Glen Carbon Cemetery, Guy and Center Streets
Glen Carbon, IL 62040
618-288-7271

In 1919, two young Glen Carbon men were killed in France during World War I. In November 1920 the Doughboy Statue honoring Emil Trentaz and Harry G. Seaton was erected to stand guard over their graves. The statue was restored by the Glen Carbon Historical and Museum Commission and rededicated in September 2017 one hundred years after the entry of the United States into World War I.

In 1919 two young Glen Carbon residents, Emil Trentaz and Harry G. Seaton were killed in battle in France. After their deaths a group of Glen Carbon residents decided to recognize the two soldiers with a statue in their honor. This group held carnivals and dances to raise funds as well as soliciting individual and business donations to help pay for the commissioned artwork. In November 1920, the Doughboy Statue was erected in Glen Carbon Cemetery to stand guard over the soldiers’ graves. It’s called the Doughboy Statue to recognize the term used for Army and Marine Corps members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

After nearly 100 years of exposure to the weather, the statue was showing signs of decay. The Glen Carbon Historical and Museum Commission decided to restore the monument to assure it will serve as a testament to the soldiers for many more years. The organization commissioned John Heider and Chris Hillmann to take on the restoration project. The statue was cleaned and repairs made. Landscape and concrete work were made by A-1 Concrete to correct problems caused by the settling of the gravesite. The statue was rededicated in a ceremony on September 16, 2017.