Marion Richmond Crawford, my great-uncle
Marion Richmond Crawford was born on October 24, 1895, in Dodge City, Kansas, the son of Judson Foster Crawford and Josie Winifred Hammond. [1–6]
He spent his early years in Dodge City, appearing in the census there in 1900, 1905, 1910, and 1915. [7–10]
On April 20, 1917, Marion was recruited by the Dodge City recruiting office for service in the Coastal Artillery and was sent to Fort Logan, Colorado. [11] Just a few days later, on April 23, he formally enlisted in the U.S. Army at Dodge City and was assigned to Battery D of the 13th Field Artillery. [3,12]
In June 1917, the Methodist Sunday School in Dodge City honored him for his military service. [13] By January 1918, he was stationed with Battery D, 14th Field Artillery, at Fort Bliss, Texas. [14] Later that year, he was stationed at Camp Green in Charlotte, North Carolina. [3]
Marion served overseas in France during World War I and participated in the Battle of the Argonne Forest in August 1918 as a member of the 13th Field Artillery. [3,15] After the war, he departed from Brest, France, aboard the U.S.S. Zeelandia on July 18, 1919. [16] He arrived back in the United States on July 31, 1919, and was officially discharged from military service on August 6, 1919, in Iowa. [12,17–19] He returned home to Dodge City on August 14. [20]
In 1920, Marion was living at 504 Avenue G in Dodge City and working as a switchman for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. [21–23] He was a member of both the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Brotherhood of Switchmen. [3]
Tragically, Marion died on July 29, 1920, at the age of 24 when he fell beneath the wheels of a moving switch engine in Dodge City. [1,5–6,24–29] He was laid to rest at Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City. [4,26,30]
ENDNOTES:
1. Crawford, Judson F., Judson F. Crawford Family Bible (n.p.: no publisher, n.d.); Marcia Philbrick, Seneca, KS, photocopy in Crawford.Washington.Notebook
2. “Injury Fatal to M. R. Crawford”, Dodge City Journal, (Dodge City Kansas), 29 July 1920, p. 1 col. 1; Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS.
3. “Injury Fatal to M. R. Crawford,” The Dodge City Kansas Journal (Dodge City, Kansas), 29 July 1920, page 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).
4. Tombstone, Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City Kansas read by Marcia Philbrick, 1996, Marion R. Crawford tombstone (Crawford.KS.153)
5. Marion Richmond Crawford, death certificate (Standard Certificate of Death) 229 220 (29 July 1920), Kansas State Board of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Topeka, Kansas.
6. “U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940,” Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online (22 August 2021), Marion R Crawford.
7. 1900 U.S. Census, Ford County, Kansas, population schedule, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas, ED 49, Sheet 18A, Image 35 of 42, household 383, Crawford J F; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2017); NARA T623
8. 1905 Kansas State Census, Ford County, Kansas, Kansas State Census, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas, page 42, Image 83 of 178, household 291, J F Crawford; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2017); Kansas State Historical Society
9. 1910 U.S. Census, Ford County, Kansas, population schedule, Dodge City, Ford County, Kanass, ED 45, Sheet 3B, Image 6 of 30, household 16, Crawford JF; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2017); NARA microfilm publication T624
10. 1915 Kansas State Census, Ford County, Kansas, population schedule, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas, page 2, Image 73 of 279, household 9, Crawford J F; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2017); Kansas State Historical Society
11. “Two Recruits a Day,” The Dodge City Daily Globe (Dodge City, Kansas), 20 April 1917, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 15 August 2021).
12. Extract from Discharge Certificate of Enlisted Man to Secure Vitory Medal, Marion R. Crawford; Crawford Family Papers; privately held by Marcia Philbrick, Seneca, Kansas, 2016. passed down to Marcia Philbrick by Winnie Crawford.
13. “Methodists Honor Soldiers,” The Dodge City Daily Globe (Dodge City, Kansas), 9 June 1917, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 15 August 2021).
14. “Where Soldiers of Ford County Are,” The Dodge City Daily Globe (Dodge City, Kansas), 28 January 1918, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 15 August 2021).
15. “Had Been at Front 14 Days,” The Dodge City Daily Globe (Dodge City, Kansas), 16 September 1918, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 16 August 2021).
16. Lists of Incoming Passengers, 1917-1938; Lists of OUtgoing Passengers, 1917-1938, database with images, Fold3 http://www.fold3.com : ).
17. Extract from Discharge Certificate of Enlisted Man to Secure Vitory Medal, Marion R. Crawford; Crawford Family Papers; privately held by Marcia Philbrick, Seneca, Kansas, 2016. passed down to Marcia Philbrick by Winnie Crawford.
18. Enlistment Record for Marion R. Crawford, Crawford Family Papers; privately held by Marcia Philbrick, Seneca, Kansas, 2016. passed down to Marcia Philbrick by Winnie Crawford.
19. Honorable Discharge from the United States Army, Marion R. Crawford; Crawford Family Papers; privately held by Marcia Philbrick, Seneca, Kansas, 2016. passed down to Marcia Philbrick by Winnie Crawford.
20. “Three More Boys Arrive,” The Dodge City Daily Globe (Dodge City, Kansas), 14 August 1919, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 16 August 2021).
21. 1920 U.S. Census, Ford County, Kansas, population schedule, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas, ED 53, Sheet 7B, Image 14 of 22, dwelling 161, Crawford Judson F; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2017); NARA microfilm publication T625
22. Etrick’s Directory of Ford County 1920 (Dodge City, Kansas: Etrick Printery, 1920), page 26, Crawford; digital image, Ancestry Heritage Quest (interactive.ancestryheritagequest.com : viewedonline September 2016).
23. Etrick’s Directory of Ford County 1920 (Dodge City, Kansas: Etric Printery, 1920), page 49, Crawford J F; digital image, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 18 August 2021).
24. Tombstone, Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City Kansas read by Marcia Philbrick, 1996, Marion R. Crawford tombstone (Crawford.KS.153).
25. Hulpieu Swaim Funeral Home Records [Dodge City, Kansas] (: ), 1921-1926 (Crawford.KS.075)
26. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 8 August 2021), memorial for Marion Richmond Crawford (1895-1920), Find a Grave Memorial no. #110357859, created by Marcia Philbrick, citing Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas; accompanying photograph by Tim Tompkins, Marion Richmond Crawford.
27. “Injury Fatal to M. R. Crawford,” The Dodge City Kansas Journal (Dodge City, Kansas), 29 July 1920, page 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).
28. “Under Engine an Hour,” The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kansas), 2 August 1920, page 15; Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).
29. “Dodge City Switchman Killed Under Engine,” The Hutchinson Gazette (Hutchinson, Kansas), 31 July 1920, page 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).
30. Computer Printout for Maple Grove Cemetery (Dodge City, KS: Dodge City, Kansas, 5/29/1985), Record #: lot 1 block 95 section 3 (Crawford.KS.080)
The above narrative was written by ChatGPT using the information from a narrative report generated by RootsMagic. This is the first time, ChatGPT has kept the numbers for the endnotes.