Created by Brian

Edwin Benjamin Pike Sr. 

Birth

28 Feb 1847

Kenosha, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, USA

Death

26 Mar 1931 (aged 84)

Seattle, King County, Washington, USA

Burial

Buried or Lost at Sea. Specifically: A formal "Burial at Sea" ceremony — with full military honors — was ultimately held aboard a commissioned US Navy ship.

Memorial ID

196892140

Father: Joseph W. Pike [1830-1855]

Mother: Charlotte L. Cahoon [1825-1853]

1st Spouse: Helena D. {"Lena"/"Helean"/Hellene"} Parsons (1953-1904)

~~He & Helena had three known children: Lulu L., Edwin (died as infant in 1876) & Russell Leo.

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NOTE: they ultimately divorced — on 6 November 1894, Edwin second married Kittie L Muzzy

In Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. In the 1900 Federal Census, "Helean" was listed as a divorced laundress, with nine year old son, Russell in Muskegon's Ward #5, Muskegon County, Michigan.

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"BIO" — adapted (w/ minor edits) from obituary published in the Seattle Times on 29 March 1931. NOTE: in the obituary, his given name was incorrectly reported as Edmund rather than Edwin. The obit also includes a "sea story" he might have shared with his shipmates over a beer... the battle between the Ironclads Monitor & Merrimac occurred in March 1862; two years BEFORE he enlisted.

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ASHES OF OLD MARINER TO GO ON SOUND — "Arrangements were being made today by Capt. Henry Finch, Seattle submarine diver and salvage operator, to carry out the wishes of Edmund B. Pike, marine engineer, to strew his ashes over the waters of Puget Sound.

 

"Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at Bonney-Watson Company parlors. Mr. Pike was one of the few survivors of the crew which manned the first ironclad man-of-war of the American Navy, the Monitor and was on board this vessel in its historic battle with the Merrimac. He was 84 years old at time of his death, having been for years a familiar figure on Seattle's waterfront.

 

"Mr. Pike enlisted in the Navy in 1864 at the age of 14. He served on the Monitor and was in the engine room of the gunboat Robb when it ran the forts on the Mississippi, during which time he lost the sight of an eye.

 

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NOTE: his Civil War Pension record shows that he enlisted 17 October 1864 (at are 17) and was discharged 20 August 1865 at the end of the war. His rating was that of "Landsman" -- given to recruits with little or no experience at sea; a Landsman who gained three years of experience or reenlisted could be promoted to Ordinary Seaman. His official US Navy record shows he was assigned to four different ships (NONE of them were the USS Monitor). His ships were USS Great Western [a sidewheeler used as a receiving ship in Cairo, IL], USS A.O. Tyler [a "timber clad" sidewheeler converted to a gunboat that was stationed in Memphis], the USS Pinkney [ a Hospitalship stationed in Memphis] & USS Alfred Robb [a "tinclad" sternwheeler captured during the war & used as a gunboat].

 

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"Following the Civil War he returned to the Great Lakes where for years he was a marine engineer. In 1887 he became engineer on the Fall River Line running between New York and Havana. Later he returned to the Great Lakes again and became a chief engineer for the Goodrich Transportation Company. In 1904 he came to Seattle to become chief marine engineer for Henry Finch & Son. He was a marine engineer and salvage expert for this concern until 1919, when he retired. Two years later he went to the St. Vincent Home in Seattle, where he died Thursday.

 

"One of his last wishes was that the tug, S.H. Finch carry his ashes and sprinkle them on Puget Sound, while many of Civil War songs were played. These wishes will be carried out, Captain Finch said yesterday, as soon as the tug can be relieved to do it."

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NOTE: Despite the newspaper article cited above... records show his cremains were never claimed & ultimately were placed in a "Community Storage" vault at Seattle's Lake View Cemetery.

— In the fall of 2024, volunteers from the Missing In America Project recovered his cremains from Lake View Cemetery & then transferred them them to the US Navy to grant the final wishes of this Civil War Navy veteran for his burial at sea with full honors.

Buried at CWV CREMATED BURIALS & UNKNOWN BURIALS