World War I
John Volk was a long-time Osmond resident, although he was born in Pe - kin, IL. His parents were George and Elizabeth Volk and he was the middle child of seven children. John grew up in Pekin, and came to Osmond in 1916 when he was 28 years old. John enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 28, 1918, and was discharged Jan. 16, 1919. The information that I found about his service was confusing: It read Battery A, 338 FA Cas, 88 Div., but also had the following information: Dep. # Depot Brigade.
From what I have found, the 338th Infantry Regiment was first organized for service in WWI as part of the 85th Infantry Division in Europe. The regiment was constituted Aug. 5, 1917, in the National Army as the 338th Infantry and assigned to the 169th Infantry Brigade of the 85th Division. It was organized at Camp Custer, MI, on Aug. 30, 1917, with 3,755 officers and enlisted men.
Several years after returning from the war, on Feb. 15, 1922, John married Goldie Hauswirth. They had three children - Elaine Volk, Lorene Hunt and an infant son who died about a week after his mother died. She died Nov. 26, 1926, at the age of 30, leaving him with two young daughters.
I found John Volk as a young boy and then a young man living with his parents in the 1900 and 1910 censuses, but I did not find him in the 1920 census. In the next two censuses, I found him listed with his wife, Minnie. I was very confused, because neither his obituary nor his family listing in the centennial book mentions anyone called Minnie.
I thought maybe it was a mistake, but I didn't think it likely that there would be two John Volks living in Osmond. I then found a 1927 marriage license for him and a Minnie Barr. The marriage license lists her as divorced. By the 1950 census, John is living with his daughter, Elaine, and he is now listed as divorced. So John and Minnie were married from 1927 to sometime between 1940 and 1950, which means they were married about five times longer than he was married to Goldie, but Minnie is not mentioned in his life story.
Something else I found in an old newspaper clipping might explain why. It was a sheriff's sale in 1947, where Minnie was plaintiff and he was defendant, and he had to sell off numerous lots in town.
Seems like it must have been a bitter divorce. I can't help but feel sadness for this man who fought for our country, then lost his wife and young son. Is it possible he married too soon after that tragic event because of a need for a mother to his two young daughters? It's hard to say. I could find no one to ask for sure.
According to his obituary, John was engaged in the well business until his retirement two years before his death. John died April 27, 1962, at the
Veterans Hospital in Omaha after a lingering illness.
Members of American Legion Post 326 attended the funeral and conducted military rites at the city cemetery, where John was buried next to his late wife Goldie. He is located six rows up the hill from the main entrance, halfway along the row to the right.
