Extract from the 1900 Census:
Name: James M Ward
Age at last birthday: 11
Date of birth: Dec 1888 [sic]
Birthplace: Iowa
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head-of-house: son
Parents: William and Florence E Ward, ages 51 and 53
Home in 1900: Britt, Hancock, Iowa
Marital status: single
Able to read, write and speak English: yes
Father's birthplace: Scotland
Mother's birthplace: Nova Scotia
Occupation: attending school
Siblings living at home: Charles B (age 24), Libbie L (22), Delia S (17), William H A (14), and Henry N (9)
Census place: Britt, Hancock, Iowa; Roll: T623 434; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 119
Date: 21 Jun 1900

Extract from the 1910 Census:
Name: James M Ward
Age in 1910: 21
Estimated birth year: 1889
Birthplace: Iowa
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head of family: son
Parents: William and Florence E E Ward, ages 61 and 62
Home in 1910: Britt, Hancock, Iowa
Marital status: single
Education: able to speak English
Education: able to read and write
Father's birthplace: Scotland
Mother's birthplace: Canada English
Occupation: farm laborer
Sibling living at home: Henry M (age 19)
Census place: Britt, Hancock, Iowa; Roll: T624_393; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 130; Image: 341
Date: 28 Apr 1910

Extract from the 1915 Iowa State Census:
Name: James M Ward
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: 1889
Birthplace: Iowa
Gender: male
Race: white
Residence county: Hancock
Residence state: Iowa
Locality: Britt
Post office: Britt
Years in Iowa: 26
Marital status: single
Occupation: farm hand
Total earnings in 1914 from occupation: $350
Able to read and write: yes
Education: 6th grade
Father's birthplace: Scotland
Mother's birthplace: Nova Scotia
Religion: Protestant
Line: 99
Roll: IA1915_218

Extract from World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918:
Name: James M Ward
County: Hancock
State: Iowa
Birthplace: Britt, Iowa
Birth date: 30 Dec 1889
Race: Caucasian
FHL roll number: 1643112
Draft board: 0
Address: 2nd Street, Britt, Iowa
Citizenship: United States
Occupation: artist
Employer: none
Where employed: travels
Dependents: none
Marital status: single
Military service: none
Exemption claimed: none
Age: 28
Height: medium
Build: medium
Eyes: gray
Hair: dark brown
Bald: no
Disability: none
Date: not listed [presumably 5 Jun 1917]

Extract from U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963:
Name: James M Ward
State: Iowa
Grade: private
Branch of service: U.S. Army - American Expeditionary Forces
Company: B
Unit: 9th Infantry
Death date: 18 Jul 1918 (killed in action)
Cemetery: Evergreen Cemetery
Cemetery location: Britt, Iowa
Religious emblem: Latin Cross (Christian)
Name of applicant: Mrs William Ward
Relationship: mother
Address of applicant: Britt, Hancock, Iowa
Date: 23 Jun 1931

Article from the "News-Tribune" of Britt, Iowa dated March 1922:
Last Body Came
From Overseas
- - -
Remains of James Ward Interred In
Home Cemetery after Military
Funeral Friday
- - -
Killed in Battle July 18, 1918
- - -
The last soldier's body to be returned to Britt from France has been tenderly lain away in Evergreen cemetery. James Ward, whose death occurred near Soissons, France, on July 18, 1918, was perhaps the first boy from Britt to be killed. It will never be known definitely as the war department was unable to furnish the parents here any information for a long time. At the place where he was killed about 60 per cent of the American forces sent into battle on July 18, 1918, were killed. The fighting was most severe as this was the first time the Germans gave ground and the end of the war started as they withdrew from their positions. A man who was in the fighting the day James was killed says the 1st and 2nd divisions of American troops and French Moroccans were together that morning and fought side by side with English and French troops.
James M. Ward, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Ward, was born at Britt, Iowa, December 30, 188.
He enlisted on September 19, 1917, going to Camp Dodge, where he was placed in Co. E, 51st Infantry. In November he was transferred to Camp Pike, Arkansas, where he was placed with the 347th Infantry. The following June he went to Camp Merritt and on June 29th sailed for France with the Automatic Replacement Draft, in the 5th Company. His contingent stopped a few days in England and then went to France, arriving on June 10. They marched almost continually for eight days and on July 18th entered the front line trenches and were immediately ordered "over the top." Of the many who met their death that day was the subject of this sketch, James M. Ward.
On August 30th he was buried in Plateau, north of Viersy. The body was later transferred to the American Cemetery at Aines.
James Ward was married on September 17, 1917, to Miss May Hughes, of Kilkenny, Minn. Besides his wife he leaves his father and mother, four sisters and three brothers. Mrs. H. A. Schaper, of Britt, Mrs. H. T. Redmond of Choteau, Montana, Mrs. D. Schulz, of Titonka, Iowa, Mrs. Frank Fillenwarth, of Britt, Charles B. Ward, of Hazelhurst, Wisc., William and Henry Ward, of Britt.
As a naturalist, James Ward perhaps ranked high in Hancock County. He loved the birds and plants of the open prairie and the wooded highlands bordering our lakes and streams. During his short life he became well versed in birds. Prof. Bailey, now deceased, of Coe College, Cedar Rapids, said that he was one of the best posted men in Iowa. Many rare specimens of birds were captured and sent to the museum at Coe College by James Ward. He captured a bald eagle and other specimens of the eagle family at Eagle Lake and made pets of them. At one time he caught a black hawk, a rare specimen of bird, and sent it to Prof. Baily and at that time it was the second bird of the species to be placed on display in a museum in the United States.
While it has been almost four years since this life closed its career so nobly in the cause of our country, the memory of one who fulfilled the few short years allotted him on earth so well is fresh in the minds of his acquaintances and we take pride in recording James M. Wade as one of the noblest men ever reared in the confines of our county.
The funeral was held Friday in the M. E. Church, Revs. J. T. Pierce and E. D. Calkins in charge. Britt Post American Legion carried out the military rites and a large body of the boys in Khaki turned out to do homage to a fallen hero.
Mrs. Wm. Ward, the mother of the fallen hero, penned the following verse. It carries her feelings and describes a vision that came to her:

They sent me home my darling boy.
That's what they said to me.
But his dear face or form nowhere can I see.
Oh, where is all that glad young manhood they took so far away.
Is it in that flag draped casket they sent me home today?

Between me and that casket, a face and form I see.
"Tis the same my dear Savior in pity sent to me.
When with grief my heart was breaking for my lost boy far away
He showed me in a vision and I see it every day.

A face so full of glory and his dear features I could trace
As I gazed in silent wonder upon that visioned face.
A white robe did enfold him, a crown was on his head.
I know our dear boy liveth, though on earth to us is dead.

Soon our days on earth are ended, and our grieving will be o'er.
For our dear one that died on that far off alien shore.
And no more from grief and sorrow the tears our eyes shall dim
For we'll be with our lost boy, our own, our darling Jim.
[Source: Louis Schleuger 48469498]