The Goodland Republic-January 3, 1918

PAUL CLAXTON DEAD

Mr. and Mrs. Amos Claxton the First Goodland Parents called to Mourn for the Death of Soldier Son

The sad news reached Goodland last Friday morning the Paul Claxton had passed away at the post hospital at Fort Logan. He had enlisted December 7, and soon thereafter took a cold, which developed into pneumonia. His mother had visited him the Sunday before his death, and it was thought at that time he was out of danger.

The body was brought to his home in Goodland, and funeral service held there Monday afternoon. Father Beede, of the Episcopal church, reciting the burial office. At the head of the casket Captain Louis B. Bender of the Coast Artillery, sat, and at the foot of the casket sat Bugler Adolph Croley, of the Great Lakes Training Station. The casket was draped in the United States flag and flowers in profusion covered the casket.

After the burial service of the church, Father Beede made a short address. The only music as a solo "Somewhere" by Vivian Crouch, accompanied by Marie Tapper.

At 7:30 that evening taps were blown by Bugler Bernice Ellis, of the Boy Scouts, and the body was then taken to Phillipsburg, accompanied by the family and a few friends, where it was laid to rest by the side of three sisters who have preceded the deceased to the Better World. New Year’s morning a memento was made to the young man at the Eucharist. A requiem for the repose of his soul will be offered at the church Friday of this week. Paul was born in Goodland, August 12, 1897, at Fort Logan. He had completed the grade school work and two year’s high school studies, when he quit school to enter the Rock Island shops as machinist's apprentice. He leaves to mourn his going his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Amos Claxton, and two sisters, Mrs. Joe Smith and Mrs. C. G. Nohrenberg.

Western Kansas News
January 4, 1918

PAUL CLAXTON DIES AT FT. LOGAN FRIDAY

First Sherman County Youth Answers Taps While Serving Under Military Discipline.
Last Friday and all this week, Goodland has been called to mourn the loss of one of her soldier boys who of her own dear “Sammies"—one who gave his life for the great cause of his country.

Private Paul Kingsley Francis Claxton died at the post hospital at Fort Logan, Colo., early Friday morning, December 29, 1917 following an illness of but a few weeks, being the culmination of pneumonia. The young man had been in the service but three weeks. The body as brought to Goodland Sunday and the funeral service was held at the family home, 1601 Main street, Monday afternoon. The body was shipped from here to Phillipsburg and the burial was made in the cemetery of that place Tuesday morning.

Paul Claxton is gone: the first Sherman county youth has sacrificed his life to the colors. How weird, how strange, how unnatural that message sounds. Three weeks ago as twenty-six Sherman county boys left the home soil, left their fond parents and proud friends, and journeyed off to join the colors and fight for American liberty, one person was heard to casually remark, "of this splendid band of young men, this flower of our manhood, I wonder who will be the first to have his life sacrificed." The remark was casual to be sure, knowing that these young men must go into the army camps, that they must endure the hardships of camp life in the winter, and that sooner or later they must, if the war conunues, go to face the cannons mouth, such is the life of the soldier; one also knows that more die from hardships and diseases in the camps, than those facing the fire of shrapnel and shell.

Everyone knows these are conditions true to facts and Paul Claxton knew them when he volunteered his life to his country. Yet he gave his life gladly, gave it toward the protection and glory of his native land.

Men who go to war have but one life to give to their country, and that life they give gladly, matter it not the manner of giving. Not every soldier can be a Nathan Hale, but each gives his life in the same spirit, and it was in that spirit that Paul Claxton gave his—willingly and gladly for the red, white and blue—the flag of our nation. Private Claxton was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Claxton of this city, and was a youth 20 years of age. For two years a student of the Sherman county high school. At the age of 18 years, he began an apprenticeship as machinist at the R. I. shops. He was quick to learn, and his work is said to have averaged as the best of any turned out by an apprentice in the Goodland shops. He was a kind, affectionate son to his parents, and in public life he was a young man who attended only to his own affairs. December 4, he enlisted at the Ellis, Kans., recruiting station, and was accepted as a mechanic in the engineer's corps of the regular army. He left Goodland three days later for Fort Logan, where he reported for service. The young man contracted pneumonia during the first night in camp, and his condition was not considered serious until it had gained such headway as to be beyond the point of checking by the physicians.

The funeral, held at the family home
Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock was largely attended by citizens. Rev. Father V. V. Beede of the Episcopal church recited the burial office, and made an address. Miss Vivian Crouch sang a solo entitled "Somewhere" accompanied by Miss Marie Tapper, pianist. A military thought was carried out by the presence of a United States army officer, and a United States navy blue jacket, sitting at each end of the casket, as the body laid in state during the service. During the hour of the funeral, all the business houses in Goodiand closed, as well as the railroad shops, where the young man had been employed. At 7:30 o'clock taps were sounded at the house and body was escorted to the Rock Island depot by the various fraternal orders and troops of Boy Scouts en masse.

The deceased is survived by his father and mother, and two sisters, Mrs. Christian Nohrenberg of Omaha, and Mrs. Joseph L. Smith of this city.

Contributor: LeAnn Burchfield (47596251) • [email protected]