PLAN MEMORIAL TO FORMER SOLDIERS - Plans are now underway by the Ames Women's Relief corp and the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil war to erect an $800 granite memorial over the grave of the unknown Civil war veteran in the Ames cemetery.  The plan is to dedicate the memorial on May 30.

In the early eighties, a sick soldier wandered into Ames.  He was cared for by the then new Ellsworth Post No. 30 of the Grand Army of the Republic and was buried with military honors in the Ames cemetery.  His grave was called the grave of the Unknown Civil war soldier.  Two other Civil war veterans and two World war veterans are now buried in the same lot.  The lot has no memorials on it and the only distinguishing feature is a flag pole which floats the American flag on Memorial day.  Services have been held at the grave every Memorial day.

PATRIOTIC GROUPS PLAN DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL TO CIVIL WAR VETS - The newly erected monument in honor of the veterans of the Civil war buried in the Ames cemetery will be dedicated Friday, August 15, as part of the annual Story county Grand Army of the Republic encampment here, the committee in charge decided at a meeting at the home of Mrs. Agnes Poole, 415 Clark avenue, Ames Wednesday evening.  No definite plans for a speaker or for the time of the service was decided but another meeting of the committee will be called in the near future.

The monument was built thru the efforts of the Women's Relief corps and the Daughters of Union Veterans.  The joint committee was headed by Mrs. Durrell of the W.R.C., and Mrs. Agnes Poole of the Daughters of Union Veterans.  Altho the two organizations were responsible for the construction of the monument, other organizations and individuals contributed to the cost of the project.

The monument, which is located in the G.A.R. lot in the northeast corner of the cemetery, is of gray granite, two by seven feet at the base and six feet four inches high.  The monument is inscribed with the following legend, "Lest We Forget  1861-1865.  Dedicated to the Memory of the Veterans of the Union Army and All Who gave Their Best in Defense of Our Nation.  Sponsored by the W.R.C. and D.U.V., 1930."

The inscription is intended to include the veterans of all wars and all those who worked for the good of the United States.  There are approximately 125 Civil war veterans buried in the Ames cemetery.

This is a contemporary view of the monument site.  The concrete foundation is still visible.  Note the flagpole at right and the gravestone of a Civil War veteran at left.  That headstone is visible in the 1930 photo at the top of this page and in the 1913 Memorial Day photo.

One might ask, where is the monument today?
 

STORY COUNTY CIVIL WAR VETERANS WILL HOLD 52ND REUNION HERE FRI. - What may be the final reunion of Story county Civil war veterans will occur in Ames Friday when the fifty-second annual county G.A.R. convention and the dedication of the monument to Civil war veterans at the Ames cemetery will take place.  Work was recently completed on the monument, which was purchased and erected thru the efforts of the Ames Women's Relief Corps and the Daughters of Union Veterans, patriotic organizations.

The monument bears the inscription, "Lest We Forget  1861-1865.  Dedicated to the Memory of the Veterans of the Union Army and All Who gave Their Best in Defense of Our Nation."  The monument is a memorial not only to the 125 Civil war veterans buried in the G.A.R. section of the cemetery, but also to the veterans of all the wars of the nation.  Two World war veterans are buried in the G.A.R. section.

The reunion here will begin at noon Friday with a basket dinner at the First Methodist church.  All interested persons are invited to attend and bring a covered dish and sandwiches.

The Comrades themselves will speak during the program, which will follow the dinner and continue until 3 p.m.  Oley Nelson of Slater, colonel of the Story County Veterans association will preside.  The dedication of the monument will begin at 3:30 at the cemetery with music by the Nevada fife and drum corps.  A male quartet will sing, and the Rev. LeRoy S. Burrough of St. John's Episcopal church will pronounce the invocation.

The monument will be unveiled by Mrs. Margaret Macy Adams and Miss Ruth Miller, both granddaughters of the veterans.  Mrs. Adams is a granddaughter of Fred C. Tilden, commander of the Ames post of the G.A.R. and Miss Miller is the granddaughter of Thomas J. Miller, Ames veteran.  Miss Ruth Scott will sing "Faith of Our Fathers" during the unveiling.  The presentation will be made by Mrs. Carlotta Day, and the response by Mr. Nelson.  Another selection by the quartet will follow.

The Rev. L. Myron Boozer of Ames, executive of the Iowa synod of the Presbyterian church, will give the address of the day.  His address will be followed by the Star Spangled Banner, and the furling of the flags.  The benediction will be pronounced by the Rev. C.C. Dillavou of the United Brethren church.  Clair E. Wilson will be master of ceremonies.

Ames veterans of the Civil war are Mr. Tilden, Mr. Miller, W.T. Houghan, Eli Cramblitt, H.O. Hendrickson, Charles Hamilton, Parley Sheldon and William Hulett.  Mr. Nelson and Cyrus Hiland of Slater are members of the Ames post of the G.A.R.

The joint committee in charge of securing funds for the monument was headed by Mrs. W.B. Durrell of the Women's Relief Corps, and Mrs. Agnes Poole of the Daughters of Union Veterans.  The monument was erected by C.E. Lookingbill of Ames and Nevada.  A number of organizations and individuals besides the two women's organizations contributed to the monument.

The committee on financing the monument includes Mrs. G. Kulow, Mrs. Ed Kooser, Mrs. John Williams, Mrs. Amy Bennett, Mrs. O.L. Yeomans and Mrs. G.A. Fairley.

These days, Memorial Day events center around this monument located near the cemetery entrance.  It looks identical to the 1930 Civil War monument, but the graphic and inscription are much different.  So where is the original monument today?
 

