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Honoring Pvt Manuel Martin, KIA 4/23/1918
Manuel Martin gravesite, St Patrick's Cemetery
Last November, with the help of Eileen Loucraft (who also took the above photograph), I posted some death notices of Lowell residents who died in World War One. Here’s the beginning of my November 2, 2010 post:
Another Lowell man has given up the greatest treasure he possessed for the well-being of his country. Private Manuel Martin of Co. G, 104th U.S. Infantry, son of Mrs. Mario Martin, 1 Charles Street court, has been killed in action in France. His name is included in last evening’s casualty list. . .
Private Martin was 20 years of age. He was well known among the Portuguese-American residents here and had been employed as a carpenter before joining Co. G in February, 1917.
Somehow, that post received this comment from a family member living in Brazil who shared more information about Private Martin:
I am the last surviving nephew of Manuel Martin. I have his body-flag, his gold star, and a certificate of honor bearing his name and signed by President Woodrow Wilson. I have a daughter, Amanda, and a son, Brian, both of whom were born in Lowell, Massachusetts. Manuel Martin’s half-brother Benjamin Baptista (my father) died of a heart attack in 1974 in Brazil after retiring from the American company G. W. Murphy Industries, Inc. His other brother, Frank Baptista, an Air Force veteran of 22 yrs. service, died in an auto accident in 1981 after retiring from a lucrative career as a building-contractor in Valley Springs, California. Thank you for making this beautiful story available on the Internet. It means a lot to my family. I would also like to mention that Manuel Martin’s mother (my grandmother) died in Brazil after returning to that country and starting a dairy and vegetable farm in Piripiri.
Just last night, we received a follow-up from the same gentleman, Mr Baptista:
This is intended as a supplement to my post from December 12, 2010. I intend to go to Lowell early this Summer to see my daughter Amanda, son Bryan, and their children. I also intend to take photos at the cemetery where my Uncle Manuel as well as Aunt Sizaltina (his sister) are buried. My grandmother (Manuel’s mother) returned to Brazil with my father and uncle in 1933 for fear of losing her other two sons in another war. She would not touch the compensation money sent her by the Army because she said it ‘smelled like blood,’ and allowed my grandfather to use it only for the farm animals. My Aunt Sizaltina (mentioned above) conveniently missed the departing ship and remained in Lowell with her older sister Julia. I would like to donate to the city of Lowell Manuel Martin’s original Certificate of Honor from Woodrow Wilson. Please advise me as to the best way to do so. Thank you again for the honor you do my family with this page. God bless.
It is extremely thoughtful of Mr. Baptista to offer the certificate presented to the Martin family by President Woodrow Wilson to the city of Lowell. Between now and his arrival in the city, we’ll discuss an appropriate repository for this honorable artifact and a fitting way to remember Manuel Martin’s sacrifice.
Manuel Martin Square, Central & Charles Streets
Was he 20? Looks like it says 18 years on the stone. Too young in any case.
Back then lots of guys or kids actually lied about their ages to enlist. We will research it but I bet that is the case here. I know that he wasn’t drafted.
Mr. Joao batista forget to add the rest of Manuel Martin family, he wasn’t the only survive and he knows.
Here are Joao Batista sisters :
Marcia Batista, Maria Batista, Celia Batista, Eliana Batista, Sara Batista, Jusara Batista and
theirs respective son’s and nephew’s .
I hate to see this beautiful history missing a part .
I would love if you had any more info on this family. I am Cecile Great Granddaughter and trying to put my family tree togethr for this side of my family
i am daughter of maria conceicao pinho batista my name is debora geovana batista i live in the U.S.A Tampa,Florida My uncle (Joao batista) is not telling the truth there are 7 sisters and he is the only guy they are daughters and son of benjamin batista and doralice pinho batista and Frank Batista who was also in a war died in a car accident my mom has all of the papers and she has the marriage certificate of my grandpa ( benjamin batista and his father’s too) so if you can please contact me if your interested in meeting the whole family my email is batistadebra@yahoo.com and my mother’s phone number is (813) 770- 8342 Thanks, and Kelley my mom says she knows your mother Cecile WE’RE FAMILY!
My Nana was Ceciles Daughter, her name was Kathleen (Hawkins) Beaudry, We ARE FAMILY!!!
Wow, Thats Awesome. I think our family’s story has too much treasure too big to find all of it but little by little treasure boxes are being opened. Well if your interested in anything else you have my email and my Mother’s phone number we will be pleasured to meet you some day.
MY NAME IT’S ELIANA BAPTISTA ; I’M ONE OF 7 DAUGTHER’S OF BENJAMIN BAPTISTA, AND NIECE OF MANUEL MARTINS, WICH HIS REAL NAME AND AGE WAS CHANGED IN ORDER TO ENLIST! HIS REAL BIRTH NAME WAS BENJAMIN CABRAL SON OF MRS JACINTA CABRAL AND UNKNOW NOBLE FATHER FROM ACORES PORTUGAL .HIS HALF SIBLINGS FROM A SECOND MARRIAGED WITH A BRAZILIAN BORN , MY GRAND FATHER ; LORENCO BAPTISTA FROM BAHIA – BRASIL , WERE SIZALTINA BAPTISTA (CECILE), BENJAMIN BAPTISTA, JULIA BAPTISTA AND *FRANK BAPTISTA* WICH ALSO WERE OF GREAT SERVICE TO THIS NATION SERVING IN KOREA, II WORLD WAR AND VIETNAN .
IF ANYONE NEED MORE INFO IN THIS BEUATIFULL FAMILY HISTORY PLEASE CONTACT ME @ elianasevera@sbcglobal.net
I am Jacinta Figueroa, grand daughter of Sizaltine Baptista. i was named after our great-grandmother, Jacinta Cabral. I went to grave and I have served 27 years in the Air Force/Air National Guard and so has my brother John Turner. We carry on the legacy of the Baptista Family! God Bless you all! CMSgt Jacinta Figueroa