BURNS, ALBERT, was born in the Houston community, Wayne County, Tennessee, the son of John and Alice McMULLIN BURNS. It is not known when he entered service, but he was dischaged in 1919 and returned home for a short time. He left and his later location was unknown. He had the following siblings: Erby BURNS (12 Nov 1890 – 24 April 1965) married Madgie Mildred MARTIN (25 Dec 1894 – 22 Nov 1932); Archie BURNS, b. May 1888, m. Ollie ADKISSON; Eddie BURNS, b. Oct 1895; Pearl BURNS, who married Jay MELSON; Etta BURNS m. William MORGAN; Edgar H. BURNS (7 Aug 1889 – 12 June 1890), Raymond BURNS m. Faithy J. CLAY; and Hubert BURNS, who married Sue BECKHAM.
Author Archives: Betty Peacock
Burnette, Arthur Leroy
BURNETTE,
ARTHUR LEROY, born 1889 in Alabama, date of enlistment, service date and date of discharge not known. BRUNETTE was living in Collinwood, TN and working as an office clerk for the Tennessee Valley Iron and Railroad Company when he entered service. He returned to that job after the war.
He married Mamie ADKISSON on 10 June 1914 in Collinwood, TN. She was the daughter of Thomas A. and Mollie WILLIS ADKISSON of Collinwood. Arthur and Mamie had one known son, Arthur L. BURNETTE, Jr.
Burleson, Sherrill
BURLESON, SHERRILL, born 16 May 1894, Wayne Co., TN, died 2 Nov 1917, buried in Old Town Cemetery, Waynesboro, Tennessee. He married Viola ______? [no other information]
Bruce, Frank J.
BRUCE, FRANK J. Sergeant Co. C, HQ BN, serial number 2,000,439, born at Eddyville, KY, Enlisted 2 Oct 1917 at Cadiz, KY, abd was 23 years and 5 months old at enlistment. He was described as 5′ 11″ tall, fair complexion with blue eyes and light brown hair. He left the US for foreign service on 4 March 1918 and served in France. He returned to the US on 30 June 1919 and was discharged at Mitchell Field,Long Island, NY on 8 July 1919. Soldier was single at enlistment. He was promoted to sergeant on 18 April 1919. No other information available.
Brown, James Taylor
BROWN, JAMES TAYLOR, was born 23 November 1894, the son of James Irvin and Marguerite Roxanne PRINCE BROWN. He enlisted in the US Army on 24 June 1918 and was discharged 29 August 1919. He was a cook at Camp Gordon, GA. He was 22 years and 8 months old when inducted and a farmer. He was described as having brown eyes, brown hair, a fair complexion, standing 5′ 6¼” tall.
Taylor married in June 1919 to Nona BROWN of Milledgeville, Georgia. She died in 1981. Taylor died 2 July 1975. Taylor and Nona had five children: sons, James Taylor BROWN, Jr. (deceased), D. C. BROWN of Marianna, Arkansas, and “Pete” BROWN of Texas City, Texas; two daughters: Mrs. Annie Mei BROWN PARR of Wynne, Arkansas and Mrs. Thelma BROWN McELDUFF of Texas City, Texas. Taylor lived near Marianna, Arkansas where he was known as the “farmer with the green thumb.”
Taylor’s siblings were Frank G. BROWN (23 Aug 1884 – 16 Sep 1969), Alonzo BROWN (March 1889 – 2 Feb 1978), Archa BROWN (Oct 1890 – 15 Feb 1957), Henry C. BROWN (Feb 1892 – 1 Oct 1965), Milas BROWN (died 1955), Carroll BROWN (29 June 1898 – Nov 1988), Sarah BROWN (1 July 1886 – Nov 1965) and Jossia BROWN (18 Aug 1896 – 14 Feb 1986) who married Grady TREADWELL. He had two half-brothers: Bill and Woodruff BROWN.
Brown, James Russell
BROWN, JAMES RUSSELL, was born in Wayne County, Tennessee on 10 June 1893, the son of Isaac T. and Mollie (BASTIN) BROWN. He moved to Lewis County, Tennessee soon after birth. He lived on Cane Creek in Lewis County, Flatrock Community until December 1915 when he moved to Topsy, Wayne County, Tennessee with his father, sister and two brothers.
