World War I
Frank Schomer was born Dec. 3, 1886, to Henry and Mary Schomer at Webster City, IA. His siblings were Mary, William and Nicholas. In the year 1900, the family was living in Center, MO.
In his early life, Frank followed the carpenter trade in Le Mars, IA, and then in 1913, he came to Brunswick where he worked in a hardware and implement store. In 1917, when Frank registered for the draft, he was 30 years old, single, and reported himself as a self-employed farmer.
On June 12, 1918, he was shown as a Private with Company “F,” 314th Engineers, 89th Division of the U.S. Army, departing from New York on the Carpathia – yes, the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic! About a month later, the Carpathia was sunk by three torpedoes.
The 89th Division was officially activated in August 1917, four months after the American entry into World War I, at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, KS, under the command of Major General Leonard Wood.
The division was sent overseas to join the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in the final stages of World War I, which ended on Nov. 11, 1918, due to the Armistice with Germany. The 89th was inactivated in May 1919, after being in existence for just less than two years.
In “Being a brief historical sketch of Company 'F' 314th Engineers,” I found the following portion of that record, which talked about their service in France: “The danger of gas was emphasized by frequent gas lectures and drills at the close of a day. Gas alarms hurried us into our masks at night several times. Masks were always carried and during the latter part of our period here always at the alert when we went out of town towards our woods. Steel helmets were also worn here as a necessary precaution.”
At the end of the 114 pages of that record was a listing of the members of Company F, which included “Schomer, Frank X., Private 1st Class, R.F.D. I, Brunswick, Nebraska. Entered service March 30, 1918. Transferred from 36th Company, 164th Depot Brigade to Company “F,” April 24, 1918.”
I found more information about the 314th Engineers on a family history blog page which gave the following information: “The 89th Division was the first American division to move up to the line by truck transportation. They relieved the 82nd American Division in the Lucey Sector northwest of Toul. During their relief of the 82nd, central parts of the sector were subjected to a severe bombardment of mustard gas by the Germans. It was the 80th’s baptism of fire." Frank and the rest of his military unit left from Brest, France, on May 16, 1919, and he was discharged June 4, 1919.
In the 1920 census, Frank is shown once again living with his parents at Brunswick, age 32, and working as a laborer. Then, in the 1930 census, he is living in the Brunswick hotel and working as a salesman at the hardware store.
According to one report, he went to a “western Nebraska veterans’ camp” in 1933, but another says it was 1934. Either way, this would have been the Veterans Conservation Corp Camp, which built the landmark Plains Lighthouse at Lake Minatare SRA, north of Scottsbluff.
That is where Frank died Sept. 9, 1941, of an apparent heart attack, at age 53. His brother, Nick Schomer, who was living in Osmond, received a telegram telling him of his brother’s death. Their father had died in 1924, their mother in 1937, and their sister, Mary Nothem, in 1936.
Although in the news report of Frank’s death, it said he was the only brother of Nick, somehow they forgot about their other brother, William, who was still alive. It’s curious that, of everyone in their family, the parents and daughter were buried at Creighton and Nick and Frank were buried in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery at Osmond, but William died in Minnesota and his burial information is unknown.
The issue of where Frank was buried wasn't definite. The centennial book shows him as being buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, but I couldn't find him there on the Find a Grave website.
The articles in the Osmond Republican, what little there was of them, were not complete obituaries. The first, where Nick had received the notice of his death, said arrangements were made for services to be held at St. Mary’s, and the second one said he was “buried from St. Mary’s Church with military rites.” Pallbearers were Frank Koenig, Eugene Liewer, Frank Goeres, John Gudenkauf, Al Sommer and Andy Book.
I decided to check the cemetery myself, but when I went there, everything was buried in snow and some in huge drifts! So I decided to see who was in charge of burial records at St. Mary’s. I thank Amanda Schieffer for pointing me toward Jerry Wingert, and I thank him for checking the records which showed that, yes, Frank is buried in the Catholic cemetery.
Ironically, as I started to write this life story, I looked through all the records I had printed out, and found, in the Headstone Application for Military Veterans, that St. Mary’s Cemetery was listed as his place of rest. Oh well – it’s always good to have confirmation of the facts!
More information about Company F in battle and what Frank Schomer and others during WWI went through can be found by typing in Being a brief historical sketch of Company 'F' 314th or go to https://mdh.contentdm.oclc. org/digital/collection/wwiuh/id/4525
