Individual Details
Alma M. FURR
(14 Oct 1885 - 6 Aug 1918)
Alma M. Furr was born in the small town of Atkins, Pope County Arkansas (population around 550) on October 7, 1885. She was the youngest of three children born to Evaline Russell and Mack Daniel Furr. Her siblings were William Daniel and Susan Furr Stevens, both passing in their mid-thirties. Father Mack like many of that time provided for his family by farming and mother Evaline took care of the household. Mack passed in 1918 at the age of 67 and Evaline’s date of death is unconfirmed. It is believed that they are both buried in Faulkner County, Arkansas.
Alma in her early twenties moved to Little Rock Arkansas. The City Directory of 1908 shows her living there with the occupation of Seamstress for the Jones House Furnishing Company located at 2217 Spring Street. Between that time and 1910 she completed nursing school at an unknown location and was employed as a “Trained Nurse” in a sanitarium located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She lived in a boarding house on West Front Avenue along with many others also employed at the sanitarium.
In her early thirties, the United States declared war on Germany, April 6, 1917 and entered the World War that had been raging in Europe since 1914. Obviously, doctors and nurses would be needed. With only 403 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps [ANC] when the war began, the Surgeon General called for volunteers. Women in hospitals and private duty as well as many in training responded. Those already staffing hospitals could join the ANC through the Army’s newly established base hospital system and through the American Red Cross. By the end of the war, 21,480 women served in the Army Nurse Corps rendering service “beyond expectations” at a time when women were not even allowed to vote”.
Alma was one of those who answered the call and entered active duty with the US Army Nurse Corps on July 9, 1918. She received orders to report to Camp Shelby, located 10 miles south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Camp Shelby had been activated the year before and served as a training camp for World War I troops.
After only 29 days of active duty she died at the Camp Shelby Base Hospital on August 6, 1918 from what was described as a phagedenic ulcer. She was 32 years old. She was to be buried in Little Rock, Arkansas. 70 Nurses, 42 Medical Officers, the Commanding Officer and a military band escorted her body to the train station. She was dressed in her regulation Red Cross uniform and her casket was draped in a Red Cross Flag. The train arrived in Little Rock on Wednesday, August 7 at 1:30 p.m. The casket was taken to the home of her Aunt, Mrs. Ellen Russell, 302 Cross Street by Healey and Roth Funeral Home.
On Wednesday, August 9, 1918 at 10:30 a.m., funeral services were held at the Third Street Christian Church with Rev. C. F. Hively and Rev. Roy Farr officiating. Fifty-two nurses from Camp Pike, Arkansas and the local Red Cross Chapter attended the funeral and were in charge of the floral offerings. Soldier friends also assisted and they rode at the head of the cortege in four field ambulances, followed by motor cars. Pallbearers were E. M. Burris, Frank Neely, Oscar Gross, Walter Parks, Ben Goodwin and Johnnie Sullivan. She was buried in the Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Alma in her early twenties moved to Little Rock Arkansas. The City Directory of 1908 shows her living there with the occupation of Seamstress for the Jones House Furnishing Company located at 2217 Spring Street. Between that time and 1910 she completed nursing school at an unknown location and was employed as a “Trained Nurse” in a sanitarium located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She lived in a boarding house on West Front Avenue along with many others also employed at the sanitarium.
In her early thirties, the United States declared war on Germany, April 6, 1917 and entered the World War that had been raging in Europe since 1914. Obviously, doctors and nurses would be needed. With only 403 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps [ANC] when the war began, the Surgeon General called for volunteers. Women in hospitals and private duty as well as many in training responded. Those already staffing hospitals could join the ANC through the Army’s newly established base hospital system and through the American Red Cross. By the end of the war, 21,480 women served in the Army Nurse Corps rendering service “beyond expectations” at a time when women were not even allowed to vote”.
Alma was one of those who answered the call and entered active duty with the US Army Nurse Corps on July 9, 1918. She received orders to report to Camp Shelby, located 10 miles south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Camp Shelby had been activated the year before and served as a training camp for World War I troops.
After only 29 days of active duty she died at the Camp Shelby Base Hospital on August 6, 1918 from what was described as a phagedenic ulcer. She was 32 years old. She was to be buried in Little Rock, Arkansas. 70 Nurses, 42 Medical Officers, the Commanding Officer and a military band escorted her body to the train station. She was dressed in her regulation Red Cross uniform and her casket was draped in a Red Cross Flag. The train arrived in Little Rock on Wednesday, August 7 at 1:30 p.m. The casket was taken to the home of her Aunt, Mrs. Ellen Russell, 302 Cross Street by Healey and Roth Funeral Home.
On Wednesday, August 9, 1918 at 10:30 a.m., funeral services were held at the Third Street Christian Church with Rev. C. F. Hively and Rev. Roy Farr officiating. Fifty-two nurses from Camp Pike, Arkansas and the local Red Cross Chapter attended the funeral and were in charge of the floral offerings. Soldier friends also assisted and they rode at the head of the cortege in four field ambulances, followed by motor cars. Pallbearers were E. M. Burris, Frank Neely, Oscar Gross, Walter Parks, Ben Goodwin and Johnnie Sullivan. She was buried in the Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Events
| Birth | 14 Oct 1885 | Atkins, Pope County, AR | |||
| Occupation | 1910 | nurse, sanitorium - Hot Springs, Garland County, AR | |||
| Death | 6 Aug 1918 | Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Forrest County, MS |  |  | |
| Burial | Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR | |
Families
| Father | Mack Daniel FURR (1850 - 1918) |
| Mother | Evaline B. RUSSELL (1849 - ) |
| Sibling | William Daniel "Will" FURR (1870 - 1906) |
| Sibling | Susan E. "Susie" FURR (1874 - 1912) |
Notes
Death
Funeral services for Miss Alma M. Furr, Red Cross nurse, who died Tuesday at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss., were held at the Third Street Christian church at 10:30 o’clock yesterday morning, in charge of the Rev. C. F. Hively, assisted by the Rev. Roy Farr. Burial was in Oakland cemetery. Fifty-two nurses, in War service, now stationed at Camp Pike, attended the funeral and were in charge of the floral offerings. Soldier friends also assisted. They rode at the head of the cortege in four field ambulances, followed by motor cars. Pallbearers were E. M. Burris, Frank Neely, Oscar Gross, Walter Parks, Ben Goodwin and Johnnie Sullivan.Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas, 10 August 1918
She was a U.S. Army Nurse.
Cause of death: phagedenic ulcer
Called into active service: 9 July 1918
Rank: Nurse
Permanent Residence: 4002 Avenue H, Austin, Travis Co., TX
Notified at time of death: Mrs. J. B. Hart, 402 Avenue H, Austin, Travis Co., TX
Endnotes
1. Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas, August 10, 1918.
2. findagrave.com.