The photo at the left was found in The Cornhusker, 1919, Volume 13, University of Nebraska. The caption under the photo states "Bert Shively volunteered for service in the 134th Ambulance Company in April, 1917, and on July 2 received a call to report at Camp Eaton. From here, he was transferred to Camp Cody, New Mexico. While at this camp he became sick with tonsilitis and appendicitis at the same time. Due to the high fever caused by tonsilitis, he could not withstand the shock of an operation, and so passed away on May 11, 1918. Bert Shively was the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Shively, of Laurel, Nebraska."
The following was extracted from The Laurel Advocate, Laurel, Nebraska, Wednesday, May 15, 1918, Page 1, Column 6:
Laurel Mourns Death Of First Soldier Boy
Word was received here Saturday forenoon of the death of Bert Shively at Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico, from pneumonia.
Bert was operated upon Tuesday, May 7th, at the base hospital, for appendicitis, and a message received here the day following stated that he was getting along all right. However, word came about seven o'clock Thursday evening that his condition was serious and his father started for Deming the next morning, arriving there at 11 o'clock, Sunday forenoon. In the meantime, John Maxon, who lives between Deming and Camp Cody, had been keeping the family here informed of conditions and once after Mr. Shively's departure, wired that Bert was better. This message was received here Friday and immediately forwarded to Mr. Shively, who replied from Kansas City that he received it. Closely following this, however, came the death message. A wire from Mr. Shively Sunday stated that he would start back with the body Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, accompanied by Wm. Griffin. Word was received from them at Omaha this morning and they will be here tonight. A committee from the Home Guards, consisting of E. R. Middleton, E. A. Tolles and Nels Utter, went to Omaha on the early train to meet them.
This is the first death among the Laurel soldier boys and the entire community mourns with the grief-stricken family.
In April, 1917, with other Laurel boys, Bert volunteered for service in the 134th Ambulance Company and July 2nd received his call to report at Sioux City. Until late in September he was at Camp Eaton and then ordered with his company to Camp Cody, where they arrived October 2nd. While in Sioux City he made a few short visits home and in the winter his mother and brother Elmer visited him at Deming. Tho they realized that conditions there were far from desirable, Bert was well when they saw him and they hoped he would survive the severe physical test of a prolonged stay in that climate. He remained well until very lately -- in fact up to the time of entering the hospital for the appendicitis operation. He then wrote the he was suffering from an attack of tonsilitis and the operation would be performed as soon as his fever subsided. As late as Sunday and Monday he wrote Laurel friends that he was all right, but it appears that pneumonia set in after the operation, and he died at two o'clock Saturday morning.
While the telegram received here stated that death resulted from pneumonia, a dispatch from Camp Cody to the Omaha Bee gave the cause as peritonitis.
Bert Dewey was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Shively of Laurel and was born near here. He was 20 years of age September 3rd, 1917, and the first of his immediate family to die, being survived by his parents, five brothers and two sisters.
Bert graduated from the Laurel High School with the class of 1914, and other members being Hazel Sullivan, Florence Herrick (Mrs. W. W. Clough, Allen), Delma Bruggeman (Mrs. Peter Hyidahl, Fairfax, S.D.), Ruth Most (Mrs. Ralph Flint) and Clark Mills.
Planning to fit himself for the law, Bert attended the state university at Lincoln during the school year of 1915 and 16. The following summer he spent in Kansas, earning money with which to further his education. That fall he returned home and helped his father pick corn, later taking a position in the J. H. Coburn & Son store, where he remained until he enlisted.
Bert was popular among his young associates here at home and also at the university, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
The funeral will occur tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at two o'clock, from the Presbyterian church, the pastor, Rev. W. O. Harper, officiating and the Home Guards attending in uniform and assisting in the service. The music will be by the Presbyterian quartet, and the following you men will act as pall bearers: Earl Ankeny, Harold Macklem, Milo Sabin, Fredolf Hendrickson, Evard Waite and Roscoe Walter.
Burdette Shively, who is superintendant of the schools at Lynch, on learning of his brother's death, came home immediately, arriving Saturday afternoon. His wife remained at Lynch to look after the senior class play, etc.
Fred Shively, a cousin of the dead boy and formerly of Laurel, is expected today from his home at Oakdale.
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