Joseph John Humpal

Birth: 3/6/1888, Cleveland, Ohio

Address: 19 Svoboda St., Cleveland, OH (Svoboda St. was located within the Broadway-Slavic Village area of Cleveland, often referred to as "Little Bohemia," as it contained a large and increasingly prosperous Czech community from the late 1870's until World War I. The street name may have been changed. "Svoboda" is a Czech name meaning "freedom." Some of the early Czech and Polish immigrants in the neighborhood often worked long hours for low wages in nearby steel mills and factories.)

Demographics: single; Caucasian; native-born Ohio; per 1904 City Directory occupation Machine Operator

Appearance: not known

Draft Date/Enlistment Date/Rank: enlisted 1/15/1914; Sergeant

Service Number: 59552

Deployment: not known

Action: USMC Parris Island SC Apr 6/17. Disch Jan 14/18. Re-enl Jan 15/18. Bks Det Philadelphia Pa Jan 21/18; Dep Div Savage Arms Co Utica NY Feb 18/18; Hq Det 1 Regt Philadelphia Pa May 4/18; 101 Co Quantico Va May 7/18; France June 8/18; 74 Co 6 Regt Aug 29/18. Sgt Sept 8/16. St Mihiel. AEF June 8/18 to death. Character excellent. Prior serv 3 yrs USA. File no 106775 

Death: September 15, 1918 at age 30; cause of death Killed in Action

Burial: buried locally in France; 7/29/1920 remains disinterred and reburied at St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, France; 5/2/1921 remains disinterred and prepared for return to U.S. with arrival Antwerp, Belgium 5/5/1921; 5/23/1921 remains shipped from Antwerp to Hoboken, NJ aboard SS Cambria arriving Hoboken 6/6/1921; 6/22/1921 remains shipped from Hoboken to Cleveland, OH arriving Cleveland 6/25/192l to the care of Mrs. Nettie J. Semrad, 13210 Ferris Ave., Cleveland, OH; final burial Highland Park Cemetery, 21400 Chagrin Blvd, Cleveland, OH, Government Lot 3 Section 3 Tier 1 Grave 10 (no grave photo on cemetery website)

Next of Kin: Mrs. Nettie J. Semrad, mother, 13210 Ferris Ave., Cleveland, OH 

Additional Information: The 1900 Census lists Joseph John Humpal and a sister as step-children of John Semrad.

Father: Joseph Humpal (1844-1893), born Bohemia, Czechia, occupation Bridge Works, buried Woodland Cemetery, 6901 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, OH; Mother: Antonia or Antonette Moravitz Humpal Semrad (1852-1930), born Bohemia, Czechia, buried Woodland Cemetery, she presumably (no marriage certificate found) remarried John Semrad after the death of her first husband; Siblings: may have been Tony, Anna, Vaclav and possibly others, but sibling list is incomplete.