If you live in the Fairfax area, you have hopefully had the opportunity to see the beautiful new veterans' monument at the municipal building and the veterans banners hanging along Wooster Pike until Veterans Day. Fairfax men and women have served in the United States Military for over 100 years.
NAME: Clifford W. Bocklage
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 16, 1891 - September 11, 1975
DATES OF SERVICE: July 22, 1918 - January 7, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Clifford Bocklage served stateside during the war, primarily at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson), South Carolina.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Native Northern Kentuckians, Cliff and his wife Mary purchased a house on High Street in Fairfax, where he lived from 1947 until his death in 1975. Mary continued to live in the house until 1993.
NAME: Karl Fredric Brennecke
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 28, 1893 - March 1, 1989
DATES OF SERVICE: May 31, 1918 - January 27, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: After training at Camp Gordon, Georgia, Karl Brennecke was assigned to Company F of the 16th Infantry, part of the First Army. He participated in the St. Mihiel campaign in France.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Born in Hanover, Germany, Karl came to the United States with his parents in 1907. He became a naturalized American citizen around 1914. He worked as a metal and bronze worker and foreman at Cincinnati Metalcrafts. From 1925 to 1954, Karl and his wife Anna owned a home on Roberts Street, where they raised their children. Their son William served in the Army in World War II.
NAME: Oliver Buhrman
RANK & BRANCH: Fireman Third Class, U.S. Navy Reserve
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 8, 1899 - February 28, 1979
DATES OF SERVICE: July 15, 1918 - September 29, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Oliver Buhrman served at Training Station Great Lakes, Illinois, Training Station Hampton Roads, Virginia, and on the USS Wisconsin.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Oliver and his wife Anna (Grace) bought a home on Lonsdale in Fairfax in 1938. They moved to a house on Meadowlark Lane in 1953 and Oliver lived there until the mid-1970s. Oliver and Grace had a daughter named Jean. At one time, Oliver was a director of the Fairfax Welfare Association, now known as the Fairfax Civic Association. He worked as a stationary engineer for Globe-Wernicke Company, a Cincinnati-based furniture manufacturer that also produced military equipment during World War II.
NAME: John Henry Cook
RANK & BRANCH: Cook, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 25, 1893 - November 21, 1946
DATES OF SERVICE: December 21, 1914 - June 4, 1920
DETAILS OF SERVICE: John Cook was in the Army for several years prior to the U.S. entering World War I. He served in Motor Transport Companies at Fort Sam Houston and Camp MacArthur, Texas until September 1918. He served in a Motor Supply Train company in New York City until March 1919, when he was furloughed to the Regular Army Reserve. He was honorably discharged when the Regular Army Reserve was abolished in June 1920.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A native of Tennessee, John Cook and his wife Lois bought a home on Germania in 1930. He held several jobs in his life, including driver, farmer, and wallpaper hanger. He passed away at his home in 1946. Lois continued to live in their Fairfax home until her death in 1979.
NAME: Clifford Roscoe Crain
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 30, 1895 - September 28, 1975
DATES OF SERVICE: September 19, 1917 - July 14, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Clifford Crain served in the Headquarters Company of the 330th Infantry until January 20, 1919. He then served in the Depot Service Company 54, Army Service Corps until his discharge. He was stationed in France for a year from 1918 to 1919.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In the mid-1920s, Clifford and his wife Lillian built their home on Dresden (now Murray) Avenue. They raised their four children in Fairfax. Clifford worked as a machinist at Cincinnati Milling Machine (later known as Milacron) for decades. We have record of Clifford’s opinions on local, national, and international politics, as well as entertainment and local journalism because he was a frequent letter writer to the Cincinnati Times-Star newspaper!
NAME: Frank X. Federle
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 1, 1896 - December 18, 1980
DATES OF SERVICE: February 23, 1917 - February 22, 1920
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Frank Federle was initially assigned to Remount Station 2 at Fort Sam Houston Quartermaster Corps. In the early days of the war, the Quartermaster Corps was responsible for purchasing horses and mules for the army. He then served in Wagon Company 100 Quartermaster Corps until the end of the war. Wagon Company 100 was part of the American Expeditionary Forces and operated in France.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Frank Federle and his wife, Florence, purchased a home on High Street in the 1930s. Frank was a driver and salesman for a dairy company and was also a bartender. The Federles had six children, Franklin, Gordon, Elaine, Leroy, Richard, and William. Their son Franklin served in the Navy during World War II. Gordon made the Air Force his career, serving in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Rick and Bill served in the Army. Frank lived in the home on High Street until his death and Florence continued to live there until her death in 1992. Their son Bill owned the family home until he passed away in 2024.
