Friday, October 22, 2010

World War I Draftees - New Castle, Indiana Courthouse - 1918



World War I Draftees - August 1918

Courthouse - New Castle, Henry Co., Indiana 
My maternal grandfather Lawrence Everett Runyan is the center man in the top row...the one who looks to be glaring off to his left. An additional piece of information written on the back of this photo is that the 2nd man in the 2nd row is Gurney Gray. I don't know if that is the second row from the bottom or the second row from the top and I don't know (yet) who Gurney Gray is. This photo had to have been given to my mother by one of my grandfather's nieces or nephews because they put "Uncle Laurence" on the back. My grandfather was stationed at Camp Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan and Miriam of "Ancestories: The Stories of My Ancestors" has a great article on Camp Custer with links to more information. (See her 2007 blog post here:  Basic Training at Camp Custer). My grandparents named their firstborn Lela "Custer" Runyan after this camp.
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3 comments:

  1. wow, to think someone took a picture of them all. I wonder if more communites took a picture.

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  2. Lisa: Gurney Gray lived next door to my maternal grandparents in New Castle for years. He died in the 1960's. He had a wife, Maurine, and two daughters, one I think lived in California. One was named Martha and was friends with my mother. Both daughters would be in their 80's now.

    David Crim

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  3. Well, hey Cuz! I was wondering when someone in the family was going to stumble across this blog! LOL! It's really weird timing too because I just wrote to Doug about two hours ago. First time I've written him since just after Dad died. Thanks for the info on Gurney. I found him in the census but I never heard of him mentioned in the family. Now I know!

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