fallen hero in their home.

I've heard this as well, Holland is one for sure. It's passed down through the generations there, WWII I believe.

[Blacksmith]

Here is the Find-A-Grave listing for Flanders Field American Cemetery.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1989647


There 411 memorials here, including 21 unknowns and 43 names inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing.
He does not seem to be listed.


The name is exactly the same, and they look very similar in photos, but the William E. Matter of my family was married to a woman named Bertha, (which would have surly have been on the obituary) and was from Tioga County, PA. I do have a pre-war photo of my relative and wife, but my scanner is down, as I said, they look very similar!

Could this be your William Matter? From 1910 census see age, location, wife's name, child's name and age, etc. They were in Mifflin PA which is close to Dauphin County in 1910.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG4R-QVR
Here is his Draft Registration Card if you "View the document" you will see he claimed a deferment for wife and one child.

The William Matter link in the first Find-A-Grave I posted was about 22 years old when he died.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGHR-1X4
Here is his Draft Registration card (click "View the document" for more details:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6VV-CJM

Do you know more particulars about your great uncle? Parents names, siblings, where born, etc. Sometimes you can trace families through the census records if you can sort through the similar names.

Are you certain he died in Flanders Fields or could have someone noticed a similar name on a grave and sent him a picture?

[Ithaca Gunner]

Here is the Find-A-Grave listing for Flanders Field American Cemetery.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1989647


He does not seem to be listed.



Could this be your William Matter? From 1910 census see age, location, wife's name, child's name and age, etc. They were in Mifflin PA which is close to Dauphin County in 1910.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG4R-QVR
Here is his Draft Registration Card if you "View the document" you will see he claimed a deferment for wife and one child.

The William Matter link in the first Find-A-Grave I posted was about 22 years old when he died.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGHR-1X4
Here is his Draft Registration card (click "View the document" for more details:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6VV-CJM

Do you know more particulars about your great uncle? Parents names, siblings, where born, etc. Sometimes you can trace families through the census records if you can sort through the similar names.

Are you certain he died in Flanders Fields or could have someone noticed a similar name on a grave and sent him a picture?

Blacksmith, I think you nailed it with the first link, Bertha was his wife's name, (and a very pretty young lady in the photo I have of them). I didn't know they lived in Lewistown at any time though, I always thought they lived in Tioga County a short distance from Potter County. Bertha was remarried twice and buried in Knowlton/Elk Run Cemetery near Gains, Tioga County, PA. Family lore has it he was killed and buried in Flanders Field in 1918, he could have been wounded near there and taken to a hospital in England, died and buried there, or elsewhere. I also looked in the web site for Flanders Field and failed to find him buried there. I didn't check any of the other American Cemeteries though. It does muddy the waters, having two William E. Matters, both from PA, both killed in WWI.

I thank you for all your hard work trying to track William Down. I suppose it's even possible he's buried in a National Cemetery here in the states in a plot for WWI dead.

[Blacksmith]

Just to add to the questions I noticed in the original Find-A-Grave link:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23375961

In the write up from the newspaper (that papers archives are available online for a price) it says he died on October 13th.

Private Matter was killed in action on Oct. 13, 1918
However the inscription on the grave stone (see the picture) reads,



Oct. 20, 1918, a week difference. Could be wounded and died later or maybe two different deaths confused.

The gravestone also contains information on his unit and the battles he was in so looking at his military or unit records might help.

There are probably actual obituaries that were printed both in the Patriot News and his hometown papers shortly after he died. The write up quoted was three years later.

This is why genealogy is so much fun real life detective work.

I just did a search with a different set of criteria and found yet another in that area, but he was not killed in the war.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28168331




http://www.findagrave.com/icons2/trans.gif