NAME: Russell Dean Ferguson
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 21, 1894 - February 6, 1955
DATES OF SERVICE: May 25, 1916 - April 2, 1920
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Russell Ferguson served in the infantry until January 7, 1920. He was then transferred to Headquarters Detachment 6 Division until discharge. He had an additional 16 months of service after his wartime service ended.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Russell Ferguson married Emily Case Lello, a young widow with a son. Joseph, whom he later adopted. He and Emily purchased a home on Carlton in 1935. Russell worked as a machinist and served as Worshipful Master of Queen City Lodge 559 F&AM. Emily was a president of the Fairfax Elementary PTA. Russell’s mother served as president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American War Mothers. Joseph served in the Navy after graduating from Plainville High School. Russell lived in Fairfax until his death. Emily remarried and continued to live in their Fairfax home until her death in 1982.
NAME: Millard Lafe Foote
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 8, 1899 - October 24, 1958
DATES OF SERVICE: April 21, 1917 - April 12, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Millard Foote served in Field Hospital Company 145, 112th Sanitary Train, which was formed from the 1st Field Hospital Company of the Ohio National Guard. He served at two of the major campaigns of the war, Ypres-Lys in Belgium and Meuse-Argonne in France.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Millard, his wife Ethel, and their four children moved to a home on Germania around 1940. He was employed as a sheet metal worker. Their three sons all served in the military, Boyd and Vincent in the Army and Daniel in the Navy. Millard lived in Fairfax until his death and the Foote family owned the Germania home until 1979.
NAME: Charles Salvatore Furio
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 27, 1897 - March 31, 1996
DATES OF SERVICE: August 28, 1918 - February 1, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: After basic training, Charles Furio was assigned to Battery B, 72nd Field Artillery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Charles and his wife Josephine moved to their home on Carlton in the 1930s with their children Mary Lou and Josephine. The Furios were the owners of Furio’s Fruit and Vegetable Market at Whetsel Avenue and Madison Road in Madisonville. The home on Carlton is still in the same family.
NAME: Nicholas Geiger
RANK & BRANCH: Wagoner, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 12, 1894 - November 20, 1978
DATES OF SERVICE: October 3, 1917 - March 20, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Nicholas Geiger served in Company 336 Machine Gun Battalion. He was part of the American Expeditionary Forces and served in Europe for six months.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Nicholas and his wife Edna purchased property on South Whetzel in 1929, where they were neighbors with several members of Edna’s family. They had two children. Nicholas worked as a postal clerk. He was a member of the Fairfax Welfare Association and he and his father-in-law Edward Lippert were staunch opponents of Fairfax annexing to Cincinnati. The Geigers sold their Fairfax home in 1957 and moved to Florida.
NAME: James William Goddard
RANK & BRANCH: Private, Ohio National Guard
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 9, 1893 - April 25, 1967
DATES OF SERVICE: March 30, 1917 - July 21, 1917
DETAILS OF SERVICE: James Goddard served in the 1st Infantry of the Ohio National Guard, though he apparently suffered from some injury or illness throughout his service. He was discharged with a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: James and his first wife, Margaret lived in Fairfax from at least 1930. They raised their children William and Mary in their home at the corner of Simpson and Bedford. William was killed during World War II in a transport plane crash. Margaret passed away in 1948. James remarried and continued to live in the family home until his death.
NAME: Charles Clifford Hahn
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 27, 1892 - November 16, 1962
DATES OF SERVICE: June 15, 1918 - May 24, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Charles Hahn served with Mobile Laundry Unit 330, Quartermaster Corps.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Charles’ wife Ethel May bought a house on Simpson in 1941. The couple later moved to Camden where they lived for the remainder of their lives. Charles held a number of jobs during his life, including working at the Searchlight Mirror facility in Mariemont during World War II. The facility, which was government-owned and operated, manufactured 60-inch metal mirrors used in searchlights. The work was so secret that no worker would ever learn the entire process. The building was constructed without windows and was surrounded by a 16-foot fence and a motion-activated lighting system to alert the night watchman of any potential intruders.
NAME: John Carlisle Halfhill
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 22, 1891 - August 9, 1972
DATES OF SERVICE: September 19, 1917 - June 20, 1918
DETAILS OF SERVICE: John Halfhill served in Company D, 330th Infantry, then was transferred to the 158th Depot Brigade. He served as a mechanic. He was honorably discharged due to heart trouble and had a 20% disability.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: John and his wife Elsie initially rented a home on Lonsdale, then moved to Eleanor, where they raised their five children. John made his living as a carpenter. The Halfhills’ son, George, served in the Navy during World War II.
