Beyond the Exhibit: The Story of Joseph Adelbert Aiken
oseph Adelbert Aiken, born April 14, 1889, in Glens Falls; died February 26, 1968, at age 79 in Warrensburg; buried in West Glens Falls Cemetery, Glens Falls. His parents, both born in the United States, were Lester B. Aiken, born 1862, and Edith R. (maiden name unknown), born about 1865. Lester once owned a pool hall in Glens Falls.
Joseph was the WWI soldier I wrote of in our Summer 2008 Quarterly Newsletter, whose handwritten one-year diary of his wartime experiences in Italy and France from April 8, 1918, to May 1, 1919, captivated my interest and respect while transcribing it for the Museum's archives. I have since discovered that the Museum's collection also includes Joseph's WWI Army uniform. It has been carefully preserved and packed by two of the Museum's dedicated, ongoing volunteer workers, Phyllis Jacobs and Liz Sebald.
In researching Joseph, I learned that he was very well thought of by those who knew him. He was described as a generous, hardworking man who also liked to hunt and fish, especially with his friends Ray Hayes and Marcus Branch. He also did a little boxing and was a professional drummer, which probably accounts for Page 1 of his diary, which reads:
Joseph was the WWI soldier I wrote of in our Summer 2008 Quarterly Newsletter, whose handwritten one-year diary of his wartime experiences in Italy and France from April 8, 1918, to May 1, 1919, captivated my interest and respect while transcribing it for the Museum's archives. I have since discovered that the Museum's collection also includes Joseph's WWI Army uniform. It has been carefully preserved and packed by two of the Museum's dedicated, ongoing volunteer workers, Phyllis Jacobs and Liz Sebald.
In researching Joseph, I learned that he was very well thought of by those who knew him. He was described as a generous, hardworking man who also liked to hunt and fish, especially with his friends Ray Hayes and Marcus Branch. He also did a little boxing and was a professional drummer, which probably accounts for Page 1 of his diary, which reads:
"At the Burg one night in Church I made up my mind to join the army. I got an application to join an aviation band..
