GREAT FALLS — On a cool fall morning at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, Donna Winters walks among the rows of veteran headstones, some of which she was responsible for getting placed.
“The first veterans that we found were requests on Find a Grave, and there were seven of them,” said Winters, a volunteer with the cemetery. “Then I noticed there were gaps down in the old soldiers’ plot.”
By walking the rows and cross referencing the soldiers’ book at the cemetery office, she’s been able to discover 56 unmarked graves of soldiers.
One of the graves she found is that of Martin Van Buren Henderlider and dates back to the Civil War.
“Martin was in the Civil War and he was in the Army and the Navy, he was living in Raynesford and he moved to Great Falls,” said Winters.
Her thorough research helped build a massive book with information on soldiers she simply calls “her boys.”
“It's almost like it's her family members with all the different people. She remembers their stories,” said Chris McVeda, Executive Director of Highland Cemetery.
30-year-old Loat Biniger of Oklahoma, a World War One veteran, died of cancer while living in Great Falls.
“They were originally going to send his body back to Oklahoma because his mother couldn't afford it,” said Winters. “I guess in discussions with the powers that be, I guess I would say they decided to bury him out here.”
By way of research through websites like ‘Find A Grave’ and ‘Ancestry’ along with combing through old newspapers and some help from the Great Falls Genealogy Society, has learned a lot about the veterans and enjoys sharing their stories.
Frank Steadman was from Monarch, serving in France in World War One where he was killed and buried. Winters say he was later disinterred and taken to Hoboken, New Jersey.
“And (General) Pershing had said, it's going to be hell or Hoboken by Christmas. He had a letter on him that they were writing to his folks, and it was about going across no man's land and the mud and the rain,” said Winters. “The chaplain put a piece on there that he had been killed and that he was buried over there, so he is out here.”
Donna has a fondness for military service. Her father served and was in Nuremburg after the trials. Her genealogical curiosity helped her discover she had ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Her work has led to applying for and receiving several headstones to be placed. She says there will likely be more as she has another section of the soldiers' plot to cover. Donna says the effort pays off when she’s able to connect with family after getting a headstone placed.
Still, its an endeavor she’s proud to take on.
“What have you got to lose? A little bit of time filling out a form and researching and some postage and let's see if we can't honor these fellows,” said Winters.