He served in the US Army as a private in DEV BN, at Capt Gordon, GA. He was scheduled to go to France but had the influenza and his group went without him. When the war was over, he returned to Topsy where he resumed farming. He and his brothers, Grady and Raymond, farmed and operated a grocery store.
Russell married Maude RICKETTS of Hohenwald on 9 Dec 1920. They had five children: Ernest, Dora Etta, Rex, Alberta and Donna.
Russell was a kind, gentle man who loved farming and cared about the welfare of his family, friends and neighbors. He was an elder in the Church of Christ at Topsey and was instrumental in erecting a building for the church which was finished in 1948. He belonged to the American Legion Post at Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. He served as Justice of the Peace for the 6th district for several years.
Brown, Grady Rex
BROWN, GRADY REX, PVT, 307 Eng. 82nd Division, born 14 March 1896, at Cane Creek. Died 29 April 1940, buried at Whitehead Cemetery, Topsy, Wayne County, Tennessee. Inducted at Waynesboro. Father was Ike T. BROWN, b. 20 Dec 1862, d. 28 Jan 1933. Mother was Mollie, b. 12 Aug 1873, d. 25 July 1935. Both are buried in Bastin Cemetery located on N.E. side of Cane Creek Road on Bashie TALLEY property in Lewis County.
Had sister, Florence BROWN, b. 20 Nov 1901, who married Van RASBURY. Brothers: James Russell BROWN, b. 10 June 1893, d. 20 Feb 1949; C. Raymond BROWN, b. 24 Feb 1904, d. 5 March 1953. Both brothers are buried at Whitehead Cemetery, Topsy, Wayne Co., TN.
Grady Rex BROWN married Eslie WARREN in 1924. She was born 11 Nov 1895 and died 28 Nov 1956. Elsie was a school teacher. They did not have any children.
“On the eve of Induction Day, Ransom and Rosie LAFFERTY GRAVES assited by her parents, the William LAFFERTY family, entertained with a buffet supper at their home on the site where the Church of Christ now stands. After supper, the crowd from the Topsy Community gathered at the Topsy School building for a “farewell” party.
Raleigh PEYTON who married Ruth BROWN, Grady’s cousin, spoke for the community with tribute to the Topsy boys who would leave the next morning. Will MATHIS and “Sugar Boy” WHITEHEAD were among the “would-be” Army boys.
This was related by Grady’s sister, Florence BROWN RASBURY as she lay seriously ill in Regional Hospital, Columbia, Maury Co., TN on 30 October 1990.
Grady moved with this father, Ike, brothers and sisters from Cane Creek to the Myles EDWARDS farm at Topsy early in life. Later they moved to the Lewis D. WHITEHEAD farm in Topsy and continued to farm. They then operated the Brown Brothers Store and Grady was in charge of the ‘Peddling Route” throughout Wayne County.
Brown, Finley
BROWN, FINLEY, Born May 1896, served in the Marine Corps and was inducted at Birmingham, Alabama. His parents were David and Emily BROWN. Siblings were Neil, Thomas, Green, and Mattie BROWN. No other information available.
Bromley, James M.
BROMLEY, JAMES M. Pvt. Co. F, 137th Inf. Serial Number 3496758. Soldier was born Iron City, Tennessee and was 23 years old and a farmer at induction. He was described as having blue eyes, brown hair, dark complexion standing 5′ 9½”. He was inducted 24 June 1918 at Waynesboro, Tennessee and served in the American Expeditionary Forces from 8 Aug 1918 to 13 April 1919. He was discharged at Ft. Oglethorpe, GA on 12 May 1919. No other information submitted.
Brewer, Roy Calvin
BREWER, ROY CALVIN, was born in Wayne County, Tennessee on 28 November 1896. He died 5 Oct 1985, in Collinwood, TN. He is buried at McGlamery Cemetery. He was the son of William Henry BREWER and Malinda Ann Dora BUTLER. Roy was inducted on 6 September 1918 at Waynesboro, TN. He was a private, serial number 4245751. He was 21 years, 9 months old at induction and by occupation a farmer. He was described as having brown eyes, black hair, a fair complexion and was 5′ 10¼” in height. From 29 Sep 1918 to 12 Oct 1919, he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe, serving with the 249th Co. P.W.E. He was discharged at Camp Gordon, GA on 20 Oct 1919.