NAME: Sherman J. Hughes
RANK & BRANCH: Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class, U.S. Navy Reserve
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 30, 1897 - September 17, 1965
DATES OF SERVICE: May 29, 1918 - September 26, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Sherman Hughes married a Fairfax girl, Helen Zivanov, who moved here as a small child. At one point they rented a home on Southern, but in 1957 they bought a home on Hawthorne where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
NAME: Edwin Alphonse Ilhardt
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 13, 1895 - October 23, 1955
DATES OF SERVICE: May 28, 1918 - May 29, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: After basic training, Edwin Ilhardt served in Company G of the 155th Infantry until September 1918. He then served in the Machine Gun Company, 355th Infantry until discharge. He served in Europe and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign in France. His regiment later performed occupation duty in Germany.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edwin’s wife Mayme purchased their home on Germania in 1928. Mayme lived in this home until 1987. Mayme was involved in the Fairfax Playground Mothers Club. They had one child, Howard, who served in the Navy in World War II. Edwin’s employment involved transportation, working as a railroad motorman, garage manager, and bus driver for St. Ursula Academy.
NAME: Philip J. Illie, Sr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private, Ohio National Guard
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 31, 1896 - February 19, 1971
DATES OF SERVICE: May 26, 1917 - July 19, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: The early days of Philip Illie’s service were spent in Company D of the 1st Ohio Infantry. Most of his time in the military was spent in the Remount Depot, a service focused on purchasing and training horses and mules for military use. He was deployed overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Forces from September 1918 to July 1919.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Less than a month after his discharge, Philip married his wife Mary Eulah. They had four children, In 1938, they bought a home on Watterson, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Philip was employed as a pump operator at Procter & Gamble. The Illies’ son Philip, Jr. served in the Navy during World War II.
NAME: Joseph Williard Jacks
RANK & BRANCH: Wagoner, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 23, 1896 - December 3, 1992
DATES OF SERVICE: May 28, 1918 - March 10, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Williard Jacks served in the 327th Field Artillery Supply Company, serving in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces for five months.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Williard Jacks is the only World War I veteran I have found who lived in Fairfax at the time he entered the service. The Fairfax Subdivision was platted in 1910 and Williard was living on Washington Avenue (now Watterson) with his mother and brother when he registered for the draft in 1917. Initially, Williard and his wife Amelia lived in the same house as his mother. They purchased their own home on Germania in 1937. They had one child, Mary. The home on Watterson was owned by the Jacks family until 1979 and the Germania home until 1990. Williard made his living as a conductor with the Norfolk & Western Railroad. [Note: Joseph Williard Jacks’ middle name is sometimes spelled Willard and his birthdate is sometimes listed as October 23, 1895.]
NAME: John Clarence Johns
RANK & BRANCH: Private, Ohio National Guard
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 9, 1894 - April 15, 1974
DATES OF SERVICE: July 22, 1917 - January 24, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Clarence Johns served in Company M of the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Ohio National Guard, which was consolidated with the 148th Infantry. He served overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. He participated in the Ypres-Lys and Meuse-Argonne offensives and the Defensive Sector. Clarence was wounded in action, sustaining a hand injury.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Clarence and his wife Daisy first lived on Simpson, but moved to Watterson in 1946. They had two children, Violet and Ralph. Clarence was employed by U.S. Playing Card. Ralph served in the Army during World War II.
NAME: Jesse H. Lockhart
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 7, 1898 - November 3, 1956
DATES OF SERVICE: January 31, 1918 - January 23, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Jesse Lockhart served in the Medical Detachment of the Air Service Flying School at Gerstner Field, Louisiana.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Native Hoosiers, Jesse and Nettie Lockhart purchased a home on Elder in 1929. Jesse Lockhart made his living as a house painter. They had six children, including a son, Jesse, who served in the Marines in World War II. They sold their Fairfax home in 1946 and moved to California.
NAME: Charles Walter Lovins
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 17, 1896 - August 25, 1976
DATES OF SERVICE: July 27, 1917 - October 13, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Walter Lovins and his wife Nilis bought their home on Germania in the mid-1920s, where they raised their five children. The house remained in the family until 2013. Walter was an engineer for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. He was a member of Mariemont F&AM Lodge 707, serving as chaplain.
