A telegram received Tuesday by Ed Matthiesen bore the news that McKinley David was dead. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E David former residents of this vicinity now living over in Iowa. A telephone to them brought the further information that McKinley had died very suddenly from heart trouble, and that the remains would be buried at the family’s new home in Iowa, but they were unable to state when the body would arrive. Only a few weeks ago this young man enlisted in the heavy coast artillery and was first sent to Fort Logan, Colo., with one of John McCracken’s boys. They separated there and McKinley was sent to a fort near San Francisco. He was a member of the Odd Fellow lodge of this city.

Pilot 29 May 1918

Word was received Monday of death of McKinley, better known as “Mack,” David, at Ft. Arthur, in Long Beach, Calif., of heart failure. He enlisted only three weeks ago and was sent to Ft. Logan, Colo., from there went to Ft. Arthur and was in the Coast Artillery. He was past twenty-one years of age and had recently joined the Odd Fellows located at this place. His father, A. E. David, lived near this city for a number of years, but is now living at Prescott, Ia., where burial will be made. Mrs. Will Seltz, of DeSoto, is a sister, left yesterday for Prescott, to attend the funeral.

Tribune 6 June 1918

McKinley David Laid To Rest At Prescott, Iowa

McKinley August David was born September 27, 1896 at Irvington, Douglas county, Nebraska. He passed to the “Life Beyond” May 27th, 1918, at Camp McArthur, San Pedro, California, at the age of 21 years and eight months.

When McKinley was but 5 months old his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. David, moved to Blair, and it was here that he grew to manhood, living with his parents and helping on the farm. In December, 1915, McKinley united with the Christian church at Blair. On his twenty-first birthday September 27, 1917, he joined the Odd Fellows lodge.

When our country’s call for men came McKinley nobly answered the summons and enlisted on May 4, 1918. He left for the training camp at Ft. Logan, Colo., on May 8, 1918, and shortly after he was stationed at Camp McArthur, San Pedro, Calif., where he answered his Master’s summons, Monday Morning, May 27, 1918.

McKinley was a noble young man, true and trustworthy in all the teachings of his parents. His mother had the comfort and knowledge of this trust in all the days of service of his country. He was a son of whom his parents could well be proud.

He leaves to mourn his death, his parents, and his brother, Eugene, of Prescott, Ia., and four sisters, Mrs. Elma V. Timperly, Huron, S. D., Mrs. Olive A. Jones, Emerson, Nebr., Miss Nellie M. David, Omaha, Nebr., and Mrs. Marie A. Seltz, DeSoto, Nebr., also his betrothed, Miss Augusta L. Sydow, Blair, Nebr.

The funeral was held Sunday afternoon at the Christian church in Prescott, Iowa, conducted by the pastor, Elder W. H. Smith. A choir of mixed voices sang the songs he loved. The funeral was attended by the largest number of people ever in attendance at a funeral in Prescott. Flowers were beautiful and profuse, and as we viewed him as he lay there dressed in his soldier’s uniform and the flag for which he made the supreme sacrifice pinned over his heart, we could but hope and pray that this dark hour of our nation’s ordeal might pass soon. The Odd Fellows impressive ceremony was performed at the grave and “taps” were sounded and the body was laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery. – Prescott (Ia.) Argus.

Pilot 5 June 1918

John Wentworth took his wife, A. E. Hanna and Aaron Daub in his Ford over to Prescott, Ia., last Sunday to attend the funeral of McKinley David. They had a little trouble with the car at first and did not get started as early as they expected yet they got over there just as the procession was forming to go to the cemetery. They said they didn’t know there were as many people in the state of Iowa as there were present at the funeral. The I.O.O.F. lodge at Prescott had charge of the services at the grave, assisted by a delegation from the lodge at Carl, Ia. The Modern Woodmen also assisted in the service. “Mack” had failed to get into the navy and the marines on account of his heart and was more than pleased to be accepted for some brand of the service, though his period of service proved to be a short one, only about three weeks.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~