Past Events

Past Events

Joseph Porter Headstone Ceremony

On Sunday, June 26, 2022, Members of the Kinsman Camp #23, Avoca American Legion and the Avoca Scout Troop #97 conducted the Ritual of Headstone Dedication for Joseph Porter at Avoca, Iowa. Private Porter served in Battery K, 6th New York Heavy Artillery. They first mustered in as the 135th New York Infantry on September 2, 1862, and designated 6th New York Heavy Artillery on October 3,1862. Mustering out on August 24, 1865.

Joseph Porter died at Oskaloosa, April 28, 1904 and his remains were buried in the Avoca cemetery last Sunday. Mr. Porter lived for several years in this neighborhood and at one time was an extensive farmer. A few years ago, ill health caused him to quit farming, when he moved to Avoca. He was 87 years of age and a model neighbor and citizen. His grave had remained unmarked until 2019. Due to the COVID restrictions, the Dedication Ceremony was not held until 2022.

Kinsman Monument Headstone Ceremony

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, thirty-six new military headstones honoring Civil War veterans were dedicated by the Department of Iowa in front of a crowd of about sixty people at the GAR Circle at the William H. Kinman Monument in Fairview Cemetery in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The headstone dedication was the culmination of several hundred hours of research by Department Graves Registration Officer Roy Linn and his wife, Linda, who is a member of the Kinsman Camp Auxiliary. This research revealed the resting places of thirty-five unmarked veterans. A thirty-sixth stone was placed for several veterans whose resting places are known to be in the vicinity of the Monument but cannot yet be identified due to lack of records.

The ceremony was conducted by the Camp Guard of Colonel William H. Kinsman Camp #23, under the command of Capt. Michael Carr, Past Department Commander, assisted by Iowa Dept. Chaplain Ken Lindblom of Curtis King Camp #37 and the Nebraska Rangers SUV unit from the Department of Nebraska, who supplied most of the rifle squad.

Guest speakers were Department Commander Dennis Sasse and Civil War lecturer Steven Gates, who gave the keynote address. Roy and Linda Linn were honored for spearheading the project. The Departments of Iowa & Nebraska were joined by the Daughters of the American Revolution .

139th Annual Encampment Department of Iowa

The 139th Annual Encampment of the Department of Iowa, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was held Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Atlantic, Iowa. The National Officers in attendance were Allison Pollitt, National President, Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Jerome Kowalski, National Chaplain, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Dennis Sasse was re-elected Department Commander: David Thompson, elected Senior Vice Department Commander: and Charles Boeck, re-elected Junior Vice Department Commander.

Hull Cemetery, Luther, Iowa

On Saturday, November 13, 2021, members of the Departments of Iowa and Nebraska and the Dakotas, conducted a Ceremony of Dedication for the Hull Cemetery, near Luther, Iowa. The Hull Cemetery was established in 1848, and over the years had fallen into disrepair. Recently a new Cemetery Association has been created and has made many improvements to the cemetery. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War were asked to perform the Ceremony of Dedication in honor of the twenty-two veterans buried there, ranging from the War of 1812 through Viet Nam, including eight from the Civil War. Also present were members of the Madrid Iowa Veterans of Foreign Wars and of the General Society of the War of 1812, Iowa Chapter.

Benton Kinkead Co. D, 77th Ohio Infantry

On Saturday, October 30, 2021, members of the Departments of Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War participated in the burial services for Private Benton Kinkead of the 77th Ohio Infantry.

Benton Kinkead was born February 1, 1845, in southeast Ohio to Isaac and Sarah (VanCleves) Kinkead, and passed away in Seattle, Washington on November 8, 1916.

On October 26, 1861, at the age of 16, but pretending to be 18, Benton, and his older brother Julius, joined the Union Army. He served with Company D, 77th Ohio Infantry, and mustered out December 11, 1864, at Little Rock, Arkansas. After the war he became a house painter in MacArthur, Ohio.

In 1871, he married Cynthia Vest. They lived in Ohio for about five years. During that time, they had two children, Ralph and Laura. Their marriage lasted 39 years.

The Kinkead family moved to Plattsmouth, Nebraska in late 1876 and made their home on north 11th Street. While in Plattsmouth they added another daughter, Etta, to their family. The Kinkeads’s were very active in the local community. Benton served as the Clerk for the Second Ward and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Post #45, while Cynthia, was an active member of the First Christian Church.

Throughout his life, Benton continued to be a house painter by trade even starting a business in Plattsmouth with his brother called “Kinkead Brother Painters and Decorators”. Benton also had a quaint pastime, writing testimonials for products and sending them to newspapers.

