Bernice Entrekin was born December 6, 1895 in Carroll County, Georgia. By the age of 8, his family had relocated to Cullman County and settled in Logan. He entered into service with the United States Army on May 28, 1918. He was a member of Company F, 306 Engineers Regiment, 81st Division.
F Company arrived in Cherbourg, France in mid-August of 1918 and they quickly got to work building roads out to the final front line. On November 9, 1918, F Company was described as going “over the top” as they joined the Infantry while they advanced on Moranville. During the advance on November 9, PVT Entrekin was killed.
Two days after Entrekin was killed in action, November 11, 1918, the Armistice was signed and the 306th was relieved.
The body of PVT Bernice Entrekin was returned to Cullman County in June of 1921. According to family records, his mother commissioned a life-sized portrait of her son after hearing of his death. She is said to have been “heartbroken” and never got over her son’s death, especially because it occurred in a foreign war.
Entrekin is now buried at Shady Grove United Methodist Cemetery in Logan. He received the Purple Heart and is memorialized at Cullman’s Veterans Memorial Park.
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