Frank Morley Green was my first cousin, once removed. He was born on 11 Jan 1896 in Pierpont, Ashtabula County, Ohio, when his father, Edwin Green, was 23 and his mother, Nellie White Green, was 20. As a child, I and my family often visited his home in Andover, and he and his wife were frequent visitors in our home. I knew he was a member of the local American Legion Post but I knew nothing of his military service.
Searching through military records on Ancestry.com, I first found his WWI draft registration. He registered on 5 Jun, 1917, while living in Andover. He was 21 years old at the time. Earlier, I had learned that he used the middle name Morley, and that was valuable in finding him among all the Frank Greens who had registered for the draft.
His draft registration card on Ancestry.com contains this information: He stated he was a farmer, cultivating gardens and raising poultry. When he registered, he had no dependents.
His status changed on 28 Nov 1917, when he married Persis (aka Peggy) Brooks in Andover. Even though he now had a wife, on 25 May 1918, he enlisted for service in the U.S. Army.
Finding a record of his service was relatively easy. It was documented by the Ohio Adjutant General in 1926-29 in the series of 23 volumes entitled The official roster of Ohio soldiers, sailors and marines in the world war, 1917-18. This record is also available on Ancestry.com which digitized the Ohio books, and also created a text version entitled Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918.
Here is how that source describes his service:
Enlistment date: 25 May 1918, Jefferson, Ohio, for service in the National Army. Infantry Replacement Regiment Cp Gordon Ga to 14 July 1918; Co D 163 Infantry to 17 Aug 1918; Co C 28 Infantry to –; Co C 11 Infantry to Discharge. Private. Defensive Sector. American Expeditionary Forces 22 July 1918 to 23 Apr 1919. Honorable discharge 16 May 1919.
This brief description indicates that he did serve in Europe, but does not specify if he participated in any battles.
After the war, he returned to America and was honorably discharged on May 16, 1919, when he was 23 years old. He returned to Andover where he operated a chicken hatchery, served on the Andover Bank board, and as mayor of the village.
I plan to revisit the life and times of Frank and Peggy Green in a future post.
Was Frank’s father, Edwin, Grandma Grace’s older brother?
Yes, Betsy. Edwin was Grandma Grace’s older brother. Your father was Frank’s first cousin and you and I are Frank’s first cousins once removed.
Wally
Thank you, Wally. Who did Edwin marry and where did he live? Did Edwin have other children or was Frank an only child? Where is Edwin buried? I remember Frank and knew he was Dad’s cousin but never thought about how they were related. Frank was a very good man. I’d like to refer back to the picture I sent you a few years ago that you thought may have been taken at the Morley house. You identified Frank in the picture. Was Edwin in the picure too?
Edwin’s wife (Frank’s mother) was Nellie May White. They were married in 1895. Frank’s younger sister was Laurel May Green. Edwin lived in Conneaut, then Andover, then Ferry, Oceana, Michigan. After they were married, Edwin and Nellie lived in Andover, then Dorset. Nellie May drowned in a backyard well in Dorset and may have committed suicide. Edwin and Nellie are buried in Pierpoint.
Laurel was born in 1897 and died in 1952. She was married to Leon Raymond Stevens and they had one son: George L Stevens.
All of this I learned through genealogical research. I didn’t know any of this while living in Andover.
Yes, Frank was a good man, but later in life, especially after Peggie died, he proved to be very careful with his money (to put it politely).
I’ll have to check on the photo you mentioned to be able to guess if Edwin was present.
Thank you, Wally, for the info and for all your genealogical work. I enjoy reading it!