James Nelson Barnhardt joined up in Midland, Ontario on this day in 1916. He was born in Tyendinaga on June 16th, 1887, the son of Robert James Barnhardt and Catherine (née Maracle), who were both Mohawks. The family were living in Deseronto in 1901 and had moved to Midland by the time of the 1911 census. James’s father, Robert, died there in 1913.
James Barnhardt joined the 157th Battalion with the regimental number 644735. He was five feet two inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on October 28th, 1916 and joined the 1st Battalion in France on December 2nd.
James did not come home.
Deseronto Archives 
February 24, 2017 at 11:29 am
[…] Nelson Barnhardt had enlisted in Midland on February 5th, 1916. He had been transferred to the 1st Battalion and was serving with them in France when he died as […]