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New Hamburg Legion continues search for families of local veterans

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter


Bob Berg, the New Hamburg Legion’s military service recognition book (MSRB) coordinator, has his work cut out for him in the first few months of the new year as he continues his search for family members of local veterans, focusing his efforts this time on locals who served in the First World War.

As he does every year, Berg is preparing his submissions for the next volume of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command Military Service Recognition Book – this year’s is the 13th volume. To do that, Berg is looking for details about the lives of veterans from the townships of Wilmot, Wellesley, East Zorra-Tavistock, Blandford-Blenheim and surrounding areas beyond what is available in their military service records online.

“There is no context, by going through all the information you can find in obituaries, Find A Grave and things like that because they slip through the cracks,” Berg said of his research into local WWI veterans. “Even if you find a name, when you go to phone them, there’s a whole lot of people with the same first initial and last name in the phone book.

“ … In most of the cases, I’ve gone through three generations and then you start trying to get into contact with great grandchildren; some grandchildren don’t know anything about these veterans’ lives.”

Thanks to his previous efforts and callouts in this newspaper, Berg has found family members for three of the First World War veterans whose names are memorialized on the New Hamburg Cenotaph, but he’s hoping to find more details about the rest. By making contact with family members, Berg is hoping they are willing to share the stories of their veteran ancestors to help Berg craft a military biography, share heartwarming stories and add a personal touch with photos of their veteran family members for publication.

Berg also requires a veteran or their family’s permission to publish a veteran’s photo and biography in the MSRB. If no family member can be found, permission can be given by the Legion branch president to have a veteran’s name and photo published in the book.

While Berg is focusing his efforts on First World War veterans, he is more than willing to accept biographies and photos of local veterans, or those with a connection to the local area, who served in the Second World War or during the Cold War for inclusion in the MSRB.

Specifically, Berg is looking for family members of the following veterans:

World War I

War dead memorialized on the New Hamburg Cenotaph

  • Pte. Elgin Earl Eby: Born Nov. 18, 1895, in Berlin, Ont.

  • Pte. Herbert Edward Erbach: Born April 12, 1890, in Wilmot Township

  • Gunner Alvin Jacob Forler: Born Jan. 6, 1895, in Philipsburg

  • Pte. Robert Goebel: Born Oct. 30, 1894, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Wilfred Cecil Laschinger: Born March 17, 1897, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Ivan Bernard Marty: Born April 12, 1897, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Henry Lorne McFadyen: Born March 16, 1894, in Baden

  • Pte. Albert Edward Merner: Born June 20, 1897, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Walter William Perry: Born Sept. 23, 1884, in Haysville

  • Pte. George Camel Schmitt: Born March 17, 1894, in Baden

  • Pte. Theodore Schuler: Born Nov. 12, 1889, in New Hamburg

  • Lt./Cpl. Leslie Ernest Sheppard: Born July 12, 1889, in Haysville

  • Pte. John Spahr: Born Jan. 5, 1884, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Nathaniel Stier: Born July 3, 1892, in New Hamburg

  • Lt. Russell Williams: Born Feb. 16, 1892, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Charles Yonge: Born April 2, 1887, in Milverton

Local WWI veterans

  • Pte. Douglas Edward Bristow: Born Sept. 8, 1897, in Bright

  • Pte. Clifford Brown: Born July 19, 1898, in Ratho

  • Pte. Harry Frank Clayton: Born Dec. 3, 1895, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Elmer Arthur Dahmer: Born Dec. 21, 1898, in North Easthope

  • Pte. Fred James Dedman: Born March 19, 1889, in Ayr

  • Lionel Albert Dedman: Born March 14, 1895, in New Dundee

  • Pte. Oliver Dedman: Born July 15, 1889, in Ayr

  • William James Dedman: Born Sept. 10, 1895, in Ayr

  • Pte. Roy Charles Ellis: Born June 4, 1896, in Hickson

  • Pte. David George Foreman: Born April 4, 1898, in Bright

  • Pte. Frank McKie: Born April 18, 1895, in Bright

  • Pte. Gordon Henry Stauffer: Born June 11, 1889, in Chesterfield

  • Pte. Frederick Walter Veitch: Born April 26, 1892, in Plattsville

  • Pte. Harold John Wiese: Born March 13, 1894, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Theodore Frederick Wiese: Born Oct. 4, 1897, in New Hamburg

  • Pte. Benjamin Wright: Born Sept. 3, 1894, in Drumbo

World War II

War dead memorialized on the New Hamburg Cenotaph

  • Capt. Nile Harold Bier: Born April 22, 1918, in New Hamburg

  • Lt./Cpl. Samuel Wallace Foster: Born May 11, 1918, in Baden

  • Flight Lt. Robert Wayne Honderich: Born June 22, 1921, in Baden

  • Flying Officer Charles Woodrow Hostetler: Born Oct. 9, 1916, in Baden

  • Cpl. Donald James Milne: Born June 20, 1915, in Petersburg

  • Warrant Officer Class II John Kerr Ross: Born June 26, 1915, in New Hamburg

  • Pilot Officer Russell Arthur Saltzberry: Born Feb. 24, 1920, in New Dundee

  • Pte. John Henry Stiefelmeyer: Born Jan. 28, 1923, in Baden

Local WW2 veterans

  • Clarence Edward Ditner

  • Helen Elizabeth Ditner (Robertson)

  • Stewart Douglas Robertson

  • Sidney Cheeseman

Families interested in submitting a veteran’s name or sharing their story are encouraged to contact Berg at rwbergy@gmail.com or 519-745-0212 for more information.

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