Earl Marion Norris

The following articles are courtesy of the Wyoming newspaper project.

The Lusk Herald
January 31, 1918
Death of Private Earl M. Norris
Earl Marion Norris, first of Jireh soldier boys to meet death in service, was born near Bethsaida, Indiana, June 27, 1898, at which place he lived until 1909, when he came to Wyoming with his parents and settled on a homestead near Jireh.

He attended the public school near his father's home until he graduated from the common school when he entered Jireh College, graduating from that institution in the spring of 1917. He was of a genial disposition and made friends of all who knew him.

Shortly after his graduation from school he enlisted in the Wyoming National Guard together with a school chum, Willard Vernon. Relatives had not heard from him since Dec. 12, 1917, and the message of his death came as a severe blow to them since they were expecting to hear of his landing safely in France instead.

At the time of his death Jan. 26, 1918, of pneumonia he was 19 years and 7 months of age, taken as it were in the bloom of youth.

He leaves to mourn their sudden loss his parents and one sister and a host of friends.

Niobrara County News
January 31, 1918
Jireh College Notes
Monday afternoon a message came telling of the death of our beloved graduate of last year, Earl Norris. He died of pneumonia Jan. 26, "somewhere in France." The college has five former students and graduates in the service and this is the first to loose his life. The greatest sympathy is felt for his relatives and close friends at the time of bitter grief. His sister Norma went home Monday for a few days.

Niobrara County News
January 31, 1918
Earl Norris Dies in France
Community Mourns First Sacrifice to War
The entire neighborhood mourns with unspeakable sorrow the bitter toll which the monster of Prussianism has exacted from us. A message from the War Department Monday brought the stunning news that Earl Norris had died of pneumonia. It is useless to try to express coherently our grief. Loved and loving, talented, magnetic, clean and fine, one of those boys for whom the world waits, whom the future needs - just two emotions are discoverable everywhere today, despair at our loss and unexpressable loathing for the monster madman across the waves who is sending into five thousand homes a day the heartbreak we feel - loathing for the imperial monster and for his henchmen in our midst who are zealously doing their little best to blight more homes.

Earl was born June 27, 1898, in Bethesda, Indiana. When eleven years old he came to Wyoming with his family who settled 6 miles west of Jireh. In the country school and college his flaming patriotism, his staunchness of principle, his enthusiasm in every helpful movement made him easily a leader. An only son, with an invalid mother and a father himself in poor health, he hesitated just at first when the call to arms came but they as patriotic as the boy said, "We won't hold you back."

June 5th he graduated from the college here. Two days later in company with his devoted friend Willard Vernon he said what proved to be his last goodbye to home and friends.

Safe in immortal youth; one more treasure laid up in heaven! The bereavement in that little storm swept home is beautified, glorified, by the lofty patriotism of parents who can say, "We would give him again." To us all has come with our woe a quickened patriotism, a gripping resolve that Earl shall not have died in vain. That this world, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.

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