A veteran, Herman Tietke served as a PVT in the U.S. Army during WWI and was honorably discharged in 1920. Born in Guhlendorf, Germany, he immigrated to the United States in 1914, and was naturalized in Pennsylvania. When he filled out his WWI Draft Registration Card in 1917, at the age of 21, he was living in Morris, Grundy County, Illinois. Short, slender, with brown hair and blue eyes he was still single and employed as a baker in Morris. He married at the age of 24 to Mary and they had two children, son William F. "Billy" in 1922 and daughter Monica two years earlier. At the time of the U.S. Census on April 30, 1930, the family was living in Morris at 807-1/2 Liberty Street and Herman was employed as a carpenter in general construction while wife, Mary, was a hotel manager. Some time later Herman and Mary divorced. Herman was preceded in death by Mary, and by son "Billy" in May of 1971, and no one knew or remembered that he had been a soldier. His daughter Monica (Anthony) Prombo died shortly after Herman in May of 1976. Neither "Billy" or Monica had any children. No living relatives could be located and there was no one to provide the Fruland Funeral Home with instructions regarding Herman's remains. Herman had been a patient at the Grundy County Home for a week when he died at 7:15 a.m. on May 15, 1975. He had spent most of his life in the area; his last residence was at 222 W. Benton St. in Morris. Although the funeral home could have disposed of Herman's ashes after one year, owner Earl Fruland kept them, as did his son Paul who succeeded him in the business, and Rich Hexdall, current owner of Fruland's where he had been a funeral director since 1972. Herman Tietke's remains were the first located in the state of Illinois by the MIAP. He was buried with full military honors on Friday, May 16, 2008, 33 years and one day after his death. The Patriot Guard Riders held a cordon of 30 American flags. Roland Boguszewski, Illinois state captain of the Missing in America Project assisted with the funeral service at the Fruland Funeral Home in Morris. Rev. Richard Giovanetti of Standing in the Word Ministries spoke. The flag that covered Herman's urn was folded and presented to John Almer to be placed in the local American Legion Post. A plaque recognizing him for his assistance and cooperation was presented to Richard Hexdall of Fruland's, who also provided the urn. Also participating was the Morris Color Guard and firing squad.