Funkhouser Memorial
Albert Craig Funkhouser
[Home]
Back to the Albert Craig Funkhouser Page
MAYOR BENJAMIN BOSSE
I desire to express to you the sincere heartfelt sympathy of the citizenship of
Evansville in the additional loss of your son, Albert Craig. Many times I heard
the citizens express their high appreciation of the courage and patriotism of
your two splendid sons. We were all proud of them, and were pleased to take
notice of the patriotism manifested by you as parents of these two splendid
young men. And now, since they have made the supreme sacrifice, and you have
been left to mourn their loss, we do not see, at this time, in what way we may
be able to comfort you further than to extend to you everything and anything
that may be possible for us to do.
Your two sons have given themselves for their country, and for the Liberty of us
all. That you can, and should be proud of the noble men who left the Funkhouser
home to defend the flag of their native land, may God find a way to assist and
strengthen you at this time of your great bereavement, the loss of two
affectionate and loving sons, and two of Evansville's manliest young
citizenstheir names will forever be written in the hearts of all patriotic
citizens.
Mrs. Bosse joins me in extending to you our love, affection, and hope that we
may be able in some way to render service to assist you at this time in your
great loss.
HON. JOHN R. BRILL
I want to express to you my sincere sympathy and condolence in the recent and
additional great loss that you have sustained in the death of your son, Albert
Craig.
It seems you have been called upon to make an unusually great sacrifice to your
country in the giving of both of your boys, but you have this consolation, that
no braver and more patriotic sons ever gave their lives for their country.
You can always have the further consolation of the high esteem and regard in
which both your sons were held by all who knew them, not only as brave soldiers,
but as civilians and citi zens. No young men stood higher or were more beloved
in this community than were your two sons.
Mrs. Brill joins me in this feeble expression of our sympathy.
MRS. THOMAS J. BOLUSS
Dear Friends: I extend my heartfelt sympathy in your deep sorrow. May the Lord
comfort and strengthen you all in your dark hours of sadness. Much love to the
girls. I want to let you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
MR. AND MRS. F. O. DOLFINGER, MISS JULIA MAYHALL
We wish to convey to you our heartfelt sympathy in the sacrifice you have made
in another son, who has fought his last fight and has finished his faith and for
his supreme siicrifice for humanity, God has seen fit to call him up higher,
where he can look into his face and say, "Well done, thou good and faithful
servant." We realize it is sad and yet it's some comfort to know that he died in
a cause that was righteous, and some day there will be a family reunion there
and both of you will be there, and Albert and Paul will be there, and all
sorrows shall pass away and there will be no tears there, and parents and
children will rejoice with each other, such as this life cannot give.
Our words, cannot comfort you, but we can point you to Jesus Christ, our friend
and brother, and the only one to go to when sickness or death enters the home.
And may the com forter, the Holy Spirit, come into your lives as never before
and heal the wounds that death has caused.
JUDGE FRANK C. GORE
"Greater love hath no man." - God! Man, it stuns me! If their General does not seem
to comfort you at this time, forget yourself and try to comfort the stricken
mother and sisters.
May God and love help you all.
THE GREATHOUSE FAMILY
No words that we can say at this time will relieve your broken hearts, but let
us assure you of our deep sympathy in your double bereavement. We sincerely
trust that God will give you strength to bear your great loss.
MRS. TECKLA A. HENRY
Accept my deepest sympathy. May God help you.
MR. JOHN C. HUTCHINSON
Under the circumstances, I feel that it is almost presumptuous to address you,
as our acquaintance is not much more than casual and since I never knew your
son, Albert, very intimately. But I am impelled to let you know how much I am
impressed with the very heavy burden of grief you and your family have to bear
at this time.
While it may afford you small comfort just now, yet in the years to come you can
only be proud of the record made by your two boys during a great national
emergency. After all, what finer monument could a parent leave!
MISS MARGARET JOEST (TO RUTH AND ALTA)
Accept my tender and loving sympathy, in the loss of your dear brother.
MISS ROSE B. JOSLIN
I can't leave Evansville without telling you how deeply I sympathize with you
and your daughters, in this unspeakably sad hour. Would I could help you! I can
only join with hundreds of others in Evansville and pray God to comfort and
help you.
MRS. STELLA LINDLEY
Words cannot express my sympathy to you in the loss of your sons. It does look
hard for us to have to give up our loved ones, especially when they are young.
But the Lord knows best and we are only hoping He will help us bear our burdens.
Mamma also joins me in her sympathy to you both.
MR. GEORGE L. MASTERS
Within the limits of a few months for the second time an archangel from the
courts of High Heaven has descended with a summons for your son and brother,
forbidding him to enter the gates of your earthly home in the flesh. As you walk
through the valley and shadow of death may I bid you good cheer and am sure you
will fear no evil for the Lord God of hosts is with you and surely goodness and
mercy will follow you all the days of your lives. Another son and brother has
gone from you on a journey from which no traveler has ever returned. You can
meet these loved ones over on the golden shores of immortality, and may the
peace of God abide with you while in the flesh and unfold in all its beauties
out in the great beyond.
