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Otis Lydell Gilmore and Elsie Louella Forker Gilmore |
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biography
Otis and Elsie Gilmore's Marriage License
Photograph from the Gilmore Reunion 1909 with Otis and Elsie Gilmore, Charles Otis Gilmore and William Forker Gilmore
Headstone of Otis Lydell Gilmore
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Otis
Lydell Gilmore was born in Grove City, Mercer Co. Pa. [18 Mar 1873]
and Elsie Louella Forker was from
Harrisville, Butler Co. Pa, [21 Oct 1872]
Otis served in the Spanish American War as a 2nd Lt. Of
Co. F 15th Regiment, P.V.I.
He enlisted April 27th 1898 and was discharged at
Athens, Ga. He also served in
World War1 as a 2nd Lt.
Air Service. He enlisted at
Pittsburgh, Pa. Dec. 29th 1917 and was discharged July 3rd
1919 at Washington, DC. He
was one of the early Aviators in WW1.
At the conclusion of WW1, he flew a Sopwith Camel (Airplane) to
Washington, DC to be put into the Smithsonian Institute.
He owned and ran the Shoe Store in Grove City where he later became
the Vice President of the 1st National Bank. He was the 16th 33rd degree Mason in Pa. and was also a Member of the IOOF, Knights Templars and donated the Land for Woodland Cemetery in Grove City, Pa. To my recollection, Otis was about 6'3" tall and my Grandmother Elsie, was about 4'10" and wore a size 4AAAA shoe. I also remember that Otis wore a size 16 shoe, watched the Stock Market closely and always smoked the greatest smelling Pipe. He had a Fatal Heart attack and died while mowing the lawn at his Home at 219 North Center St., Grove City, Pa., in 1939 when I was 10 years of age.
He and Elsie had in their attic, Heirlooms which had been passed down from John2 [Gilmore] his Grandfather. These consisted of a spinning wheel, a Carder, French Provincial Sofa, Love seat, Chair and Rocker. There were also a steereo viewer with cards, 2 Zythers (small stringed musical instruments that resembled hand held Harps), a Music Box with 6 steel rollers that was about the size of a Babys' Casket with a Glass Top for a lid. Also in the attic were books on the German Language, which I used to try to learn while whiling away this excitement in the Attic, and Otis' Knight Templars Uniform and Saber with his name inscribed in Gold on the blade of the Saber, which now resides in a Glass Case at Otis' old Home, lived in by my Brother and his wife and family. These artifacts I have described can be seen in Mercer Co. at an Antique Shop owned by Dr. F. Raisch who was a Pathologist in Grove City.
Otis and Elsie are both buried at Woodland Cemetery in Grove City, Pa.
The Children of Otis and Elsie
are as follows: 3c1
Elsa Ercilla Gilmore (b.
Sat. 19-11-1898
d.1964) who married Richard K. Blanning and lived
in
Chicago, Ill.
The Children of Elsie and
Richard are as follows: 3c1a JoAnne Blanning 3c1b Emma (Emmie) Sue Blanning 3c2
William Forker Gilmore
(b. 10-31-1899 d. 3-19-1945) who married
Irene Ritter and they resided in
Ohio. Uncle Bill was KIA, in the
Pacific aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS FRANKLIN 3c3
Charles Otis Gilmore (b.
Sat. 3-28-1908 d. 12-24-1978) married:
Alice Winifred Parker (b.10-18-1907
The
Children of Charles O. and Alice W. Parker Gilmore are as follows: 3c3a. Charles Phillip Gilmore Sr. 3c3b Still born Child 1931? 3c3c Donald Parker Gilmore
My Paternal Grandparents By: C. Phillip Gilmore Sr., 1999
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