Marvin Arthur WICKHAM ¹

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Aaron & Kara Pingel

WW I DRAFT REGISTRATION CARDS, 1917-1918: Marvin Arthur Wickham, 21, resided Palacios Matagorda Co, TX; b. May 20, 1896 in Highland Park, IL; deliveryman for Curtis Sisson Grocery Store in Palacios TX; single.

Marvin Wickham came home Saturday to visit with his mother, Mrs. E. A. [A. E.] Wickham, for a few days before going "somewhere in France." Marvin expected to be with the ambulance drivers but was transferred to the hospital corps as first aid. He is stationed at Fort Clark and the company has been pronounced ready for the front by the inspector. In a class of one hundred fifty, only ten of whom averaged ninety of better in the examinations, Marvin's average was ninety-two. Marvin is an excellent boy in every sense of the word and every man is his well wisher.
The Palacios Beacon, November 30, 1917

PALACIOS HONORED LATE SOLDIER
Palacios, Texas, April 24.\emdash The remains of Marvin Wickham, son of A. E. Wickham of this place, arrived here last Saturday from Camp Merritt, N. J., and were interred Sunday afternoon in the city cemetery. Young Wickham is the first Palacios boy to give his life for his country. The procession, which was one entirely composed of automobiles, was one-half mile in length.
The Matagorda County Tribune, April 26, 1918

Known List of Matagorda Boys Who Died in Service.
following names of the soldiers who died while in the service of the U. S. A., are all that has been reported. If any one knows of others, and the cause of their death, if possible, please inform Mrs. Wm. Cash, Bay City, Texas:
Palacios--M. Wickham.
Matagorda County Tribune, September 5, 1919

INFO FROM LANETA WICKHAM MUELLER:
"Father (Louis Winfield, brother to Marvin) always said that Marvin never made it to France, he died of the Spanish Flu in New Jersey."

INFO FROM PETER MUELLER & PEGGY MUELLER FISHER:
"Just checking some things out about the 3rd Division to which he was assigned, the history says: "The division was organized on November 21, 1917, at Camp Greene, Charlotte, N.C. The first units sailed from the United States on April 4, 1918, and the last units arrived in France, May 30, 1918. The division went into the Chateau Villain training area. Part of the division entered the line at Chateau-Thierry and Hill 204, May 31st. "
So if he died on 15 April, then supposing he was on the first ship to sail, he would have died almost immediately after arriving in France and not from combat. More likely is that he did not even make the journey since most of the Division did not sail before he died. So dying in NJ makes more sense. BTW, there is a very good chance his actual military file was destroyed in the Archive fire in St. Louis in 1973 which destroyed 20 million records (80%) of all files between 1912 and 1960."

OBIT: The Palacios Beacon:
Private First Class Marvin Arthur Wickham (May 20, 1896 - Apr. 15, 1918) was born to Arthur Everett Wickham (sep. 18, 1872 - Oct. 17, 1930) and Wilhelmine "Minnie" Caroline (Fischer) Wickham (June 17, 1866 - __ ___ 1929 at St. Louis, MO) at Highland Park, Lake Co, IL. His cause of death is not know, but he died in France during WWI and was attached to Ambulance Company 26, 3rd Division. He was first buried in France then brought home for re-burial at Palacios Cemetery, Palacios, Matagorda Co., TX. Besides his parents he was survived by 3 brothers. At the time of his enlistment and death his family was living at Palacios, TX."