The final entry in a diary kept by Earl Blacker in which he recorded events that transpired during his service on the Mexican border and in the World war will be made by relatives, for taps sounded for him Sunday. His death occurred at Battle Mountain Sanitarium at Hot Springs, S. Dak., where he had gone for treatment for an affliction from mustard gas received while in the service, and for an ailment termed "trench mouth," which was also contracted in the service. He is the second member of the Blacker family that has died as the result of service during the World war. Walter, who was in the navy, having died during the flu epidemic. During the Mexican border troubles Earl served as a member of Co. K, 4th N. N. G. from June 1916 to May 1917. Daily during that period he recorded in his diary the main events that transpired. During the World war he served with Co. D, 58th Inf., 4th Division. He enlisted February 6, 1918 and served until August 8, 1919. According to his diary he embarked from Hoboken, N. J., on May 6, 1918, and disembarked May 24, 1918, at Tillbury docks where the entrained for Dover, England. On May 23, 1918, the day before they landed, their fleet of transports was attacked by a submarine, acording[sic] to a notation, and the cruiser Moldain was sunk with the loss of 56 men. A diary could not be kept while the soldiers were in France, as the war authorities feared valuable information might be imparted to the enemy should they fall into their hands, but Earl has an incompleted record of his experiences while overseas--incompleted because failing health made it impossible for him to complete it. He was placed in charge of a fleet of some fifty army wagons with horses and men, and his duty was to transport food and amunition[sic] to the front. In this capacity he was at the Marne from July 18 to August 6, 1918, and at the Somme offensive from August 6 to November 11. In the meantime he was also at the St. Mihiel offensive from September 12 to September 16, and at the Meuse-Argonne from September 26 to October 6, according to entries made. Earl Lars Blacker was born at Rising City March 31, 1896, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Blacker, and was therefore 33 years, 3 months and 13 days of age at the time of his death. His parents removed to Seward when he was an infant, and had spent most his life here. Besides his parents he is survived by four brothers, Clyde, Ray, Faye and Harold, and three sisters, Mrs. Cora Fosler, Mrs. Mabel Knoechel and Margaret at home. Besides his brother, Walter, two sister[sic], Hazel and Florence, are also dead. The remains arrived in Seward Tuesday from Hot Springs, and funeral services were conducted at the family home at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Rev. Harry W. Hansen of the Federated church was in charge. The music was furnished by Mrs. J. R. Roberts and Miss Elizabeth Crouse. There was an elaborate display of floral offerings, two cars being required to convey them from the home to the cemetery. Fellow comrades of the World war, a sprinkling of Civil and Spanish-American war veterans, representatives of the national guard in uniform and many citizens were present to pay a final mark of respect to the memory of the fallen soldier and citizen. Interment was made in Seward cemetery, where a salute was fired at the grave by a firing squad from the national guard. The pall bearers were World war veterans, as follows: Herbert and George Landon, Ross Gillan, Paul H. Bek, John Hargett and Chas. Campbell.
--Seward County Independent (Seward, NE) Thurs, July 18, 1929
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