CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - OLSON Alva ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp. Permission granted by Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== Cedar County News, 9-12-1918 Olson dies in France Popular Local Youth Gives Life in Fight for Great of Democracy Alva Olson, who was injured in the fighting in France on July 21, died in the hospital there 10 days later, according to his father, Oscar W. Olson, in a telegram received last Friday morning. Only a few days previously a letter dictated by Alva saying that he had been injured had been received. In the letter he stated that the injury was to his left arm and was quite serious. The letter was written a week after he was injured and two days before his death. Alva Olson was only 17 when he enlisted in May, 1917, leaving Hartington with the first volunteers for the training camp. He was a member of the Methodist church and superintendent of the Sunday school. No more popular youth resided in the community, With the declaration of the war his patriotic zeal was fired and nothing could stay his desire to do his share to support his country. Owing to the inability of his former pastor, Rev. Handel Collier to attend at a later date a memorial services was held last Sunday afternoon at the Congregational Church , which could accommodate but a fraction of the crowd which attended. Rev. Jones, of Ewing, read the invocation, Rev. Munsell delivered a short talk after which Supt. A.M. Nelson of the local schools paid a tribute to the manly qualities possessed by his former student. Rev. Handel Collier, who was pastor of the Methodist Church here then delivered the memorial address which was a glowing tribute to the young soldier who gave his all for his country. A mixed quartette rendered several musical numbers.