VETERANS MEET IN 52ND REUNION - Nine Story county veterans of the Civil war gathered in Ames Friday for what is in all likelihood their last convention, on the occasion of the fifty-second annual county reunion and dinner at the First Methodist Church.  Nearly 100 people attended the dinner.

Eight of the nine veterans are members of the Ames Grand Army of the Republic post, Ellsworth No. 30, altho two of the eight are from Slater.  It is probable that the Ames post will be disbanded within the next year.  All other posts in the county have been disbanded already.

The Story county veterans who attended the reunion follow, with their ages, and their regiments:  Charles Hamilton, 91, 152nd New York Volunteers; Eli B. Cramblitt, 89, 78th Ohio; Thomas J. Miller, 88, 23rd Iowa; C.E. Graves, 86, 14th Illinois cavalry; H.O. Hendrickson, 86, 15th Wisconsin; Frederick C. Tilden, 83, 11th Vermont, all of Ames; Oley Nelson, 86, 40th Wisconsin; Cyrus Hyland, 83, 156th Illinois, both of Slater; W.H. Torus, 82, 3rd Virginia cavalry.

Other veterans present at the reunion were J.W. Willett, 84, of Tama, navy; J.D. Lucas, 80, of Marshalltown, 13th Iowa; J.P. Risley, 84, of Des Moines, 20th Iowa.  A.B. Franklin of Collins, son of a veteran, was also present.

In the meeting Friday afternoon, those present passed a resolution in memory of the three veterans who have died since the last meeting a year ago: Dan Zumwalt of Ames, and C.E. Dodds and E.W. Shearer, both of Collins, Several veterans talked following the dinner.

The monument to Civil war veterans, recently erected in the Ames cemetery thru the efforts of the Daughters of Union Veterans, and the Women's Relief corps, was unveiled and dedicated with impressive ceremonies Friday afternoon.  The Rev. L. Myron Boozer of Ames, executive of the Iowa synod of the Presbyterian church, gave the address of the day following the unveiling of the monument by Mrs. Margaret Macy Adams and Miss Ruth Miller.  Mrs. Adams is a granddaughter of F.C. Tilden, and Miss Miller is a granddaughter of Thomas J. Miller.

Ames veterans not present for the reunion Friday are Parley Sheldon, W.T. Houghan and M.B. Myers.

The monument used in today's celebrations is the same Civil War monument installed in 1930 next to the flagpole and Civil War headstones.  It was moved (sometime between 1955 and 1962) close to the entrance of Ames Municipal Cemetery and the reverse side was inscribed with words more inclusive to veterans of all wars, not just the Civil War.  Walk around the stone to view the original inscription.
 

FORMER AMES PASTOR SPEAKS AT DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL TO WAR VETERANS - Speaking at the dedication of the monument to Civil war veterans at the Ames cemetery Friday afternoon, the Rev. L. Myron Boozer, of Ames, executive of the Iowa synod of the Presbyterian church, said, "We are too close to the beginning, too close to those valiant men who fought for freedom, to realize fully the extent of the hardships which have been overcome in building up our great nation.  Historians 500 years from now will have a more accurate conception of the making of the United States and coming generations may appreciate more the undertakings of the pioneers who fought for the kind of patriotism about which we should rally our boys and girls."

There are only three pillars upon which our forefathers laid the foundation of this republic, said Mr. Boozer.  They are the home, the school, and the church.  "We should bear in mind that when a home is wrecked, when we pass a church door on Sunday morning, or when we are lax in regard to education, we are tearing away at the very foundation of our country."

In closing Mr. Boozer reiterated, "We should not only dedicate this monument to the boys in blue, but we should dedicate ourselves to carrying on the task which they have begun."

The monument, which was purchased and erected through the efforts of the Ames Women's Relief corps and the Daughters of Union Veterans, bears the inscription, "Lest We Forget  1861-1865.  Dedicated to the Memory of the Veterans of the Union Army and All Who gave Their Best in Defense of Our Nation."

The dedication ceremony held in connection with the fifty-second annual county G.A.R. convention was attended by the following Civil war veterans: Charles Hamilton, Eli B. Cramblitt, Thomas J. Miller, C.E. Graves, H.O. Hendrickson, Frederick C. Tilden, all of Ames; Oley Nelson and Cyrus Hyland of Slater; J.W. Willett of Tama; J.D. Lucas of Marshalltown; J.P. Risley of Des Moines and W.H. Toms.

Music by the Story county fife and drum corps opened the services, following which the Ames male quartet sang "The Old Brigade."  The invocation was pronounced by the Rev. LeRoy S. Burroughs.

The Misses Ruth Miller and Margaret Macy Adams unveiled the monument while Miss Ruth Scott sang "Faith of Our Fathers."  The three girls are granddaughters of veterans.  Mrs. Carlotta Day presented the monument and the response was made by Oley Nelson, colonel of the Story County Veterans association.  The male quartet then sang, "Land of Mine."

The veterans voted Friday to hold a 1931 reunion, altho no definite date was set.  The disbanding of the Ames post, which may occur within the next year, will not necessarily affect the holding of the reunion.  All other posts in the county have already disbanded.

The veterans remained at the cemetery after the service to have their pictures taken.

(photo courtesy of Marna Adams Stevens)

At left, Fred Poole and Ruth Miller are standing behind "grandpa" Thomas J. Miller.  At right, an unidentified lady (perhaps Ruth Scott) and Margaret Macy Adams stand behind veterans Captain Charles Hamilton and Frederick C. Tilden.  The girls wearing the hats were the ones who "unveiled the monument" during the dedication ceremony.

Learn more about Civil War veterans buried in the Ames cemeteries (pdf format newspaper page from May 29, 1963).