Geigas
JIMMIE GEIGAS
Copied for Daily Courier-Gazette, June 24, 1921.
Jimmie Geigas, first young man from Collin County to be killed in World War I, was born and grew up in the Noyes Community northeast of McKinney. Before the war he worked for Giles McKinney. At the outbreak of the war, he trained at Camp Travis in San Antonio and served overseas in the 259th Infantry of the 90th Division. On September the 12th, 1918 American soldiers began their first offensive and were involved in the Battle of St. Michiel. During a lull in the fighting the men were all wishing for water to drink. Jimmie Geigas and Jack Campbell took canteens from the men of the company and went back to a spring they had seen in a small town. Coming back, on a public road, a German plane came over dropping bombs. As it swooped down over the, Campbell dived into a ditch and was saved, but Jimmie Geigas was killed, the first casualty from Collin County. His body was returned to McKinney and services were held in his memory. He left one sister, Miss Edna Geigas. He died September 15, 1918.
The American Legion in McKinney took his name and it is called the Jimmie Geigas Post of the American Legion.
JIMMIE GEIGAS
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, July 13, 1971
GLANCING BACK
FIFTY YEARS AGO – 1921
Walter L. Scott, thrifty young farmer living about four miles Northwest of McKinney was in town. He states his corn and millet are extra good this year. He has no cotton planted this year and as 25 acres in wheat, Mr. Scott has four milch cows and finds a ready market for butter with McKinney merchants.
Draped in an American flag and escorted in an American soldier, the body of Jimmie Geigas arrived in McKinney recently from France where he gave his life in defense of world civilization. A large crowd of friends gathered at the Interurban station when the body arrived. He formerly lived in McKinney and was employed at a grocery store. Upon arrival the members of American Legion Post, headed by Commander H. H. Neilson formed a body guard and escorted the body to the undertaking parlors of Sam I. Massie where the body was held until the funeral procession started to Moyse cemetery for interment. Citizens marched behind the hearse. Graveside services were held at the cemetery, four miles Northeast of McKinney.
Pallbearers were former soldiers in Co. A. 159th Infantry to which Jimmy was attached. They were Warren Barnes, Larence Self, Will Walthall, Ben Forshee, Walter Dugger, John Odle, Keen Dunn and Ernest Milligan. Rev. J. Ben Snider and Rev. E. B. Fincher conducted the services.
Jimmie was the first McKinney soldier killed on foreign soil. Circumstances of his death were told by members of his company. He had gone to a spring in a small town which the Americans had just taken from the Germans, Sept. 15, 1918. The company was resting about a mile and a half from the spring. Jimmie and a buddy were walking along the public road and observed a German airplane circling over the American lines, dropping bombs here and there. Suddenly the plane swooped down over the heads of Jimmie and his companion and dropped a bomb. The bomb exploded and he was instantly killed.
JIMMIE GEIGAS POST NO. 96
AMERICAN LEGION
Copied for Daily Courier-Gazette, June 24, 1921.
Jimmie Geigas, first young man from Collin County to be killed in World War I, was born and grew up in the Noyes Community northeast of McKinney. Before the war he worked for Giles McKinney. At the outbreak of the war, he trained at Camp Travis in San Antonio and served overseas in the 259th Infantry of the 90th Division. On September the 12th, 1918 American soldiers began their first offensive and were involved in the Battle of St. Michiel. During a lull in the fighting the men were all wishing for water to drink. Jimmie Geigas and Jack Campbell took canteens from the men of the company and went back to a spring they had seen in a small town. Coming back, on a public road, a German plane came over dropping bombs. As it swooped down over the, Campbell dived into a ditch and was saved, but Jimmie Geigas was killed, the first casualty from Collin County. His body was returned to McKinney and services were held in his memory. He left one sister, Miss Edna Geigas. He died September 15, 1918.
The American Legion in McKinney took his name and it is called the Jimmie Geigas Post of the American Legion.
JIMMIE GEIGAS
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, July 13, 1971
GLANCING BACK
FIFTY YEARS AGO – 1921
Walter L. Scott, thrifty young farmer living about four miles Northwest of McKinney was in town. He states his corn and millet are extra good this year. He has no cotton planted this year and as 25 acres in wheat, Mr. Scott has four milch cows and finds a ready market for butter with McKinney merchants.
Draped in an American flag and escorted in an American soldier, the body of Jimmie Geigas arrived in McKinney recently from France where he gave his life in defense of world civilization. A large crowd of friends gathered at the Interurban station when the body arrived. He formerly lived in McKinney and was employed at a grocery store. Upon arrival the members of American Legion Post, headed by Commander H. H. Neilson formed a body guard and escorted the body to the undertaking parlors of Sam I. Massie where the body was held until the funeral procession started to Moyse cemetery for interment. Citizens marched behind the hearse. Graveside services were held at the cemetery, four miles Northeast of McKinney.
Pallbearers were former soldiers in Co. A. 159th Infantry to which Jimmy was attached. They were Warren Barnes, Larence Self, Will Walthall, Ben Forshee, Walter Dugger, John Odle, Keen Dunn and Ernest Milligan. Rev. J. Ben Snider and Rev. E. B. Fincher conducted the services.
Jimmie was the first McKinney soldier killed on foreign soil. Circumstances of his death were told by members of his company. He had gone to a spring in a small town which the Americans had just taken from the Germans, Sept. 15, 1918. The company was resting about a mile and a half from the spring. Jimmie and a buddy were walking along the public road and observed a German airplane circling over the American lines, dropping bombs here and there. Suddenly the plane swooped down over the heads of Jimmie and his companion and dropped a bomb. The bomb exploded and he was instantly killed.
JIMMIE GEIGAS POST NO. 96
AMERICAN LEGION
|
|
