The bodies of Charles Frederick Kirk and Maynard Francis Casey, the two service men for whom Kirk-Casey Post was named, are expected to arrive in Hoboken about next Thursday and will probably be received here four days later. Officers of Kirk-Casey Post have made tentative plans for military funeral honors.
Seneca Falls to Honor Memory of
First Two Sons to Fall in Battle
W.M. Follette, President of Village,
Calls Upon Citizens to Cease Work During Hours of Funeral
Tuesday. June 10, 1921.
Seneca Falls paid solemn tribute to two of its World War heroes Tuesday, Charles Frederick Kirk and Maynard Francis Casey, the two young men whose supreme sacrifice will be remembered for years to come in the name of Kirk-Casey Post, No. 366, American Legion. Officers and members of the Post arranged the services and at their request Village President Follette issued a proclamation asking all citizens to join in paying tribute to its fallen heroes. The request was carried out by the entire community. Shops, stores and schools were closed and St. Patrick's church was entirely filled when Rev. Francis Walker began the solemn high mass at 9 o'clock. Hundreds more stood with bowed heads about the church during the service. Placed upon a gun caisson, the two flag protected caskets were taken to St. Columbskill cemetery along a street where stood hundreds of other mourners. Rev. Francis Walker celebrated the solemn high mass with Rev. William McFadden of Geneva acting as deacon and Rev. J.F. Neary of Auburn as sub deacon. The bearers for Charles Frederick Kirk were Fred Fornesi, Thomas Kennedy, Frank Marshall, William Casey, Thomas Dalton and John Wood. The bearers for Maynard Francis Casey were William Usher, William Relfe, Joseph McCarthy, John Mahoney, William Sweetland, and William Plunkett. The members of the firing squad were Frank May, George McLaughlin, Walter Mc Ardle, Howard Greer, John Devlin, George Thompson John Sullivan and Louis McDonald. Following prayers at the grave by Father Walker and Father Neary, three rounds were fired and taps were blown by Bugler Cummings of Geneva.
Maynard Casey was the son of Joseph Casey in Bridge street. The young man was one of three brothers in the service. The service flag that has hung within the home for three years contains one gold and two red stars. Private Casey was the second member of his family to go to the front, his brother Joseph Casey, having preceded him as a corporal of Company B, 108th Infantry. Martin Casey enlisted in the Coast Artillery. Manyard Casey left Waterloo on February 26, 1918. He received his training at Camp Upton and was sent overseas on May 26, November of the 306th Machine Gun Battalion. He was killed in the Fismes sector on September 23. Besides his father and two brothers, he is survived by three sisters, Mrs. William Dohrer of Seneca Falls, Mrs. Frank Hamil of Seneca Falls, and Miss Elizabeth Casey, also of this village.
The body of Charles Frederick Kirk arrived Saturday. He was the son of Mrs. Catherine Kirk at No. 82 Ovid street. He was 24 years old at the time he entered the service on February 26, 1918. He was a member of Company C, 307th Infantry, SeventySeventh Division, and was killed in action during the Argonne Forest drive on August 27. He is survived by his mother, two brothers, John and Henry Kirk of Caledonia and two sisters, Mrs. George Winkle of Jamestown and Miss Celia Kirk of Seneca Falls.
