Joan Griffin remembers seeing old drums and a saber at her grandmother’s house as a child and each time she would comment on the items, she’d hear about her grandfather, Jeremiah “Jerry” Wilhelm.
Wilhelm served as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the Civil War and lived post-war life in Dorchester. His final resting place is at the Dorchester Cemetery.
“We used to see the drums and the sword and the flag on top of my grandmother’s China cabinet and she’d would talk about our great-grandfather who was in the Civil War,” she said.
Decades later, Joan would get an invitation to celebrate Wilhelm’s life and accomplishments. On Sept. 18, the Nebraska and Dakota Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War conducted a ceremony at Wilhelm’s gravesite as the last Union soldier to have been buried in Saline County. The ceremony was part of the SUV's mission to conduct a service at the last buried Union soldier in each Nebraska county.
The lead-up to the ceremony, Joan said, let her learn more about her great-grandfather. With each detail, she realized why her grandmother proudly displayed his items from the war.
“I was just a little kid back then but 70 years later, here I am attending his ceremony,” she said. “It’s great to know that he was such an integral man to this community. It’s just amazing.”
The service included the relieving of Wilhelm from his post, a gun salute and the playing of Taps, both conducted by the Dorchester American Legion Post 264. A medallion with a QR code was placed at his grave, as well. The code can be scanned to see additional information about Wilhelm as well as a list of last buried soldiers across the state.
Six of Wilhelm’s great-grandchildren read excerpts of his biography. They touched on his early life in Baltimore, his enlistment in Company E of the 3rd Maryland Volunteer Infantry at just 17 years old and his experiences on Civil War battlefields, including Gettysburg. He sustained severe injuries, including a punctured abdomen from a bayonet and lost the tip of his nose.
However, Wilhelm survived the war and moved back to Maryland. He came to Saline County with his family in 1879, where he and his wife, Elizabeth, would spend the rest of their lives.
Wilhelm became a salesman with John Deere and achieved importance with the company through patents for a corn stalk cutting machine.
After his career with John Deere, he became involved with state politics and was established as a Sergeant at Arms in the Nebraska State Senate.
Wilhelm died in the Grand Island Soldier’s Home in 1942 at 98 years old.
Great-granddaughter Elizabeth (Wilhelm) Schott never knew Wilhelm but heard stories here and there. When she first learned of the ceremony, she was uncertain whether or not she’d attend because of her lack of knowledge related to Wilhelm. However, as became more familiar with his story, she knew she had to make her first trip to Dorchester to honor his life.
“As we got more and more information on our great-grandfather’s life story, I felt like I wanted to be here to honor him and appreciate what he did,” she said.
Wilhelm’s time in the service and his career following the war stand out to great-granddaughter Lori Griffin because of the determination needed to achieve what he did. Despite the harrowing conditions of the Civil War battlefields and the struggles of adapting to post-war life, Wilhelm strived to be the best person he could be.
“He had a strong work ethic and it seemed like he never slowed down,” she said. “He was always working and gave of himself 100 percent.”
With Wilhelm properly honored, officially relieved of his duty and a reminder of his service placed at his gravesite, his descendants know his memory has not only been rejuvenated, but will live on for years to come.
“It’s a proud day,” Lori said.