NAME: Irving Washington Maass
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 15, 1898 - July 12, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: March 31, 1917 - April 21, 1920
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Irving Maass served in Battery C of the 81st Field Artillery and served time overseas.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Irving Maass and his wife Myrtle bought a home on Carlton in 1938. They had no children. Myrtle passed away in 1947. Irving remarried in 1951 and he and his second wife Pearl continued to live in Fairfax. Irving held several different jobs in his lifetime, including baker, paper worker, apartment manager, and plastic duller. Pearl owned their Fairfax home until her death in 1994.
NAME: Edward McDaniel
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 30, 1895 - November 16, 1950
DATES OF SERVICE: July 12, 1917 - February 3, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Edward McDaniel served in Company H of the 45th Infantry, 9th Division.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edward’s wife Agnes bought a home on Germania in 1944. They had one adult daughter when they moved to Fairfax. Edward worked as a machinist. Agnes owned the home on Germania until 1980.
NAME: Edward Joseph McMahon
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 25, 1898 - February 12, 1988
DATES OF SERVICE: October 10, 1918 - March 17, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Edward McMahon served in Company Q, Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edward and his wife Gladys bought a home on Watterson in 1928, They had one child, Robert. When he lived in Fairfax, Edward worked as a pressman at Multi-Color Corporation. Gladys was a registrar for the local draft board during World War II and actually registered her own husband for the draft. The McMahons sold their house in Fairfax and moved to Silverton in 1943.
NAME: John Jacob Menzel
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 24, 1891 - June 30, 1950
DATES OF SERVICE: December 13, 1917 - July 12, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: John Menzel served in Company 18 of the 3rd Regiment Air Service Mechanics, in France and later in Germany.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After the war, John Menzel lived with his sister and her family in Madison Place. After his sister’s death in 1940, he moved to Fairfax. Although his father and brother were both master potters at Rookwood Pottery, John made his living as an auto mechanic and owned a service station in Fairfax. His home and his business were on Wooster Pike.
NAME: George Francis Metz
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 25, 1892 - August 31, 1938
DATES OF SERVICE: May 12, 1918 - April 25, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: George Metz served in Company M, 54th Infantry as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. He was involved in the Meuse-Argonne campaign and the Defensive Sector. He was honorably discharged with a 10% disability.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After the war, George Metz and other members of his family served as caretakers of the Joseph Ferris house. His father, Dr. Charles Metz, was a prominent physician, close friend of the Ferris family, and trustee of the Ferris Memorial Library. Later, George and his wife Catherine made their home on Lonsdale. They had six children. George was only 46 when he passed away from colon cancer, Catherine lived in Fairfax until her death in 1979.
NAME: Matthew Daniel Mulvaney
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 15, 1892 - January 2, 1969
DATES OF SERVICE: May 18, 1918 - February 20, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In 1922, Matt Mulvaney and his wife Helen bought a home on Bedford where they lived until 1952. They had four children. Matt worked as a boilermaker at Procter and Gamble’s Ivorydale plant. He was a member of the local American Legion post. The Mulvaneys’ son James served in the Army during World War II.
NAME: Howard C. Poffenberger
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 31, 1892 - March 6, 1972
DATES OF SERVICE: June 27, 1918 - December 6, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Howard Poffenberger served overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, in the Grand Division Transportation Corps.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In 1939, Howard’s wife Ivy purchased a house on High Street. They moved to a home on Camden in 1942, where they lived until Ivy passed away in 1971. Howard worked as a window washer and later as an assistant foreman of janitors.
NAME: Irvin C. Pohlman
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 4, 1893 - March 15, 1977
DATES OF SERVICE: April 25, 1918 - May 2, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Irvin Pohlman served in Company E of the 332nd Infantry. He was deployed to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. He served in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in Italy and Defensive Sector, performing occupation duties in Austria.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Around 1928, Irvin and his wife Elizabeth (Lillian) bought a home at the corner of Watterson and Elder, where they raised their children Charles and Bernice. Irvin worked as the Home Office Cashier at Western-Southern Life Insurance Company. The Pohlmans’ son Charles served in the Army in World War II. The Pohlmans were members of St. Margaret of Cortona, where he chaired the festival committee. Irvin was also involved with the formation of a Boy Scout troop.
NAME: Oscar Raleigh
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 6, 1899 - January 26, 1983
DATES OF SERVICE: August 4, 1916 - October 14, 1920
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Oscar Raleigh and his wife Della's first home in Fairfax was at Simpson and Bedford. They bought a home on Lonsdale in 1938. They had three children, Calvin, Wilma, and Wanda. Oscar worked as a car inspector for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Calvin also served in the Army in the mid-1950s. Oscar and Della lived in their Lonsdale home until they passed away. The photo below shows Oscar getting a haircut in April 1951. The issue he was “FOR” was the annexation of Fairfax to Cincinnati.
