John Bahr
World War I
John Bahr was born at Charter Oak, IA, on Oct. 15, 1895. He was one of three children of Peter and Hannah Bahr, which is a relatively small family for the times. The family moved a few times while living in Iowa, with John starting his education in a little country school near Dunlap, IA.
It was while they were living at Dow City, IA, that he was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 21 — he was in the first draft of World War I. He left Sept. 21, 1917, for Camp Dodge, IA, and spent nearly a year there before going overseas on the U.S.S. Aeolus, serving in Company H, 350th Infantry.
Interesting fact about the U.S.S. Aeolus: When World War I broke out, Grosser Kurfurst, as it was known then, and a former luxury steamship, was forced to seek shelter in American waters. The U.S. Government interned these ships wherever they had put into port, and upon the entrance of the United States into the war, took them over for “safe keeping.”
Customs agents boarded Grosser Kurfurst in the port of New York, and sent the crew to an internment camp on Ellis Island. Before those sailors left their ships, however, they carried out a program of systematic destruction calculated to take the longest possible time to repair.
The Navy inspected Grosser Kurfurst and earmarked her for service with the Cruiser and Transport Force to carry troops to France. She was commissioned as Grosser Kurfurst, but while the ship was undergoing the repairs and alterations necessitated by the German sabotage and in light of her expected role carrying troops across the Atlantic, her name was changed to Aeolus.
In March of 1918 while still at Camp Dodge, John attained the rank of Corporal. On Oct. 16, 1918, while in France, he attained the rank of Sergeant.
According to information from John, as told to daughter-in-law Audree Bahr, his company landed first in Liverpool, England and then spent time at several different places. They were on the way to the front when word came that the armistice was to be signed the next day, Nov. 11, 1918.
He and the rest of his company did not get to come home until May of 1919, and then returned to Camp Dodge. He was discharged June 5, 1919.
According to his discharge papers, under battles, engagements, skirmishes and expeditions, it lists A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces) Balschwiller, Haute-Alsace and Toul Sector.
By the time John was discharged, his parents had moved to Osmond, so he followed them here and started to farm in the spring of 1920. In October of that year, he married Clara Kahler.
At first, John and Clara farmed north of Osmond, but in 1949, they moved to a farm south of town. In 1955, they moved into town. The couple had two children: Orville and Fern Ellen.
John and Clara liked to dance, and according to granddaughter Glenda, John also played the accordion and the harmonica — she even has a tape of him playing the harmonica! He played at barn dances and danced even in old age, she said. John and Clara had grown up knowing German, which their parents and cousins spoke, Glenda added.
Their home in town was the place for afternoon neighborhood card party (prunce, pitch and “war” for the kids). They had paper thin sugar cookies and coffee, or lunch with “vuss” (wurst) or homemade bread, Glenda shared.
John was a charter member of American Legion Post 326, and was presented a 50-year membership pin.
Clara died in 1971, and John was a widower for eight years before marrying Louise “Lucy” Kumm, who had been a close friend of the couple. This marriage added two stepsons, Orin and Wes Kumm.
After being hospitalized several times during the last year of his life, John died Sept. 26, 1981. Services were held at the United Methodist Church, with graveside services by American Legion Post 326.
He was buried in the city cemetery in the family plot, along with his first wife, parents and brother Earl. The plot is located several rows up from the main gate on the left, about twothirds of the way across.
