New Hampshire WWI Military: Private Earle D. Farley of Nashua NH (1896-1918)

Posted on 20 October, 2016 by Janice Brown

farley-earle-d-2-watermarked
Earle Dexter Farley was born on 1 January 1896 in Nashua New Hampshire to Charles J. & Ella F. (Pierce) Farley. He was the first born, his father was a fireman on the railroad and they lived at 40 Amherst Street.

Earle grew up in Nashua, attending local schools. By 1910 he had gone to live with his grandparents, Isaac W. & Lucy A. (Blood ) Pierce.  His grandfather was a gardener, and so when he finished his schooling, Earle’s ambition was to run his own florist and landscaping company. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Private Eli J. Bouley of Nashua NH (1883-1918)

Posted on 19 October, 2016 by Janice Brown

eli-j-bouley-photograph-b-watermarkedEli J. Bouley was the son of Alexander “Alex” & Nancy (Martel) Bouley, born 9 June 1883 in Nashua, New Hampshire. His family lived at 16 Buck Street, and he grew up and attended school in Nashua. Eli’s father had married twice, and Eli’s full siblings included Elizabeth, Marie Albina (1885-1887), Arthur George, Aline (who m. Telesphore Pelletier), Emma (who m. Adjutor Roy), and Henry Joseph. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Sergeant Arthur P. Kelley of Nashua NH (1876-1918)

Posted on 18 October, 2016 by Janice Brown
Photograph of Rev. Arthur P. Kelly from the Boston Globe, 21 July 1918

Photograph of Rev. Arthur P. Kelley from the Boston Globe, 21 July 1918

Arthur P. Kelley was born in 1876 in Nashua NH to Andrew & Laura Ella (Wells) Kelley. His mother died the following year, and his father remarried. He had two older siblings: a brother Hector, and a sister Laura (who m. Alfred C. Hendrick). Several of his family members are buried on Nashua soil, in Woodlawn cemetery.

Arthur P. Kelley’s family had moved to Nashua by 1876 and the family is found there in the 1880 census, with Arthur shown aged 4. Arthur attended local Nashua schools, including two years of high school [his education is detailed in one of the newspaper notices below.] Although records indicate that Rev. Kelley married, there is no mention of a wife in his obituary notices. Continue reading →

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World War I Memorials in Nashua New Hampshire

Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Janice Brown
WWI Cannon located in Greeley Park. Photograph courtesy of John R. Bolduc, Nashua NH native.

WWI Cannon located in Greeley Park. Photograph courtesy of John Bolduc, a native of Nashua.

Nashua, New Hampshire has a rich military history. The local veteran organizations have never shirked their duty to recognize and remember those who have fallen.   In compiling a list of World War I monuments in the city, it became clear that the desire of the WWI veterans themselves,  to have a permanent monument that displayed all the names of their fallen friends, never happened.

There were plenty of excuses for not building this monument–the fear of leaving someone out, of the list not being accurate, the high cost for the City of Nashua to create an expensive monument in economically tight times.  Perhaps some day champions will arise who will remedy this situation. Today, none of those excuses are valid. Because they died almost 100 years ago is also not a good excuse.  To see my COMPLETE list of Nashua’s WWI Fallen Heroes, click here.

Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: The Heroes of Nashua

Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Janice Brown
1923 Nashua Telegraph sketch accompanying the Roll of Honor for WWI.

1923 Nashua Telegraph sketch accompanying the Roll of Honor for WWI.

You “did not hear the cannon, did not face bullets, did not writhe under the gas; … you, were safe here at home, working, earning and spending; and you cannot understand what happened ‘over there.’ And no man can tell you, it was too big and too terrible.” These are the words of J. Franklin Babb, spoken at the dedication of the cannon memorial in Greeley Park, Nashua New Hampshire.

I am writing this story to correct an oversight, to publish an important list of names–brave men and women of Nashua, New Hampshire who served valiantly during World War I.  By reading my story, by remembering them, you help to shine a light upon their bravery. We owe it to them, to remember.  In my humble opinion, ALL of the military from both lists of the dead shown below should be recognized on one Nashua memorial (even if claimed elsewhere).

Continue reading →

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