Tombstone Tuesday~Claude Henry Purvis

Claude Henry Purvis was born 16 July 1895¹, a son of Jefferson Davis Purvis and Frances Ann Burnham. He was their youngest son. Claude had 6 siblings, four sister and two brothers all older except for one sister. 

By 1910, Frances Ann is listed as a widow and living with her oldest son Burl F. Purvis. Claude, age 14 is listed in the household.²

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Based on this census by age 14 young Claude is fatherless but this census may not be entirely true. The tombstone for his Father, Jefferson Davis Purvis, shows he died 4 January 1912.³ Thus by age 16 he was in fact fatherless.

Claude Henry Purvis was just a mere lad of 22 when he passed away far away from home at a Naval Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. He had enlisted into the Navy a month earlier on 8 December 1917. Now on 16 January 1918, five weeks later he is deceased. The big question is Why? How and why did a young healthy lad go off to Navy Boot Camp and be pronounced dead 5 weeks later?

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The answer was found in the U.S. Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941. Claude Henry Purvis died on 16 January 1918 from Cerebrospinal fever (Encephalitis).⁴

This must have been a terrible burden for his mother, Frances Ann, loosing her husband in January 1912 and her baby son in Jan 1918.

Tombstone Photo Courtesy of Johnnie Walker

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[1] "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," on-line digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 5 January 2015), U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards for Claude Henry Purvis; citing Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls, Roll: 1683981..
[2] 1910 U. S. Census, Rankin County, Mississippi, population schedule, Cato, Rankin County, Mississippi, enumeration district (ED) 0050, Page: 9B/227(stamped); Line 90, Dwelling 188, Family 188, Household of Burl F. PURVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 November 2010); citing NARA publication T624_758
[3] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 5 January 2015); Memorial page for Jefferson Davis "JD" Purvis; (17 April 1867–4 January 1912); Find a Grave memorial # 49563188, Citing Rock Bluff Cemetery; Daniel, Smith County, Mississippi, USA.
[4] Navy Department Library., "U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941," database, Ancestry.com, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 5 January 2015), Claude Henry Purvis.