Zachariah M Stucker
Representing: Union
Unit History
- 48th Illinois Infantry A
Family History
- Birth
- Feb 1845
Pope County, Illinois, USA
- Death
- 28 Jun 1914 (aged 69)
Port Orchard, Kitsap County, Washington, USA
- Burial
-
Retsil, Kitsap County, Washington, USA
- Plot
- Section 113, Plot 22A
- Memorial ID
-
NOTE: The birth location above was found in his Civil War enlistment records, however in two separate census records, Zachariah self-reported that he was born in Kentucky.
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At age 16, he enlisted on 1 September 1861 in New Liberty, Illinois as a Musician in Company "A" 48th Illinois Infantry. By 1 January 1864 he was listed as a Private in this same unit when he reenlisted in Scottsboro, Alabama. Muster Out Date: 15 Aug 1865 in Little Rock, Arkansas -- a Civil War Veteran; who took part in 15 separate battles over those four years.
By 1870 he was a farmer in Posey, IN. He later made his way west and in 1890-1893 he worked as a teamster in Spokane, WA. In the 1900 Federal Census, he was a gold miner in Rye Valley, OR. By 1904 he was back in Spokane, WA working as a teamster. In 1909 he was a laborer in Bremerton.
In the spring of 1914, he was a resident of the Battle Mountain Sanitarium (a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers) in Hot Springs, SD. Released as a patient there; he returned to Port Orchard, WA and was admitted to the Washington State Veterans Home (Retsil).
He ultimately died of heart failure in his bed on 28 June 1914, at age 69. Per his WA Death Certificate, his body was transported to Seattle for cremation. Unfortunately, for reasons still unknown, his cremains were not returned home in a "timely manner"... sitting on-the-shelf at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle for 103 years.
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NOTE: In close collaboration with staff of Seattle's Lake View Cemetery, Missing In America Project (MIAP) volunteers found his unclaimed cremains; held in the cemetery's "Community Storage" vaults. On 10 July 2017, after seeing research confirming his status of a resident at the time of his death, the Superintendent of the Washington State Veterans Home (Retsil) said "Just bring him home now; we want him here."
Proper arrangements were made, so after 103 years, on 28 September 2017, Zachariah was welcomed with open arms/full military honors in a Grand Army of the Republic celebration of his life at the Veteran's Home Cemetery... next to his comrades-in-arms resting there.
Zachariah never married but always did his fair share of whatever needed to be done... despite being pensioned as "a Civil War Army invalid". He repeatedly proved himself a true comrade who's values/actions reflected his upbringing.
"Well done, soldier, welcome home!"
Inscription
CO A
48 ILL INF
Cemetery
Buried at Veterans Home Cemetery in Retsil
Row: Section 113, Plot 22A