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Orval Hendricks Merrill was born March 20, 1896 in Richmond to Louis Edgar and Clara Hendricks Merrill. Orval was a veteran of World War I, dying in action.
Orval enlisted in the military as early as Oct 1917. He was placed in the Army's 26th Infantry Division, 52nd Infantry Brigade, Company F.1
Orval Hendricks Merrill died Aug 13, 1918 in Bloi, France. He was buried in the Richmond Cemetery.
"[Orval] was the first young man from Richmond to reach France, as well as the first from there to give up his life in battle. He was twenty-two years of age, and left for Camp Lewis October 3, 1917, arriving in France December 21. He had been sick ever since his arrival in France, having been in a hospital with scarlet fever, rheumatism, and other complications."2
"Utah, World War I Service Questionnaires, 1914-1918", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QR3B-GMMM : Mon Mar 17 15:18:30 UTC 2025), Entry for Orval H Merrill and Lewis Edgar Merrill, 5 Oct 1917.
Author Unknown. (Year made Unknown) image_2024-08-04_200639937, Uploaded to FamilySearch.org by Bryce Holt_1, Aug 4, 2024. https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/204206004?cid=mem_copy