From Find-A-Grave: (
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"Birth:
Jan. 8, 1891
Texas, USA
Death:
Nov. 5, 1919
Cisco
Eastland County
Texas, USA
Family links:
Parents:
Jacob Alexander (1852 - 1924)
Julia Deborah Knowlton Alexander (1854 - 1927)
Burial:
Oakwood Cemetery
Cisco
Eastland County
Texas, USA"
Clinton Lane (West) was born in Belton TX in 1891. His father Clinton West died in Florida in 1892. His mother Mary Lane West was in Texas, and could not care for him on her own. In 1894 Clinton was apprenticed to Jacob and Julia Alexander in Cisco Texas. Within a short time, the Alexanders adopted Clinton, and treated him as if her were their natural son. Source: Letters of Administration for the Estate of Clinton L. Alexander, (filed in 1927) on ancestry.com
From the book "Genealogy of the ancestry and descendants of Captain Francis Davis, founder of Davisville, New Hampshire, and of some of the posterity of his brother, Gideon Davis; with records of many other descendants of Francis Davis, the emigrant from Wales to America. Compiled by Francis Y. Davis.," a free e-book available in the Google Play store: (
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"445 Julia 9 D. Knowlton, a daughter of No. 327, b. in Farmington Falls, Maine, Franklin County, June 23, 18__. A poetry and story writer. Went to State of Texas in 1877. Married, in Dallas Texas, March 6, 1881, Jacob Alexander, b. in Rogowo, Prussia, Feb. 29, 1852. Emigrated to Texas 1867. Mr. Alexander is a cotton broker. Has become quite wealthy bu handling the fleecy staple, and owns considerable realty in Cisco, Texas. He is prominent in Masonry and Oddfellowship. Mrs. J. D. Alexander is prominent in fraternal orders. has served many years as Secretary of the Rebekah Assembly of Texas and has served as both Secretary and Treasurer of the Texas Women's Press Association.
446 Clinton Lane, adopted son of Jacob and Julia D. Alexander, was born Jan. 8, 1891. Mrs. Alexander's address is Cisco. Texas."
Clinton went to Tyler Commercial College in Tyler around 1912. We were able to find brief mentions of his visits home to Cisco in the local newspaper, and an announcement that he had finished his studies. On ancestry.com we saw his 1917 WWI draft registration.
From his tombstone we know that he was a member of the 133rd Field Artillery battalion, which was equipped with 6-inch howitzers, and part of the famous 36th Infantry Division: (
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"133rd U.S. Field Artillery Regiment
("First Texas") 1917
"The Dallas Artillery"
MOTTO: "Dum Spiramus Tuebimur" "While we breathe, we will defend".
FORMATION: Arguably the 133d has the earliest origins as a field artillery unit in the entire Texas National Guard. Antecedents of the unit were formed in Dallas in 1880 as the Queen City Guards and later as Battery A, Field Artillery, Texas National Guard, also called "Logan's Battery" or the "Dallas Artillery". Units of the Regiment saw service in the Spanish American war and on the Mexican border in 1916. Battery A became part of the First Texas Artillery by 1900 equipped with 3 inch guns, and as the First Texas it was called to active duty in 1917 with the rest. of the Texas National Guard. It was designated as a 6 inch howitzer unit and later in April, 1918, as a 155 mm. regiment. It served in France during World War I, separated from the 36th Division for training at the famous French artillery center at Coetquidan.
Completing the standard eight week course of instruction in six weeks, the 133rd moved into support positions behind the fighting lines, but did not see combat during the war. It was demobilized at Camp Bowie, April 2, 1919."
On Ancestry we also found his death certificate, which shows that Clinton Lane Alexander died on 5 November 1919 in Cisco of jaundice secondary to cirrhosis of the liver. He had only been out of the Army a few months when he passed away. He was working at an Express company when he died.
It's clear that he was well loved and that his family was proud of his military service and musical talent on the trombone.
The tombstone reads as follows:
"IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE OF
[trombone]
[crossed parrot guns emblem]
133 F. A.
[WoW Medallion] CLINTON L. ALEXANDER [Masonic symbol]
[IOOF chain links]
January 8th 1891
November 5th, 1919
Aged 28 years 10 months and 5 days
Rest on, sweet darling, rest.
Your life on earth is done;
Thy own sweet self was but a part
Of the Victory you have won.
Your country called, you quickly went,
And helped the Cause to win,
The task is done, your life well spent,
You've answered the call to Him."