Succumbs to Pneumonia Last Friday
Parents are advised in Telegram From Washington Sunday Night
Was Well and Happy January 9, When He Wrote Last Letter Received Here
Parents Seek to Have Body Sent Here for Burial

The message was brief and contained no information as to the duration of young Dukes’ illness. It was based, of course, on the official report of General Pershing and could give no information beyond that in Pershing’s report.

The news, becoming generally known here at the hour when a draft contingent of twenty six men was leaving here Monday morning for camp cast a pall of sadness over the entire city. The family of the young soldier were grief stricken, and Mrs. Dukes was inconsolable.

“I cannot realize it,” she said Wednesday after three days of grieving. “Not to have his body and to see that he is dead makes it seem like a terrible dream.”

The family immediately on receipt of the telegram apprising them of the death, wired Washington to ascertain if arrangements could be made for bringing the body here. Up to Thursday no reply had been received and it was feared that, the body having already been buried in France, and so much time having elapsed since the death, it would not be possible to do this.

Dukes was well and happy on January 9, when he wrote the last letter which has been received so far by his parents. The letter reached here on February 7. In it he told them of having just received his Christmas box containing good things to eat, sweater, wristlets, tobacco, etc. He also mentioned having received a box of cigars sent him by the Eagles Lodge here. He sent regards to all his friends.

Dukes entered the service last May, leaving here the evening of the fifteenth and enlisting in St. Louis on the following day. After a short stay at Jefferson Barracks he was sent to Fort Bliss for training. He was a member of the Fifth Field Artillery, along with William Turner, Bert Burns, Philip Turner. John Stevers and Tony Logner.

The end of July Dukes and the rest left for New York and on August 6 sailed for France. A slight accident on board ship made it necessary to put back to port and some days were lost, but on August 23 they ported in France.

Young Dukes was a miner by occupation before leaving here. He was a big strong fellow, much admired by his friends both for his fine physique and manly ways.

He was born December 10, 1891 near O’Fallon, but was raised in this city, the family having lived here for the last nineteen years. He was educated in the local schools.

He is survived by his parents, Richard, Jr., who is registered for the draft army, and four sisters, Mrs. Esther Blake, Mrs. Jessie Jokerst, Mrs. Jane Altman of this city and Mrs. Margaret Tibbetts of Stillwell, Oklahoma.

Dukes is the first strictly Collinsville boy, whose parents live here to die with the Expeditionary forces in France. Leighton Evatt, who died some three months ago, enlisted from here, but came here while his father was a minister at a local church, and his parents now live in New Kenswick, Pa.

Dukes is the third Collinsville soldier to die. Eugene Kohler and Evatt are the other two. Kohler died at Camp Taylor, early in January.

All three were victims of pneumonia.

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Updated January 11, 2008
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