Edwin Henry Bossinger, Jr. (1900-1918)

Edwin Bossinger was born on Aug. 4, 1900 in Pittsburgh. He grew up as an only child (a younger brother died from the croup at the age of 4). His parents were Edwin Henry Bossinger Sr. and Bertha Wright Bossinger. Edwin Bossinger Sr. was a public-school building manager who eventually became a real estate executive at U.S. Steel. According to the 1900 Census, the family lived on East End Avenue.
By the time Bossinger received his World War I Draft Registration Card, the family had moved to 6801 McPherson Boulevard. The draft card describes Edwin Jr. as having a stout build, of medium height, with brown hair and blue eyes.
By the time he was drafted, Bossinger had graduated from Peabody and matriculated as a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. He soon became a private in the Student Army Training Corps. The SATC was organized in early 1918, in order to streamline the training of soldiers for the war. Students would enlist in the SATC and take college courses and train for the military at the same time. After training, Bossinger no doubt anticipated going overseas.
But after only one month of training, Bossinger was hit by the deadly influenza epidemic. He was hospitalized at Magee, which at the time had been leased to the Army for the care of stricken soldiers. It was thought, at least initially, that Bossinger’s condition was improving. But after one week he died from lobar pneumonia on Oct. 26, 1918. His funeral service was held at the family home on McPherson. Bossinger is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wilkinsburg.