Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1920 — A LARGE MILITARY FUNERAL [ARTICLE]

A LARGE MILITARY FUNERAL

Marked the Memorial Day Exercises In Rensselaer Sunday. Never before in the history of Rensselaer was there so large a turnout on Memorial day as we had last Sunday. The weather was ideal and there was an immense crowd in town for the afternoon exercises. The funeral services over the body of Dewey Biggs of this city, who died of pneumonia in a hospital in France during the world war, while serving in U. S. navy, and whose body was recently exhumed and brought back home for permanent burial, was held from the court house square at 1:30, Rev. J. B. Fleming of the Presbyterian church conducting the religious services. A cannon and gun caisson had been secured from Monticello and the flag draped coffin was taken from the Wright undertaking rooms, where It had been kept since Its arrival in Rensselaer last Wednesday morning, on the gun caisson drawn by four black horses and accompanied by an escort of former navy men in uniform, who acted as pallbearers and flowerbearers. There were 17 of these and among the number was Clinton Hayworth of Morocco, who was one of the pallbearers over in France at the time of the burial of Mr. Biggs there. We were unable to get the names of all the 17 former navy men who formed the pallbearers and escort, but following are those whom we did secure the names of: HHdred Pefley, French and Doris Crooks, Victor Hoover, Raymond Dixie, Russell Warren, Ted Ramey, Robert Loy, William Babcock, Jr., Jack Miller, Howard Ames, Gaylord Long, all of Rensselaer, and Clinton Hayworth of Morocco.

After the services at the court house square the march to the cemetery was taken up in the following order, led by Sheriff Woodworth and Casey Hemphill as mounted marshals; children of the various Sunday schools; Moose Lodge, of which deceased was a member; a drum corp from Monticello, consisting of one soldier each of the Civil, Spanish-American and World Wars; veterans of the Civil war, about twenty-five in number; the Rensselaer band; soldiers of the World war in uniform, perhaps 150; the gun carriage and flag draped casket with escort; the family, automobiles, etc. At the cemetery, where a large crowd had already congregated, the Moose burial service was followed by the military service of the American legion, and the body consigneo to its last resting place. The floral were profuse and very beautiful. Following the burial the Memorial exercises proper of the G. A. R. were carried out with Hon. W. L.