While exploring World War I-era newspapers for local perspectives on the war, I came across a revealing article in the August 16, 1917 issue of the Courier Democrat, published in Seneca, Kansas. As the United States ramped up its involvement in the Great War, small communities like those in Nemaha County felt the impact through the Selective Draft. This article offers a glimpse into how draft quotas were being filled, the challenges of exemptions, and the names of local men called to serve. It’s a powerful snapshot of the tension, duty, and sacrifice that marked the home front during wartime.
MAY CALL 200 MORE ON SELECTIVE DRAFT
On Tuesday Morning Only 76 Had Been Certified to District Board
Another week is past and Nemaha County does not have more than one-half of its quota of 113 men in sight. Members of the Board of Exemption and Examination thought Tuesday morning that at least 200 more men would need to be called. This would bring the list down to number 426. Members of the Board are not worried about the outcome. The Board has until Sept. 1st to raise the first one-third of the 113 men, or 38 men. Since there are 29 who claimed no exemption the Board needs but nine more men to fill the first quota.
Seventy-six men have been certified to the district board including the twenty-nine who claimed no exemption and forty-seven who filed claim on the ground of industrial exemption, the greater part agricultural work. Now it is from these agricultural claimants that the greater portion of the Nemaha county quota will be raised, as is shown by the list which we print today. In the earlier call the married men figured that they had a better claim on the ground of families to support. Under the new rulings of the provost marshal general the most of these single men claiming exemption on the ground of agricultural pursuits have small excuse for exemption. It is believed that few of them will be able to sustain their claim.
Although it does not seem like much headway is being made in getting the Nemaha county quota when you take into consideration the fact that a large number of the agricultural claimants are going to be taken for service, it can be seen that the lines are drawing closer. We print the names of the men who filed these agricultural and industrial claims because you can figure that a big percent of these men are very sure to be called. As we mention above most of them are single men.
FILED INDUSTRIAL CLAIM
- 601, Elmer Badsehein, Seneca
- 46, Merle Coulter, Vermillion
- 1237, Bernard Deters, Seneca
- 258, Harlan Deaver, Sabetha
- 739, Edy F. Erhsam, Bern
- 596, Jos. M. Gress, Seneca
- 431, W. Leigh Mills, Sabetha
- 1178, John E. Novak, Seneca
- 378, Roy Pendergrass, Sabetha
- 564, Wm. J. Roeder, Seneca
- 1031, John M. Stohr, Soldier
- 433, Jacob Wenger, Sabetha
- 602, Hubert Badeshein, Seneca
- Meredith H. Crosswhite, Centralia
- 938, Guy Davis, Bancroft
- 882, John Franz, Wetmore
- 350, Orville Lanning, Sabetha
- 530, Frank Templary, Corning
- 760, Henry L. Meyer, Oneida
- 1432, F. J. Meyer, Baileyville
- 542, Samuel G. Meek, Corning
- 382, Francis A. Molloy, Sabetha
- 1441, Joseph Maske, Baileyville
- 5, John Walters, Baileyville
- 1287, Clifford Anderson, Oneida
- 406, Wm. Burger, Sabetha
- 1067, Henry Blaser, Oneida
- 685, Dannie Goings, Bancroft
- 900, Philip J. Hynes, Axtell
- 72, Mark Jeannerett, Onaga
- Wm. E. Huertler, Seneca
- 1281, Eitel F. Thieme, Goff
- 51, Jos. B. Krogman, Vermillion
- 1221, John H. Kongs, Seneca
- 488, Ernest R. Vawter, Wetmore
- 327, Levie Fritch, Sabetha
- 1032, Walter Stohr, Soldier
- 936, C. H. Shumaker, Wetmore
- 93, Walter Smith, Centralia
- 875, John A. Larson, Seneca
- 459, August F. Daling, Seneca
CLAIMED NO EXEMPTION
- 10, Taylor Chamberlain, Seneca
- 432, Norman Begely, Sabetha
- 519, Calvin Gannon, Corning
- 1166, Bernard Osterhaus, Seneca
- 1142, August Robbing, Seneca
- 1423, Leo N. Salesky, Netawaka
- Bonnie H. Booth, Corning
- Geo. C. Adrianec, Seneca
- Jake A. Johnson, Seneca
- Clarence Sigler, Vermillion
- Wm. C. Conley, Seneca
- Aaron Lovy, Seneca
- Lewis Monroe, Sabetha
- Joseph Leuthold, Oneida
- Delbert Moyer, Centralia
- Clare F. Sparling, Oneida
- Wm. McEnaney, Corning
- Andy Strahm, Bern
- Leo Stallbaumer, Kelly
- Charles Dorr, Pawnee
- Edw. McDaniel, Corning
- Marion Riley, Corning
- Clifford Wilson, Sabetha
- Alva Masterson, Corning
- Walter Ralston, Sabetha.
- Albert Huerter, Oneida.
- Charles A. Tate, Seneca.
- John G. Meyer
- James Alexander, Soldier.
Reading through this article from 1917 brings the realities of wartime close to home. Behind every name listed was a young man facing an uncertain future, and behind each exemption claim was a story of livelihood, family responsibility, or personal conviction. These records remind us that the impact of World War I rippled far beyond the battlefields—into small towns like those in Nemaha County, where decisions were made, lives were changed, and history quietly unfolded.