William Vardeman Keel - Navarro County, TX
N 31° 54.625 W 096° 18.215
14R E 754980 N 3533678
William Vardeman Keel is buried in historic Birdston Cemetery, northeast of Streetman in rural Navarro County, TX, and his headstone notes that he "died with the flue [sic] at Jacksonville Fla. in the service of the U.S."
Waymark Code: WMYJNP
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/21/2018
Views: 5
Corporal Keel's headstone is of white marble, with the compass and square of the Freemasons at the top, and the front reads:
William
Vardeman
Keel
Oct. 21, 1887
Oct. 21, 1918
---
Earth contains
a mortal less,
Heaven an angel
more.
-----
His fate is revealed on the reverse of the headstone:
Died with the
flue at
Jacksonville
Fla. in the
service of
the U.S.
-----
Corporal Keel's Findagrave page (see Website) notes his rank, and references an obituary from the Corsicana Daily Sun (slight edits):
"Obituary
The Corsicana Daily Sun
Friday, March 12, 1920
William Vardaman [sic] Keel
About 1887 - Oct. 20, 1918
A Few Brief Facts Concerning The Navarro County Boys Who Made The Supreme Sacrifice. Following is a list of the boys from Navarro County who made the supreme sacrifice during the World War, whether being killed on the battlefield or dying of disease in France or at the various army camps throughout the country. After untiring work this list has been compiled and is believed to be correct:
WILLIAM VARDAMAN KEEL — Died of bronchial pneumonia.
Died at Camp Johnston, Jacksonville, Florida, he was sick 7 days.
Trained at Camp Joseph E. Johnston, Florida.
Entered the service December 11th, 1917 at the age of 31 years and 10 months old.
He was a corporal.
Body buried in the Birdston Cemetery, Navarro County.
He was single, leaving a father and three brothers Belonged to Motor Transport Co. No. 397.
Address of deceased when he entered the service, Streetman, Texas.
Son of John Vardaman Keel and Mattie Keel (deceased), Streetman, Texas."
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