After he returned from the service, Roy married Lillie Ellender LAY on 24 September 1922 in Collinwood. They were married by Dr. W. W. RIPPY who was the Justice of the Peace for the 4th Civil District. Lillie was the daughter of John Sampson LAY and his wife, Sarah Alice DIXON. Lillie was born 1 June 1906 and died 26 Jan 1951. She is buried at McGlamery Cemetery.
Roy and Lillie had two children:(1) Juanita Helen BREWER, b. 13 April 1924, m. 7 Aug 1948 to Clarence Delbert THOMAS, b. 4 Dec 1927; they have a son Matthew Lowell THOMAS, b. 1 May 1959; (2) Judith Lay BREWER, b. 27 Feb 1941, m. in 1962 to Virgil H. DAVIS, b. Jul 1938, they have one son John Brewer DAVIS, b. 4 Dec 1968.
Following Lillie’s death in 1951, Roy married second to Hettie A. QUILLEN on 7 June 1954. She was born 29 Dec 1917, and was the daughter of John Lewis QUILLEN and his wife Estella J. STULTS. Roy and Hettie did not have any children.
Several stories, told by Roy, of his experiences during World War I were remembered and recorded by his daughters. They were submitted along with his biography and a published here as part of that biography. They are written in first person, Roy C. BREWER speaking.
The Argonne Cemetery
For a time I was stationed in the Verdun area and assigned to a company that helped build the Argonne Cemetery. In an infantry company a soldier may see a lot of other boys killed. While it affects you to see your friends and acquaintances killed, you are always moving, trying to stay alive. Not even combat could prepare us for what we experienced building the cemetery.
I don’t remember how many acres the cemetery contained, but it would have made a very large farm. We laid the graves out in straight rows so that every way you looked rows would fan out in a straight manner. When we started they had our dead boys laid out and stacked like cord wood. There were great big stacks all around the area. The bodies still had their dog tags on them so we could identify each boy with his grave.
Our camp was ten or twelve miles from the cemetery, but you could smell the decaying bodies even back there. I hope no one ever has to see or smell something like that again.
THE GRAND TOUR
After the Armistice, I was assigned to a guard company that guarded German prisoners of war. Even though they would be repatriated in a little while, we still were responsible for them and maintained a loosely guarded POW camp. The people who lived in that area were mostly Germans and would provide a place for escaped POW’s to hide.
One morning my Captain, a man from near Nashville, told me that a POW had walked off during the night. He also said that no telling where that rascal had gone. He gave me a European wide pass/orders and told me to find the guy if I had to go all over Europe to do it. I took that to mean that the Captain would not be upset if this Wayne County boy took what would probably be his only chance ever to see Europe. I was gone almost six weeks, visited most of the big cities, did some dancing and no little bit of drinking before coming back to the area near our camp, captured the missing POW and marched back to our camp.
THE RUSSIANS
After the Russian Revolution, the new government stopped sending provisions to their troops that were left in France. They were in terrible shape. Most of them could not speak either French or English. They had no money as they were seldom paid even before the Revolution. Some of the boys were very good at carving. I bought several carved horses and so forth from them. I don’t know what happened to those carvings. It would be nice to have them now.
I almost got sent to Russia. You know we landed an expeditionary force in Vladevostock. Some thought we would support the White Russians against the Reds. Just before I was supposed to leave for Russia someone changed his mind and I got to come home.
THE TRIP HOME
On the way back to Tennessee we were on a troop train. I think we were in Trenton, New Jersey. Anyway, we were in a train car packed with troops. When we stopped, this old Italian came by pushing a big cart of fruit that he was trying to sell to people who were on the train. Somebody hollered, “Hey, BREWER, bet you won’t get us a stalk of bananas.” Well, I climbed out an open window, ran up to the cart and grabbed a stalk of bananas and pitched them through the open train window. The old Italian was cussing me good in both English and Italian. I told him to send the bill to Uncle Sam. By the time the train had started again I was back aboard but the other boys had already eaten all of the bananas.