Honnouring our dead and caring for the living

This is Frederick Albert Bulman, Bertie, marking a grave with a 48 star US flag (in use from 1912-1959). I assume that it is his father's (Jeremiah Delos Bulman) grave. The years do not diminish the importance of remembering. Perhaps they enhance the imperative. We have symbols and gestures for honouring those who have given, fostered or protected our lives.

On 17 July 1903, the following news item was run in the local paper (I have not been able to find out which):

OLD SOLDEIR FOUND DEAD

Jere Bullman, Town of Washington,

Jere Bullman was found dead this morning at his home in the town of Washington near Nine-Mile Creek. Dr. Bailey of Eau Claire was called to ascertain the cause of death and found the cause heart failure and that death occured about 4 o'clock this morning. Mr. Bulman was about 67 years old. He was a veteran of Company C, 24th Wisconsin. He leaves a widow and several sons and daughters.

On the following day, the account on page 8 of the Eau Claire Leader stated:

We regret to learn of the death of Jere Bullman, an old soldier of the town of Washington, which occurred yesterday morning at 4 o'clock. Deaced was 67 years old and leaves to mourn his loss a widow and several sons and daughters. Cause of death was heart failure.

Life goes on. On 11 February 1904, in the City Notes of the Daily Telegram in Eau Claire reports on page 4 that Margaret Bulman was granted a pensions:

Prensions Granted--Mrs. Lyia Tyalor, widow of Francis F. Taylor, late of Company C, Sixteenth Maine Volunteers, has been granted a pension. Mrs. Margaret Bullman, widow of Jerry Bullman, late of Company C. Twenty-fourth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, has been granted a pension.

According to the Eau Claire Leader, F.A. "Bert" Bulman had an unclaimed letter waiting for him at the Eau Claire post-office as of 12 March 1904 (15 March 1904, p.3). By July 14, 1904 (Eau Claire Leader, p. 8), he was receiving "banner" headlines for his horticultural prowess:

THE LARGEST AND THE FIRST

F.A. BULMAN TAKES FIRST PRIZE FOR THE FIRST, LARGEST AND BEST NEW POTATOES OF THE SEASON.

NONE OF YOUR MARBLES OR HEN'S EGGS EITHER, BUT BIG AS YOUR FIST--SEE THEM AT LEADER OFFICE.

F.A. Bulman brings in half a peck of new potatoes and places them ion exhibitin in the Leader office window. They were were dug July 12. They weigh 1 1/4 ounces each. The first seven taken from the bag and weighed on Bahler's, the grocer, scales went respectively 6, 4 1/2, 5, 5, 5, 4 1/4 and 5 1/2 ounces each. The variety is "Beauty of Hebron." Take a look at them quick as the Major is going to take them up to the Assembly at Chetek.

It would be interesting to speculate on why F.A.B. was known as the "Major". Does it indicate a certain imperiousness on his part? Or, is it that he just gets things done in a big way? His cousin, Le Moine Boleman, had been a Lieutenant in the Spanish American War while he had remained a private. Le Moine was also a resident variously at Eau Claire. More on the Harrison M. Bulman, Jeremiah's brother, family later.

By Autumn, the Bulman family and their relatives receive a great deal of conversational coverage in the Eau Claire Leader (28 September 1904, p.4) uder the banner of From Country Correspondents: Washington Wide Awakes:

Al. Bulman and family had a good time with Theo. Meyers on Sunday. They want to see a trolley line in Eau Claire so that they can haul their big crop of grain to town on market days, see the street fair all week and go to church on Sundays.

Prof. E.J. Nollie is going to take out a patent for his new hay rack. It is a wonder. By pressing a lever the rack can be made to hold two loads. He will sell on all his old racks at away down prices. He will exhibit his new rack at the Street Fair. He now starts for Ludington for more rack lumber.
....
Mrs. M. Bulman has quite an artist and mechanic in her son Walter. He is a jack of all trades and a master of quite a few. He is now finishing his mother's house. After getting thru the wood work he started on the plaster and then will finish up with the [st?]air. Walter says: "I am going to have the house nice and warm this winter.