Records show that both Laura and Etta graduated from the Plattsmouth High School. Ralph became a tailor and decided to move to Seattle, Washington in late 1908, On February 8, 1910, Cynthia passed away of an apparent heart attack. She was laid to rest at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Plattsmouth.

Shortly after Cynthia’s passing, Benton and the two girls moved to Seattle to be near Ralph. The Seattle Directory from 1913 shows that Benton and the girls lived in a house together, very near where Ralph and his wife lived. During this time, Benton continued to paint houses. Ralph was a successful tailor, Laura was a teacher, and Etta was a commercial artist.

On Wednesday, November 8, 1916, Benton passed away in Seattle. Benton’s cremains were discovered by the “Missing in America” project and through lots of time and energy and research, has been brought home to join his wife.

Fairview Cemetery, Council Bluffs, Iowa September 14, 2019

On Saturday, September 14, three members of Kinsman Camp #23 (Camp Commander Charles Boeck; Roy Linn, PCC; and Dan Rittel, PCC) joined with several members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Keepers of the Stones on a project to raise gravestones of Civil War veterans buried around the Kinsman Monument in Fairview Cemetery in Council Bluffs.

Kinsman Camp Activities May 2019

Kinsman Camp #23 has had a busy spring. Several members of the Camp and Auxiliary #23 participated in a series of school programs that served four school districts and over four hundred students. Several "stations" are visited by students on a rotation. Topics included in most of these programs are Infantry drill, Artillery drill, Iowa in the Civil War, Camp Life, and Women in the Civil War. Those who participated at the Atlantic Middle School (about eighty 8th-grade students) were Jim Braden, Mike Carr, Dave Hancock, Dennis Sasse, Stan Sibley and John Weeber. Auxiliary member Deb Carr and Artillerist Bill Somerville, our only non-member, rounded out our crew. The same crew, minus Bro. Hancock, also participated at Lewis Central Middle School (about 260 8th-grade students) in Council Bluffs.

On May 10th, we did a “double-header”, visiting the Avoca City Park where we instructed some fifty 5th grade students. Those participating were Jim Braden, Mike & Deb Carr, Dennis & Denise Sasse and John Weeber, in the afternoon, the group, plus Bro. Hancock, went fourteen miles south to Riverside Middle school at Oakland where we were greeted by an enthusiastic group of about sixty eighth-graders.

We also were asked to present at “Log Cabin Days” in Harlan on June 2. Those participating were John and Barb Butcher, Mike & Deb Carr, Roy Linn, Dan Rittle, Stan Sibley and Bill Somerville. Although the crowd was a bit smaller than usual, we had a good time. Several persons took brochures regarding the SUVCW, so we are hoping to gain a member or two.

William Schermerhorn Remembered

On a beautiful Saturday morning, May 25, 2019, the Service for Headstone Dedication was performed at the Laurel Methodist Cemetery, northwest of Laurel, Iowa.

William C. Schermerhorn was born in New York in 1815 and passed away in Laurel, Iowa in 1883. William served as an ambulance driver for Co. G, 27th Illinois Infantry. He was 46 years old at the time of his enlistment. He was described as a large Dutchman with a long beard. It is said he walked home after the war and being a blacksmith, he could hold out an anvil with one arm.

For 132 years his grave was marked only by a GAR star, and flag which flew on Memorial Day.

Through the diligence of the family and the acquaintance of Barb Gaard, his headstone was placed last September. The Service was conducted by members of the Curtis King Camp #37 and the Grenville Dodge Camp #75.

In attendance were nearly fifty family members and friends.

Last Soldier Ceremonies for Black Hawk and Bremer Counties

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, during a Winter Storm Warning, the Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable and the Department of Iowa, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Despite wind driven rain, sleet and snow, the final resting place of the Last Soldier of Black County, Henry Augustus Bray of Waterloo and Martin Lyman Stebbins of Waverly, Last Soldier of Bremer County were forever honored and marked.

Henry Bray, served in Co. F, 76th Illinois Infantry. He was born February 25, 1844, in Burbonnis, Illinois and passed away on May 8, 1943, in Waterloo at the age of 99. He had been a member of the Waldron Post #381 GAR in Quasqueton and the Robert Anderson Post #68 GAR Waterloo. When the Anderson Post disbanded he became a Member-at-Large from 1937 until his death.

Martin Stebbins served in Co. F, 1st Iowa Cavalry. He was born September 7, 1845, in Mantua, Ohio and passed away February 7, 1938, in Waverly at the age of 92. He was a member of the Robbins Post #267 GAR in Waverly until it disbanded on December 31, 1933.

Those present were Department Commander Don McGuire, Department Memorials Officer Tom Gaard, Department Secretary Dan Rittel, Department Historian Danny Krock and Dave Thompson of the Curtis King Camp #37.

