Thomas L Snell (1896 - 1919)

Letter to to Mrs. Charlina Snell from the War Department, Office of the Quartermaster General^[5]
June 8, 1929.

Dear Madam:

Your attention is invited to the enclosed copy of an Act of Congress approved March 2, 1929, entitled an Act "To enable the mothers and widows of the deceased soldiers, sailors and marines of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe to make a pilgrimage to these cemeteries".

The records of this office show that you are the mother of the late Private Thomas Snell, M. G. Co., 310th Inf., whose remains are now interred in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, Meuthe-et-Moselle, France.

Will you please advise this office whether or not he is survived by a mother or widow who is entitled under the provisions of the above quoted Act, to make the pilgrimage, and if so, will you please furnish the full names and addresses of the mother and widow in order that action may be taken to extend invitations to them to make the pilgrimage. Both mothers and widows are entitled to make the pilgrimage.

Your attention is particularly invited to Section 4 of the enclosed Act, which defines the terms "mother" and "widow". If the relative is a stepmother, mother through adoption, or any woman who stood in loco parentis to the decedent, a statement as to her relationship is requested. If he was survived by a widow who has since remarried it is also requested that a statement to that effect be made.

For your reply, you may use the enclosed envelope which requires no postage.

For The Quartermaster General,

Very truly yours,

JOHN T. HARRIS
Major, Q. M. Corps,
Assistant.

Sources

1. ↑ World War I Draft Registration Cards
2. ↑ Alabama, World War I Service Cards
3. ↑ Family Story
4. ↑ Find a Grave
5. ↑ Letter dtd June 8, 1919, from The Quartermaster General

• "Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919." Database. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 15 July 2020. Alabama Department of History and Archives, Montgomery.
• "American Soldiers of World War I" [database on-line] at Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003. Original data: Haulsee, W.M., comp.. Soldiers of the Great War. Vol. I-III. Washington, D.C.: Soldiers Record, 1920.
• Brannon, Thelma Snell & Long, Alice Snell. Descendants of John Wesley Snell and Charles Anna Lewis Snell (personal recollections of ancestors and descendants, beginning with Ellis White & Sallie Judea Snell and Charles & Eliza Ann Windham Lewis (their grandparents)). Prologue dated September 1956. Currently in possession of Debbie Quattrin. Includes names, birth, and death dates of family members from 1861 to 1966.
• Family Story. Passed down through the generations and relayed on 28 Jul 2020 from Suzan Redmon to Debbie Quattrin.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 July 2020), memorial page for PVT Thomas Snell (3 Jun 1896–31 Jan 1919), Find a Grave Memorial no. 56342265, citing Saint Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial, Thiaucourt-Regnieville, Departement de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France ; Maintained by War Graves (contributor 6).
• Letter from the War Department, Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington, dated June 8, 1929, to Mrs. Charlina Snell. Original letter in possession of Suzan Redmon.
• “US Census, 1900”, database with images, Ancestry. Census Place: Skipperville, Dale, Alabama; Roll: 12; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1240012. John W Snell (39), head; Chastley A (36), wife; James A (16), son; William P (14), son; Clarrah (13), daughter; Costilla (11), daughter; Era (9), daughter; Byron (8), son; Allis (5), daughter; Tom (4), son; Besse L (2), daughter; Ellis (8/12), son.
• “US Census, 1910”, database with images, Ancestry. Census Place: Skipperville, Dale, Alabama; Roll: T624_10; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0090; FHL microfilm: 1374023. John W Snell (48), head; Charlie Anna (46), wife; William P (24), son; Evie (19), daughter; Byron Snell (17), son; Alice E (15), daughter; Thomas (13), son; Bessie L (12), daughter; Ellis W (10), son; Mary S (8), daughter; Gladys T (5), daughter.
• "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918." Ancestry.com, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.