From the Farmland of Minnesota to the Trenches on the Western Front

By McKensey Bishop

Carl J. Artman

January 17, 1895 – November 20, 1965

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Carl Joseph Artman was brought into this world on January 17, 1895 in Holland, Minnesota to parents Richard Artman and Rowena Jet Waddell[1]. Richard Artman, who was 29 when his son Carl was born, had emigrated from Germany to New York seven years prior on the grand SS Eider (depicted to the right).[2] Rowena Jet Waddell, who was 24 at the time, was an American citizen, born in Danville, Minnesota. She came from a large family as she was one of six children.[3] Within his first seven years as an immigrant citizen, Richard met and married Rowena and they had their first and only son, Carl.

Figure 1. SS Eider – Richard Artman’s ship

Young Carl remained in the Holland, Minnesota region for the first

several years of his life.[4] By the age of fifteen, however, he was living on the farm of William Cumming not far from his birth place as a hired man, where he learned the necessary skills he would take with him to make farming his lifelong career. Carl was also an educated young man; he had attended school and was able to read and write.[5] It is uncertain whether Carl’s work on the Cumming’s farm was for a common job for a young person or if it was necessary for him to help support his family financially. In 1917, Carl’s mother passed away at the young age of 45, so it could be assumed that Rowena was ill in the years leading up to her death and the Artman family needed the support of another income.[6]

Figure 2. Carl J Artman’s WW2 Registration Card – 1942.

Although Carl enjoyed his farming work and being in close proximity to his father after grieving the loss of his mother, he joined the United States Army as the US entered the First World War. At 23 years old, Carl became a member of the Company D 34th Infantry in the US Army, and he departed for France on August 7, 1918 with the rank of Corporal.[7] The men of the Company D 34th Infantry went to war looking to fight, but unfortunately arrived too late to be placed on the front lines. By the end of 1918, the conflict on the Western Front was less hostile and deadly. Many soldiers went to Europe with excitement and vision of comradery to take down the enemy, so one can imagine it may have been disappointing for young men to be deployed and never join the action.

By June 1919, Carl was headed back home from France to Minnesota Lake, Minnesota. There is not much information or documentation on Carl between the years 1920 and 1942, but it appears that he went about his life as a single man and a self-employed farmer, but was never married or had children. Carl’s widowed father eventually relocated to Appleton, Wisconsin and later passed away in 1938.

At the age of 47, Carl registered for the United States World War II draft and had an opportunity to potentially redeem his lackluster combat experience during World War I, but he was never deployed by the US army.[8] By this time, he had relocated to Princeton, Wisconsin, but still remained self-employed as a farmer. Then again, a few years later, Carl made another move to Carpenter, South Dakota where he would finish off his career as a working man.[9] Near the end of his life, he eventually made the trek to Denver, Colorado where he enjoyed his remaining years in retirement.[10] During this time, he was living at 1415 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO which has since been renovated to become a retro apartment building in downtown Denver. In November of 1965, Carl Artman passed away and was buried in the Fort Logan Cemetery as a commemoration for his military service and willingness to defend our nations and others around the world.[11]

Figure 3. Carl J Artman’s Gravestone

Footnotes ↓

[1] Summary of People vs. Wettengel, Casemine.com, accessed June 4, 2021, https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/59147d43add7b0493443c736

[2] Ancestry.com. Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011; link

[3] Year: 1888; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Line: 29; List Number: 792; link

[4] Year: 1880; Census Place: Danville, Blue Earth, Minnesota; Roll: 615; Page: 290C; Enumeration District: 005; link

[5] Ancestry.com. Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007; link

[6] Year: 1910; Census Place: Mapleton, Blue Earth, Minnesota; Roll: T624_691; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0026; FHL microfilm: 1374704; link

[7] Find a Grave. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

[8] The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 370; link

[9] The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of Wisconsin; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M2126; Box or Roll Number: 9; link

[10] South Dakota, State Census, 1945. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013; link

[11] Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011; link

[12] Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File; link; Find a Grave. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi; United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2019; link

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