There is actually a great deal to unpack in the above. However, I won't be doing that now. I'll only say to things. The first is that Earnest Nollie is Margaret Bulman's son-in-law (he married Mary Bulman). And the second is that Walter, who will be single for almost another year and a half until he marries Augusta Mueller, was probably trained by his father and two uncles who were carpenters and joiners by trade.

Walter's comment about warm confirms my impression that Margaret, who wore gloves when others did not, was not fond of the cold. However, as a last little item in the Leader for 1 February 1905 (p.6) suggests, she could be inticed into town:

Mrs. J.D. Bulman, of Altoona, was a visitor in Eau Claire yesterday.

Life does go on. However, that is no cause for us to forget our dead. The Grand Army of the Republic did sterling work to ensure that Civil War veterans and their families were cared for both in life and in death. The Eau Claire Leader for Friday, April 19, 1912 (p. 10) reports this snippet of the Official Proceedings of the County Board of Eau Claire County, March Session, 1912:

Petition for Soldiers' marks on graves read and referred to Committee on County Property. Said petition is as follows:

To the Honorable City Board of Eau Claire County.

Gentlemen: Persuant o Capter 172, Laws of 1911, We the under-signed freeholders of the County of Eau Claire and the State of Wisconsin, do most respectfully petition your honorable body to procure for the marking of the graves of deceased soldiers, sailors and marines, buried in said County of Eau Claire, as provided in said chapter 396

"Metalic Markers" as indicated by the accompanying [cut?]. In compliance with said chapter 1[?]2, the names for the deceased for whose graves these markers are asked are given on a separate sheet of paper and attached hereto as a part of the petition.



J.M.BOTSFORD,
E.J. FARR,
D.L. HAZEN,
S.A. RUSSELL,
J.M. JEWETT,



Bullman, Jere.

Seven years later, the Eau Claire Leader would run another item about the veterans' graves on Wednesday, May 21, 1919 (p.5):

SOLDIERS DEAD OF THRE WARS TO BE HONORED HERE MEMORIAL DAY


LAST OF SOLDIERS DEAD--FOR WAR OF 1812 TO PRESENT GREAT WAR TIME.


FLAGS AND FLOWERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY, APPROPRIATE EXERCISES


Memorial Day will be indeed memorable this year. One of the noble duties is the decoration of the graves of death soldiers. This has been done by the Grand Army of the Republic and its auxiliary societies, these splendid men and women who have lifted aloft the banner of true liberty and of patriotism.


From the records of our splendid Eagle Post, the following list of soldiers, buried in local cemeteries has been obtained through the kindness of Capt. L.A. Brace, quartermaster. It will be noticed that already there are eleven graves of men who died in service in the present war, and it is desired that representatives from the American War Veterans, or is it to be the American Legions, be appoint to join with the G.A.R. and other organizations in decoration services. With flags and flowers there graves are marked, and it may be judged from the long list of names that the duty, while one of love, is not an easy one.


The names of the soldiers of the Civil War and the Spanish -American war buried in our cemeteries is as follows:


SOLDIERS GRAVES


TOWN WASHINGTON


Bullman, Jere.

The current date has him listed in Oak Grove Cemetery, Washington Township, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. It is apparently located between Hastings Drive and Hamilton Avenue to the eas of Highway 53, in Washington, Wisconsin according to one correspondent on the Internet.

Transcription:

Bol??, Jerry, no dates, 24th Wiscons. Inf., illegible, Row 2/6

Bruno F. (b. Jul 20, 1873, d. Dec 13, 1953) and Annie K. Bleichrodt (b. Jun 15, 1877, d. Apr 19, 1967) are buried in Row 1/5.

Annie is the daughter of Johann and Anna Kunferman and the sister of Lena Kunferman who married Frederick Albert Bulman.

There is a Philip, Anna, Valentine and Wilhelmine Mayer buried here as well.

Valentine was born 1844 and died in 1911. I believe that this was Margaret Bulman's brother.