Roy Jasper Feit (1893-1918)

FEIT, ROY JASPER--PRIVATE

Son of John and Emma Feit; born January 19, 1893, Columbia City, Ind. Living on a homestead claim in Washington, when he was called into service, June 25, 1918, Asotin, Wash. Sent to Camp Lewis, Wash.; assigned to Company H, 159th Infantry. Transferred to Company M, 307th Infantry, 77th Division. Overseas in August, 1918. Participated in Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Killed in action October 13, 1918, near Grand Pre, France. Buried on battlefield where he fell.

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 718. Contributed by Meredith Thompson.

Columbia City Post ~ Wednesday, December 25, 1918

Mr. John Feit, of East Ellsworth street, received a message Monday evening about six o’clock, containing the sad intelligence that his son, Private Roy J. Feit, who was in the infantry, had been killed in action in France on October 13th. The telegram read as follows: Deeply regret to inform you that Private Roy J. Feit, infantry, officially reported killed in action on October 13th. Harris, Adjutant General.

Roy Jasper Feit was a son of John and Emmeline Feit and was born January 19th, 1893, and was 25 years, 8 months and 14 days old at the time of his death. He was born in Columbia City, and went through the grade schools, quitting school after he left the eighth grade. About 1910 he joined his brother, Ralph, in Oregon, and was there for several years. He went from there to Camp Lewis, at Tacoma, Wash., in June of this year for training. He was sent overseas about the middle of August. His brother, Ralph, went across in July, he also being in the service. A letter was received by Mrs. Feit, Monday, from Ralph which was written after the armistice was signed, in which he stated that he hoped Roy was as lucky as he was. It is probable that they were in different fronts and for that reason Ralph had not yet heard of his brother’s misfortune.

The message contained no information as to what sector Roy was in when he fell, but it is probable that he was in the Argonne region where the losses of the Americans were heavy during the last few weeks of the fighting.

Roy is survived by his parents, four brothers and two sisters. They are: Charles, of Trenton, N. J.; Frank, of Anderson, Ind.; John of Kansas city; Walter, of Flint, Mich.; his sisters are Ellen Helt, of Battle Creek, Mich., and Laura Ogden, of Akron, Mich.

Roy was well known in this city and had many friends among the younger generation who greatly regret to learn of his death. The news, coming at this time, when the parents had reason to feel assured that both their sons had come safely through the war, makes it especially hard to bear, but in their grief they have the sympathy of all who know them.