The Boys from Hunt

Two young men from Hunt, William Edmond Caddell and Randolph Davis, were among the Kerr County World War I dead.

William "Edmond" Caddell, the son of Martin Ernest "Mark" Caddell and Wilhelmina "Minnie" Josephine Hagemann, was born January 29, 1895, in Kerr County. He farmed in the Hunt area.
Edmond Caddell died on Oct. 20, 1918, reportedly of emphysema, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was a Private, Company K, 122nd Infantry 31st Division, US Army.

Reprinted here is a letter he wrote to his brother Jim. Jim was 17 years older than Edmond.  Camp Travis was in San Antonio and is now part of Fort Sam Houston.

"Camp Travis Texas 

17.8.18

Dear Brother Sister an family with the greatest of pleasure I will answer your most kind and welcome letter which I rec'd the other day. I got my razor and everything all right well I sure feel tuff at the present I got my last shot of vaccianation this eve. How are you all I am all OK at present with the exceptions of feeling a little tuff Say If you all want to ever see me any more Send me a telegram that Jim is pretty bad of and he wants me to come you will hafto have some Doctor to sign his name to the telegram.

"Thats the only way I can come for they wont let me off any other way.

"Send it to Camp Travis 77 Co 20 T R Bn 165 D B Camp Travis Texas and pay the call there and send me about 10 or 15 dollars in the telegram. for I will hafta have money to come on for am nearly busted. dont wait one minute about sending that telegram for I may be gone if you dont. Tell Mina I dont know where Ben is him and Frank is both in the army now.

"Where is my girl at I wrote to letters one to her and one to the other one and one to Simpson also and havent heard from either one yet. well I will register this so you will be sure and get it.

So I will close

Your Bud

Edmond"
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Randolph Davis was born February 21, 1896, in Kimble Co., to James Leonard and Mollie G. Davis, and died October 21, 1918, in Europe.  A farmer, he is buried in the Conn Family Cemetery in Hunt.

The following obituary appeared in the Kerrville Mountain Sun for July 16, 1920:
"June 30, 1920, the remains of Private Randolph Davis were assigned a permanent resting place, at the Conn cemetery, the writer officiating.
"Randolph Davis was 25 years old' was born in Kimble county, but had spend most of his life in Kerr.  He entered the U. S. service July 15, 1918 and served in the infantry with Company 9 of the 2nd division.
"After leaving training camp and made the voyage overseas he was attacked by a severe case of pneumonia, which proved fatal.
"The deceased is survived by his mother, Mrs. Mollie Davis; by full brothers, Mike, Clarence and Charles; half brothers, Robert, Abner, Ben, John and Jim; sisters, Matilda, Mary and Lizzie, and one step-brother Humphrey McKenney.  His father, James Davis, died Jan. 29, 1919, and before passing away requested that the remains of Randolph be brought back to Texas for burial.  The family used every means possible to comply with his desire. Private E. Major accompanied the remains from the east to Kerr county and as the casket was being lowered, he lifted from it the U.S. flag and presented it to the family.
"The vacancy made by the departure of Randolph is very keenly felt, but those of us who know that God does all things well must resign our wills to His will and expect Him to make our individual lives what they should be. (Roger C. Walker)"
Roger C. Walker was the pastor at the Ingram Baptist Church.