Adolph Herman Raasch
World War I
Adolph Raasch was born March 20, 1892, in Norfolk, NE, to Henry and Louisa Raasch, the fourth of nine children. Adolph grew up on the family farm at Norfolk. His parents were actually among the founders of that city in 1866.
I thought at first we might be related somehow, since my maiden name was Raasch and his family, like mine, originally traveled from Wisconsin.
I couldn't find a link, but there may be one somewhere in the distant past before our families immigrated from Germany.
Adolph was drafted July 21, 1918, and was sent, along with 28 other Madison County men, to Camp Dodge, which was north of Des Moines, IA. He departed on Nov. 15, 1918, on the ship Argone, presumably to France, and worked as a wagoner in Detachment #2, Army Mobile Veterinary Hospital 2. Veterinary hospitals were in charge of taking care of the hundreds of thousands of horses and mules in their armies.
Adolph was discharged Sept. 16, 1919, and returned to the family farm. In 1921, he married LaVerne Scheibe. The couple had five children: Marjorie, Jean (who married Palmer Albers of Osmond), Donald, Norma and David. Adolph farmed in the area south of Hillcrest Cemetery, where he was caretaker.
On June 1, 1972, Adolph died of an apparent heart attack, and was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery. Although he spent his whole life in Norfolk, he was a member of the Osmond American Legion Post.
