Russell Kenneth Yoders

The following profile was researched and compiled by Candice L. Buchanan and Glenn J. R. T. Toothman III, for publication in "The Rain Day Boys: The Greene That Lay Near Grimpettes Woods" (2017). Learn more at www.RainDayBoys.com.

Birth: 23 May 1899 Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania[i]

Parents: William Henry Yoders and Clemma Durbin[ii]

Residence at time of enlistment: Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania[iii]

Physical description: 5 feet 11 inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair[iv]

Death: Killed in action 29 July 1918 Cierges, Picardie, France[v]

Age at death: 19 years old

Last resting place: 24 July 1921 Green Mount Cemetery, Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania[vi]

Military rank: Serial No. 1241945. Private. Company K, 110th Infantry, 28th Division.

Witness account of death: Statement given by Sgt. James L. Kane. “I was in the same platoon with Russell Yoders July 29th 1918, when he was killed. We were in the second platoon of this company and it was caught in a flank of Machine gun fire and the entire platoon killed or wounded.”[vii]

Additional information:

Following the close of the war, Pennsylvania took initiative to collect data on individual soldiers who gave their lives in service. Newspaper ads with cut-out forms, encouraged families to supply details. Clemma (Durbin) Yoders, Russell’s mother, responded thoroughly. This is how she biographed her son [punctuation and capitalization added for clarity]:

Sketch of Soldier Boy’s Life

Russell Kenneth Yoders was born near Waynesburg May 23, 1899. He finished his common school at the early age of 13 yrs. He also had gone two terms to Normal. He was deeply interested in business education and was making arrangements to attend Duffs Business College at Pittsburg when he heard the call of his country. He voluntarily enlisted in Co. K, July 1917.  He was the only son and the baby [Clemma struck out the word baby] youngest of the family of Wm. And Mrs. William Yoders of Waynesburg.

He made the supreme sacrifice on July 29th 1918 in the Battle of the Marne. He was a noble boy at home and was a brave soldier to the last. The last the that was seen of him he was trying to get a wounded comrade to an ambulance. He was reported missing in action, later killed in action. He fell facing the enemy.

I could write more if you request it.

Yours truly,

Mrs. Clemma Yoders

Waynesburg

Greene Co. Pa.

RD 3

Mother of this darling boy.

Find enclosed picture. Please send back if not needed and oblige excuse this awkward letter. You can fix it. It is hard for me to write about them.[viii]

 

Russell was buried in Green Mount Cemetery 24 July 1921, following services at the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Waynesburg.[ix]

In 1934, Clemma Yoders, was granted $10.00 a month for 20 months, as part of the Pennsylvania Veteran’s Compensation Act, on behalf of her son.[x]

 

[i] "WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60884 : accessed 9 October 2017), Clemma Yoders, mother of Russell K. Yoders - application no. 259606; citing World War I Veterans Service and Compensation File, 1934–1948 (RG 19, Series 19.91), Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

[ii] Greene County, Pennsylvania, Marriage License Dockets (1892), vol. 5: 130, William H. Yoders - Clemmie Durbin; Office of the Orphans' Court, Greene County Courthouse, Waynesburg.

[iii] "United States, Army Transport Service Passenger Lists 1910-1939," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61174 : accessed 14 October 2017), Russell K. Yoders entry, line 91, page 33 (stamped), Ausonia, box 373; citing Lists of Outgoing Passengers, 1917-1938. Textual records. 255 Boxes. NAI: 6234477. Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985. Record Group Number 92. National Archives, College Park, Maryland. The ledger lists an emergency contact person and address for each passenger. Russell listed his mother, with whom he likely lived at the time of his enlistment. He gave his address as “Waynesburg, PA.”

[iv] "PA National Guard Veterans' Card File, 1867-1921," digital images, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), Pennsylvania State Archives Records Information Access System (www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us/archive.asp: viewed 12 November 2017), Russell K. Yoders, Private, Co K, 10th Inf., P. N. G.; citing Pennsylvania State Archives, series #19.135.

[v] "WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," digital images, Ancestry.com, Clemma Yoders, mother of Russell K. Yoders - application no. 259606.

[vi] "Bodies of Company K Men Laid to Rest" article, Waynesburg Republican, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, 28 July 1921.

Green Mount Cemetery (Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania), Russell K. Yoders tombstone; personally read by Candice Buchanan, 2008.

[vii] "WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," digital images, Ancestry.com, Clemma Yoders, mother of Russell K. Yoders - application no. 259606.

[viii] "WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," digital images, Ancestry.com, Clemma Yoders, mother of Russell K. Yoders - application no. 259606.

[ix] "Bodies of Company K Men Laid to Rest" article, Waynesburg Republican, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, 28 July 1921.

[x] "WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," digital images, Ancestry.com, Clemma Yoders, mother of Russell K. Yoders - application no. 259606.