The 1880 Censu for the USA shows us that the Drips family was living in Eden, Clinton, Iowa. The Head of the household was shown as Joseph H. Drips aged 52 a Blacksmith by trade who had been born in Pennsylvania. His wife was Hannah J Drips aged 48 who had been born in England. Their listed children were Lizzy 20, Jessie 18, Thomas 14, John  9, Joshua H 7 and Victor Prime who was  4.  All the children were born in Iowa.

The U.S. Army Register of Enlistment 1794 – 1914 tells us that on June 4th 1994, Victor Prime Drips enlisted into The U.S.Army in Chicago for a period of three years. He stated that he was 22 years and 4 months old,  a Labourer by trade and that he was born in Malone, Iowa.

He was assigned to the 4th Infantry and discharged on December 26th 1898 at Fort Sheridan, Illanois. Remarks on discharge ….PVT, Very Good.

Joseph H. Drips, Victor’s Father, died on 10th March 1907, his Mother Hannah died on 28th October 1910. Both are buried in Iowa, U.S.A.

The 1910 Census records  Victor  living in Elvira, Buffalo with his Brother, Joseph H. Drips who was the Head of the household. Victor was listed as an Employee and Partner. He was shown to be 34 years of age.

I found two  Public family Trees on Ancestry.co.uk in the name of the Bergmann Family tree and The Pelham Tree.

I contacted Jean from the Bergmann Tree and she advised me that some of the information came from the Pelham Tree. She is happy for me to share the photographs and information on this page.

Victor Prime Drips married Luella B Greely on 5th August 1914.  She had a previous husband called Roy Walter Sherman who she married on 18th October 1906, they divorced on 7th September 1911.

The following transcript is from The Pelham  Family Tree which is owned by Hildred Scott. Victor was Hildred’s Uncle.

From the Gann Valley Chief  South Dakota, October 30 , 1918.

Died in Hospital in South Wales Last Wednesday.  No Details Available.  Was in Canadian Army.

” Deeply regret to inform you 2140716 Victor Prime Drips Inf. officially reported died at Military hospital Kinmel Park October 23rd.  No particulars.

” Director of Records”

The foregoing telegram was received by J. V. Drips At Belvedere Saturday from the Canadian authorities and furnishes the only information so far received of the death of  Vic Drips, as he was familiarly known to everybody in Buffalo County and to scores of friends in many parts of the United States.

Victor Prime Drips was born in Malone, Iowa, January 17 , 1876,  and was 42 years, 9 months and 6 days old at the time of his death. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Drips, the youngest of ten children, and leaves three brothers and four sisters, Mrs. J. H.Shaff, Shaffton, Iowa, Mrs. A. M. Pelham Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. L. M. Dupray Carpenteria, California, Mrs. J. M. T rainer Calhoun, Mo., W. T. Drips Tacoma, Washington, J. V. Drips Belvidere, S. Dak., and J. H. Drips, Gann Valley.

He was married in September 1914 in Mitchell, So. Dak, to Luella B. Schirer. Mrs. Drips is now at Hillsboro, Wis.

He received his education in the local school at home and the De Witt High school and Clinton business college. After completing his school work he put in some time in Buffalo county where he filed on and proved up a homestead northwest of Gann Valley. He also worked in Kimball and Chamberlain as telegraph operator and did some work along the Milwaukee as relief agent. Leaving here he spent a year in the mountains surveying. He then went to Por (?), North Dakota, in the U. S. Immigration Service, was later transferred to San Francisco, Cal. He resigned in 1905 and accepted one in Panama on the Canal. After a few months he got down with yellow fever and came home as soon as he was able.

In 19 07 he came out to Buffalo county and bought a half interest in the Chief from writer and we conducted the paper together for nearly four years, when he bought me out and later sold to L. H. Hanson. He then reentered the Immigration service at Tacome, Wash. and was afterward transferred to San Francisco, Cal. He quit that in a short time, however, and went back at linotype work which he followed in a number of cities on the coast and other parts of the county (maybe country?) eventually coming back to Gann Valley in May 19 16 and purchasing the Chief which he conducted until August, 1917.

During his residence in Kimball he joined the State Militia and was First Sergeant and later Second Lieutenant  of the company there. At the breaking out of the Spanish American War he enlisted in the 4th U.S. Inf. and was for a time at Fort Sheridan, Ill., and for a number of months in Georgia. In 1917, soon after the United States entered the present war, he entered the second officers training camp at Fort Snelling but after a few weeks he was forced to give up because of lung trouble. This was a great disappointment to him and he went west in search of a cure. Last August, on his third attempt, he was enlisted in the Canadian service at Salt Lake, Utah, sent to Vancouver, B. C., thence to Ontario and then on across the ocean in September. But one letter has been received from him since he arrived on the other side. It was dated September 29th and he said he was all right except for a bad cold.

Vic joined the Masons in 18 99 an d afterward took all the higher degrees in the order, both in the Scottish and York rites. He also belonged to the Odd Fellows.

It is not for us to write a eulogy of Vic Drips. He won the place he held in the hearts of his friends by his own sterling worth. Nothing we might write could measure up the loss that is theirs in his going. Personally, beside being brothers we were chums, sharing whatever we had to the last cent. Our greatest regret and we are sure it must have been his, is that he failed in his Great Desire to reach the battlefields.

For the present his body must rest in Wales, but when conditions become normal again it is the intention to bring it back to the home land.

I believe that this obituary was written by his brother Joseph H. Drips as they are shown sharing accomodation in 1910 and Victor is shown as “Partner/Employee. We could assume that they were running the Newspaper (The Gann Valley Chief) at that time.

Victor enlisted into the 1st (Reserve) Battalion Canadian Infantry on 10th August 1918 at Victoria. he gave his date of birth as 17th January 1876 but stated that he was born in North Portal Saskatchewan,Canada when in fact he was born in Iowa, U.S.A. He gave his trade as Linotype Machinist and his next of kin as Mr John Drips of Belvidere, South Dakota.

Victor completed his basic training in Canada and embarked on the S.S.Durham Castle arriving in England on 25th September 1918 when he was posted to Seaford Camp to complete his training. When hostilities ceased, Victor was transferred to  Kinmel Army Camp to await repatriation to Canada.

Sadly Victor contracted Bronchial Pneumonia,and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital at Kimnel, where he died on 23rd October 1918.

(From Library and Archives of Canada  Service Files of 1st WW 1914-1918).

Kinmel Park Camp was a segregation camp used to house Canadian Soldiers awaiting repatriation to Canada after the end of WW1. Unfortunately the conditions at that time were extremely harsh with a lack of every kind of commodity, the camp was overcrowded and the services were poor, there were shortages of clothing, food and blankets. As a result of this situation, a vast number of servicemen and women became ill and many succumbed to the Influenza Epidemic or complications associated with this infection.

Victor is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan, North Wales, U.K.

Victor is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual war Memorial.