Obituary : Gerald Walker LeMaster, Portland Commercial-Review, March 20, 1987

Obituary of Gerald W. LeMaster
Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review
March 20, 1987

FORMER COMMISSIONER GERALD LeMASTER DIES

Gerald W. LeMaster, 91, RR 6, Portland, died Thursday afternoon in Hometown Nursing Home, Celina, following an extended illness.

Born Jan. 15, 1896 in Madison Township, Jay County, he was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara (Wehrly) LeMaster.  He first married Mabel Kantner. She died on Jan. 3, 1927.  He then married Pearl Smith on Nov. 24, 1929 and she died on March 9, 1984.

LeMaster was a retired farmer and served as a Jay County Commissioner for one term in the 1960s.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Salamonia.  He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War I, where he served in the Calvary {sic}.

LeMaster was a member of the American Legion Post 211 and the Disabled American Veterans, Portland.

Surviving are one son, Robert J. LeMaster, Lorain, Ohio; three daughters, Mary M. Matthews, Emporia, Va., Mrs. Hugh (Roberta) Lenox, Alanson, Mich., and Mrs. Nadine Perry, Portland; one sister, Mary Olive Taylor, Akron, Ohio; one brother, Elvin C. LeMaster, Columbus, Ohio; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.

Services are set for 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Portland Chapel of the Williamson and Spencer Funeral Home. Rev. Francis Bock will officiate and burial will follow in the Salamonia Cemetery.  American Legion Post 211 will be in charge of military rites at the cemetery. 

Friends may call at the funeral home from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and prior to services on Monday.

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Gerald was my paternal granduncle, the older brother of my grandfather, Ord Wehrly LeMaster.

If you are related to this family or have any additional information, I'd love to hear from you.

At My First RootsTech

My wonderful wife bought me tickets to Rootstech2017 for my birthday last fall, and today I boarded the flights to make it to Salt Lake City.  I'm looking forward to meeting new people, picking up some research tips and visiting the Family History Library here this week.

I had a pretty uneventful flight, though the layover in Chicago and then the flight out to Salt Lake left me drained.  I arrived at my hotel, checked in and walked over to the Salt Palace in time to register and attend a Wednesday evening session on tracing your Civil War ancestors.

There are a lot of people here - I've seen figures that state 30,000 people will be here - and they are from all over the place.  I've seen folks from Wiesbaden, Germany to Ohio to Colorado and of course Utah.  

I'm chilling at my hotel right now, eating a bite and then perhaps heading down to the pool.  I might be more of a social butterfly tomorrow if I meet up with some new friends.

This event has been one of my goals to attend - and I'm excited to learn and see what all the fun is about!

Cora Bitzer household, 1940, Huntington County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Cora Bitzer household in Huntington County, Indiana.  Cora was Eileen's maternal first cousin three times removed.  Their common ancestors were Daniel L. Duffey and Susanna Freeze.  Cora's parents were Daniel F. Duffey and Susannah Leedy.

1940 U.S. census, Huntington County, Indiana, population schedule, Andrews, enumeration district (ED) 35-2, SD 5, sheet 5B, Main Street, household 123, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Cora was living in the town of Andrews.  The census states that Cora was renting her home for $10 per month.  Cora was 69 years old and born in Indiana.  She was widowed.  Her residence in 1935 was listed as the same place.

The record shows that Cora had completed the 7th grade.  Cora had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household was her son Lawrence, age 26, born in Indiana, the owner of a filling station.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.