MAJOR BYRON F. PARSONS
Mindful of my inability to say anything that can assuage your great grief in
this sad hour, nevertheless, I know that 'tis comforting to be remembered - hence
this letter.
You have given two sons for country and humanity. 'Tis a great sacrifice that a
grateful country will not soon forget, and this must be your chief consolation.
You have not given all though, as did the Massachusetts widow who gave her five
sons in order that our country should not perish, and that brought to her that
beautiful and match less letter of commendation and consolation from President
Lincoln in 1864.
All honor to the fathers and mothers of heroes such as were yours who gave the
last full measure of devotion for country and a great principle.
In common with all our patriotic citizens I join in extending sympathy in this
hour of your great sorrow.
MR. HENRY L. ROSE
You know without the saying my heart bleeds with yours for two reasons, for your
great bereavement, and my utter helplessness in giving you comfort, in this, the
darkest hour of your life.
Albert, my dear friend, I tried so hard to draft you a let ter of condolence
when poor Paul paid the penalty, but I was unequal to the demand; my mind
absolutely refused to work. only a haze, so I gave it up and gripped your hand
saying, "I am so sorry."
No one but our God knows how I have prayed that the last dear boy be spared you
to crown the glory of both his and your achievement for your country's peace,
and the knowledge of my dismal failure staggers me into that suffocating
condition nkin to blankness, and as I sit tonight in my home, I am going over
with you every possible feeling you are now experiencing. I have made another
attempt, but all to no effect, that numbness will not be dispelled, only tears
come welling up to further obscure my thoughts so I will only echo the
beautiful expressions of Rev. Edwards and ask God to bless your loved ones left
in your good home and heal as quickly as possible those torn and bleeding hearts
contained therein.
In sorrow for you and yours, I am ever your friend.
MR. KIRBY E. SCHERER
May I not, in your hour of great sorrow, intrude on your privacy long enough to
try to express, in my feeble way, my very great sympathy and hope that God in
His great wisdom may soften the pain some way so that you may bear it? I want
you to know that my heart bleeds for you, and as a father and a brother I mourn
with you. May God bless you and sustain you.
MRS. GRACE B. TRACEWELL
I sympathize deeply with you in the great sorrow which has befallen, and I only
wish I could say a word of comfort, but I know words are useless just now, but
want you to know you have my love and sympathy, the loss of our own dear one
makes me feel for you.
The family join me in sympathy.
MRS. DAISY POTTER VIELE
I know full well what you have suffered these past days and my tears have fallen
for you. I have gone through the week of anguish in the hospital with you, and
with deep sympathy and prayers I could only, in thought, clasp your hand in the
under standing that exists between two stricken mother hearts. The Divine plan
is hard to understand, when there are so many old, sick and enslaved, ready to
go, why youth, strength, hope and manly splendor should be taken, is beyond our
comprehension.
A while back in a speech your husband made in public he said, "the proudest
moment of his life would be when his son came marching home," tell him to be
proud now that his sons have gone marching home to their Maker, with such
splendid records of manly courage and glorious patriotism.
Evansville is shedding proud tears with you that Paul and Albert Funkhouser were
her boys.
Dear Mrs. Funkhouser, please accept my sympathy which is so great for you in your
grief which knows no consolation.
MISS AURELIA WORSHAM
My heart certainly goes out to you all.
It is only we, who have lost our dear ones, who know what it really means.
Isn't there something I can do for you? If so, please let me know.
MR. EDWARD N. VIELE
Ever since I learned of the serious illness of your son Albert, I have been
trying to gather up enough courage to write to you. After his death, the courage
came to me. I wish you and your wife to know that none can feel as deeply for you
as do Mrs. Viele and myself. Your position in his case was like ours, because we spent
eight days in Ft. Harrison, hoping and praying, as we had never done before, that God
would restore our dearly beloved son, Douglas, to us in good health, in return for
his willingness to serve Him and His just cause. But God ruled otherwise and took
him to His home. Ever since, we have mourned for him, oh! so deeply. It seems
hard to bear, sometimes we feel we cannot, then God gives us strength, and we
again struggle on. Time does not soften our sorrow, but surely God must help us
to bear the loss, otherwise, we could not survive. Your two sons were wonderful
boys. I personally knew Albert well and he was always kind and courteous to me.
I did admire him greatly. While our three dear boys did not return to us, they
joined each other, and now march in that wonderful, beautiful army in God's
glorious Kingdom. We feel that we can understand your loss and also your sorrow,
because we have lost, like you. Assuring you of our tenderest sympathy, and
with love to you and your dear ones, I remain, truly your friend.
Source:
Funkhouser Memorial
c. 1920
pp. 93-98
Back to the Albert Craig Funkhouser Page
Return to A Little Vanderburgh County History
©2000
Christopher D. Myers
All Rights Reserved
September 14, 2000