The Unforgotten -- Benton Q. Williams

 A week or so ago, while digging in and searching for surnames belonging to my husband's ancestors in the Miami Record - Herald, I came across one that mentioned his 2nd great grandmother, Mrs. Eliza Sneary of Commerce. She was named as the next of kin and was to receive a memorial certificate in honor of a soldier who had died inWW1. 

Miami Record-Herald 20 Feb 1920

From Eliza's obituary, I knew that she had three sons that preceded her in death. They were listed by name as: Lorenzo Dow, William Sherman, and Ben Q.

The Houston Herald 8 March 1934

I have never found Lorenzo or William in the census records, but Ben Q. Had been in both the 1900 census as 'Binnie' and then 1910 as Benton. I went to Fold3 and began searching for military records. I came up empty on Lorenzo and William and even when I put in Benton. Then finally, I tried the name written in her obituary; Ben Q.  and found his burial card. It states that he was a private in Co F, 16th Infantry. His cause of death was K/A. His date of death was 4 Oct 1918. 

He was temporarily buried in plot 5 at Chatel-Chehery where he had fallen in battle. Coordinates were even given for his plot. 

 He was then disinterred and reburied 9 June 1919, in Grave #44, Sec. 26, Plot 3. at Argonne American Cemetery. 

The emergency address on file was for Lizza Sneary (Mother) at Western Grove, Arkansas. She was notified on 12 May 1919

 *Western Grove, AR was also given as their residence in Eliza's MIL's obituary*

Ben's grave marker was a cross. Another contact listed was his brother Martin in Commerce, Oklahoma. 

His body was once again disinterred 16 July 1921 and prepared for shipment. It arrived at the European port of Antwerp in Belgium. From there it was shipped on the Wheaton to Hoboken, NJ on 6 Aug 1921. It arrived two weeks later. From there it was shipped to Miami, Oklahoma on 28 Sept 1921. It arrived four days later 2 Oct 1921.

I was also able to find an article mentioning Benton's reburial at the G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami. 

Joplin Globe 4 Oct 1921

I searched the G.A.R cemetery on Find A Grave and was unable to find him listed so I created a memorial for him there, using a few of the images above. 

In all of my research, this is the first WW1 casualty of war I've found in my family as well as my husbands. I will say that one month after Ben's death, my great grandfather boarded the RMS Aquitania headed for France. How different things might have been, had he been called up just a month or two earlier. .

I hope in the years that follow that you'll remember Ben Q. Williams and the countless others who were lost to the Great War. Many of those young men and women were so young they were unmarried and without children of their own. It would be easy for them to be forgotten in just a generation or two. 

I also encourage you to click any of the links highlighted in this post, especially about the USAT Wheaton both here and above.

Until next time, 
Becky