PVT William H. Tovey

PVT William H. Tovey was born 15 Aug 1890 in Watseka, Illinois. He was the 2nd of 3 sons born to Frederick William and Ida Mae (Higgins) Tovey. His father was a native of Bristol, England. His father worked for a bank. In 1910, William was working on the Census.  In 1917, William was working as a drug clerk for T. S. Arnold & Son in Watseka.

William entered the service (he was probably drafted) and sent to Europe as a replacement.  PVT Tovey sailed for France aboard the Agpenor departing Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 27 Jul 1918. After his arrival he was assigned to Sanitary Detachment 116th Infantry, perhaps because of his civilian experience as a drug clerk. He was present with the unit when a major offensive kicked off on 8 Oct 1918. However, it appears that PVT Tovey took ill and died of disease on 10 Oct 1918.

PVT Tovey was repatriated in 1920, his body being returned aboard the USAT Wheaton. PVT Tovey was re-interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Watseka, Illinois. 

His brother, Henry Oliver Tovey, attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.  He was lost at sea on 22 Mar 1917.