Pictured are some of the local Civil War veterans in a photo taken way back in 1908. The Traer Historical Museum is looking to update the names of the veterans and list any additional descendants that are known.

Pictured in the photo are, standing L to R, starting with back row: Asa Fay, color bearer; Abe Mowery; Andrew Balfour; Jas. Gifford; A. M. Glaze; Jim McNeil (Geo., Ray Harrison, Margaret Allen), wearing sword; Commander J. B. Dennis. Seated third row: Neil McKerral; J. T. Findley; J. O. Ristine; Sylvester Bailey; N. H. Adams (Hattie Wilson); William Stone, with flag (Marguerite Romick, Andy, Merle Dalziel, Fannie Stevenson); John Burns (Kenneth, Gordon Keith, Doris Ladd Konicek); Andrew Law. Second row: John Campbell; John Winters; C. F. Wetzel (Genevieve Scott); Charles Maxwell; Daniel Tierney, Eleazor Stoakes (Fred, Robt., Newell, Harold, Anna Mae Garretson); Wm. Davis (Letha Cherveny); H. A. Kolp (Floyd, Lawrence Childs); C. B. Hayward; John Heller; Sam Underhill. Bottom: John Whannel (Fred, John Whannel, Margaret Griffith); John Morrow; David Clark; H. G. Feakins (Edith Bohnsack); Robt. Powell (Ruth Sands, Garfield, Lynn, Don, Edna, Robt., Kenneth, Ruth Hoeppner); M. Kroeger; J. Q. Carpenter; B. F. Wormley; B. F. Thomas, Sr. (Ruth, John R.); Dr. W. A. Daniel; Dr. John A. Ladd; John McNeal (Jessie Kahler, Duane McNeal). Spanish-War veterans (kneeling): Percy Bailey; B. F. Watters.

(Names of some of the descendants are in parenthesis)

“At one time the G.A.R. met in the upstairs room of the old National Bank building. On Decoration Day or Fourth of July, when it came time for the soldiers to gather for the parade, the drummer would open the southeast window upstairs, and start to beat the roll. The veterans would start for the hall on a walk. The longer the drummer beat the drum, the harder he beat it, and the faster the men would come till by the time they reached the stairs, they were running hard.”

To help update this list, contact Sharon Stoakes at traermuseum@gmail.com, leave a message on the museum phone at (319) 478-2346, or submit written correspondence to Traer Historical Museum, 514 2nd Street, Traer, IA 50675. Matt Powell (provider of the photo obtained from Ruth Sands) has also graciously made extra 8×10 photos to be made available for purchase, and anyone interested in a copy of this photo should contact the museum.