James Virgil Brandenburg (1893-1918)

BRANDENBURG, JAMES VIRGIL--PRIVATE

Son of Samuel and Ida Brandenburg; born May 13, 1893, South Whitley, Whitley County, Ind. Elevator manager. Entered service May 24, 1918, Columbia City, Ind. Sent to Camp Taylor, Ky. Transferred to Camp Sherman, Ohio; assigned to 8th Company, 2nd Training Battalion, 158th Depot Brigade; then to school for Cooks and Bakers. Died of pneumonia October 6, 1918, Camp Sherman, Ohio. Buried in South Whitley Cemetery. Survived by widow, Margaret Mallock Brandenburg, South Whitley, Ind.

Gold Star Honor Roll: A Record of Indiana Men and Women Who Died in The Service of the United States and The Allied Nations in The World War 1914-1918 (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Commission, 1921) Page 717. Contributed by Meredith Thompson.

Columbia City Post ~ Wednesday, October 9, 1918

Private Virgil Brandenburg, of South Whitley, died at Camp Sherman, Chilicothe, Ohio, Sunday, death being due to pneumonia which followed Spanish influenza. He is the second Whitley county man to give up his life because of this disease, Private Ralph Waugh being the first man who died from this cause.

Private Brandenburg wrote his mother last week that he had a bad cold and something like tonsillitis since Sunday, and Tuesday his wife wired to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Brandenburg, stating that he had gone to the hospital. During the week several messages were sent by Mrs. Brandenburg relative to her husband’s condition which became more serious each day. Saturday the father received a wire asking him to procure a nurse for the boy and send her to camp. A nurse was procured at Fort Wayne and went to the camp Saturday, but the disease had reached a stage which even the best of care could not combat and the young man’s resistance was overcome and he passed away.

Virgil Brandenburg was born near South Whitley on May 13, 1893, and was 25 years, 4 months and 23 days old at the time of his death. He was very well known at South Whitley, going through the grade schools and the high school there, and while in the high school was prominent in athletic activities, being a member of the basket ball team. He registered under the first draft and was pronounced to be the best man physically examined by the local board up to the time of his examination. He was accepted and sent with the sixth contingent from Whitley county to Camp Taylor, May 25th, 1918, and was transferred from there to Camp Sherman where he has been since June 28th. His wife joined him at Camp Sherman in July and was with him at the time of his death. He was married before he went to camp, to Miss Margaret Mallott, daughter of William S. Mallott who resides on the Kosciusko county line. His wife and parents survive him, as does one sister, Mrs. Ward Combs, of South Whitley.

Virgil Brandenburg was a member of the I.O.O.F Lodge of South Whitley, being noble grand in that order when he left for camp. He was also prominent in Masonic work. He was a manager of the Farmers elevator for several years and was a member of the United Brethren church. He was a young man of fine character, and high and honorable ideals and his untimely death will be deeply deplored by all who knew him.