Headstone Dedicated for Civil War Veteran In Clayton County

Five generations of descendants of Hiram Davis gathered at the Clayton County Poor Farm Cemetery near St. Olaf over the weekend for a dedication ceremony of a headstone for the Civil War veteran.

Family historian Tom Stoeber, of Cedar Rapids, gave a short address to the assemblage, which was followed by the dedication of the headstone. Although the Davis grave was unmarked, the headstone was placed in the center of the cemetery, which is located 230th Street between the Clayton County Law Enforcement Center and the Scenic Acres home in rural Elkader.

The ceremony was also attended by members of the Marion’s Robert Mitchell Camp No. 206, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Elkader’s Lemka-Stendal American Legion Post 106.

Davis was born in Delaware County, Ohio, in 1824 and was married in 1845. He and his family moved to Iowa and settled in Clayton County in the late 1850’s. He and his wife, Hulda, had nine children.

By 1860, Davis and his family had moved back to Ohio. It is speculated that he joined his closest friends when he enlisted in Company B, 68th Ohio Infantry Regiment in 1861.

Following the battle of Shiloh, in 1862, Davis was discharged, and the family moved back to Iowa. Davis and his wife owned land in Clayton County’s Highland Township until 1872.

In 1873, Davis entered the State of Iowa Insane Asylum in Independence and was transferred to the Clayton County Insane Asylum in 1878, where he remained until his death on October 30, 1885.

Dubuque Telegraph Herald October 9, 2018

Died - At the asylum for Insane of Clayton county, Friday morning, Oct. 30th, 1885, Mr. Hy Davis, who has been a resident of the asylum ever since it was built, some six years ago. Mr. Davis formerly resided in Sperry township, and was about 60 years of age. His death was very sudden. He seemed in perfect health the evening previous to his death the cause of which is unknown.

~Clayton County Journal, November 4, 1885

Sister Linda Linn receives the Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Award

On October 4, 2018, at Atlantic, Iowa, at 7:00 pm, Past Department Commander Michael W. Carr convened a Department Court of Honor for the occasion of presentation of the Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Award to Sister Linda Linn, member of the Auxiliary to the Colonel William H. Kinsman Camp #23, SUVCW

as issued by then Commander-in-Chief Mark Day at the 137th Annual Encampment of the Allied Orders of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Linda was nominated for her work on the Department of Iowa’s Graves Registration Project. Along with her husband, our Department’s Graves Registration Officer, she has personally walked untold numbers of cemeteries in Iowa in search of our Civil War Veterans, double checking the sexton records, WPA records and records from the County Veterans Affairs, many times finding Veterans who have not been listed. Being physically impossible for the two of them to survey each and every cemetery in the state, she has and continues to compile every possible data base and contact to achieve “Our” objective of locating as many Civil War Veterans as possible in the state of Iowa. Linda searches the records at the local libraries, courthouses, VA offices and historical societies.

Brother Michael Friedel, PDC receives the Elmer Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is to recognize Brothers of the Order who have a minimum of thirty (30) years with the Order and have provided significant and continuous support over that entire timeframe as either a full member or an associate.

Brother Michael G. Friedel joined the SUVCW as a member at large on March 17, 1988 while living in Bettendorf, Iowa. Over the past 30 years he moved from Bettendorf to Lexington, Kentucky and then to Des Moines, Iowa. Wherever he was living he remained active in the SUVCW.

Brother Friedel was a charter member and the first Camp Commander of the General Samuel Ryan Curtis Camp #82 in Bettendorf, Iowa. Then CinC Elmer "Bud" Atkinson presented the new camp charter to Brother Friedel at the 1993 Iowa Department Encampment.

At the 1994 Iowa Department Encampment Friedel was elected Department Commander and was sworn into office by then Senior Vice CinC Keith Harrison. The following year, having enjoyed the hospitality of the Iowa Department the previous year, Keith Harrison returned to Iowa as CinC. At that time Harrison appointed Friedel as an Assistant National Secretary and National Coordinator of Camps at Large. Friedel continued in that position for five years until the duties of the position were transferred to the newly created position of Executive Director of the SUVCW.

During part of his time as Assistant National Secretary and National Coordinator of Camps at Large Friedel lived in Lexington, Kentucky. At that time Kentucky had only one camp at large the Fort Duffield Camp #1. Friedel assisted in recruiting new members and forming new camps and during his time in Lexington the new Kentucky Department was formed..

In recognition of his civic contributions Michael G. Friedel was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Brereton C. Jones, Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Returning to Iowa in 1997 Friedel joined the General Grenville M. Dodge Camp #75 and since that time has actively participated in Camp and Department activities and given guidance and advice when needed.

Friedel has been appointed a National Aide de Camp three times and became a Life Member in 2012