NAME: William Edgar Ramsey
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman, U.S. Naval Reserve Force
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 20, 1892 - May 9, 1963
DATES OF SERVICE: May 19, 1918 - March 31, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: William Ramsey served on the USS Louisville, a troop transport ship.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William and Alma Ramsey bought their home on High Street in 1935, though they had lived on High Street since at least 1930. William worked as a car repairman for Cincinnati Union Terminal Company. The Ramseys had three sons, James, William, and Robert, all of whom served in the Army during World War II. William, Sr. and Alma moved from Fairfax in the mid-1940s. Their son James and his family then lived in the home, and James resided there until he passed away in 1992.
NAME: Fred Sylvester Ratz
RANK & BRANCH: Mess Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 17, 1896 - August 11, 1960
DATES OF SERVICE: September 19, 1917 - December 12, 1918
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Fred Ratz served in the 330th Regiment until May 1918, and then in the 158th Depot Brigade until discharge. He was a cook and later a mess sergeant.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Fred Ratz married Flora Wieland, a member of the Wieland family that owned several homes on Watterson. Fred and Flora bought their home from Flora’s mother in 1930. Flora owned the home until 1981. The Ratzes had one daughter, Margaret. Fred mostly worked as a meat cutter in grocery stores, though later in life he worked as a foreman at Trailmobile.
NAME: Paschal Charles Roma
RANK & BRANCH: Specialist Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 12, 1894 - April 14, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: June 4, 1917 - September 5, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Paschal (Pat) Roma primarily served as a fireman on the USS George Washington, a German ocean liner the United States seized and converted to a troop transport that sailed between the United States and Europe. The George Washington had the distinction of transporting President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference twice. Pat was on board for the first of these presidential voyages.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Pat and his wife Angelina (Angie) bought their home on Carlton in the 1920s. The home remained in the family until the 1990s. They had three children, Anthony, Bernard, and Patricia. Anthony and Bernard served in the Navy during World War II. Pat was a member of the Roman Knights, Italian Democratic Club, and American Legion. Angie was a member of the St. Margaret of Cortona Altar Society, the Edward C. Gehlert American Legion Auxiliary, and the Eastern Hills V.F.W. Auxiliary. Although Pat held a number of different jobs in his lifetime, he was a partner in a used car dealership in Avondale for many years prior to his retirement.
NAME: Leroy Sylvester Shelley
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 11, 1896 - April 18, 1960
DATES OF SERVICE: July 30, 1918 - May 3, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Leroy Shelley was the longtime pharmacist in Fairfax and lived here from around 1940 until his death. After Fairfax incorporated as a village in 1955, Leroy Shelley became vice president of the newly-formed Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.
NAME: Roy Susshine
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 15, 1897 - June 22, 1980
DATES OF SERVICE: August 24, 1918 - February 2, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Roy Susshine served in Battery E of the 70th Field Artillery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Roy and his wife Frances lived on Roberts Street for at least 25 years. He made his living as a carpenter.
NAME: William Ray Thompson
RANK & BRANCH:
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 2, 1894 - January 6, 1971
DATES OF SERVICE: April 3, 1918 - April 14, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William Thompson and his wife Mabel bought their home on Watterson in 1935 and lived there until 1963. They had four daughters. William worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
NAME: John F. Verdon
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 4, 1895 - December 16, 1966
DATES OF SERVICE: June 3, 1917 - December 11, 1918
DETAILS OF SERVICE: John Verdon served in the 383rd Company, Tank Corps.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: John and his wife Clara first bought a home on Simpson in 1929. They later moved to a house on High Street, which Clara owned until her death in 1991. They had five children, one of whom, William, served in the Army Air Forces in World War II. John Verdon worked as a furniture upholsterer.
NAME: Elmer Francis Ward
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 6, 1897 - December 25, 1968
DATES OF SERVICE: July 26, 1918 - August 11, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A native of Missouri, Elmer Ward moved to a home on Watterson in the 1930s with his wife Amy. They purchased the home in 1956. Elmer worked as a supervisor at Cincinnati Container Corporation. Amy owned their Fairfax home until her death in 1990.
NAME: Joseph Harold White
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 16, 1900 - August 11, 1990
DATES OF SERVICE: May 28, 1917 - August 11, 1919
DETAILS OF SERVICE: Joseph White initially served in Quantico, Virginia, but was deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces in September 1918.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Joseph and Mabel White bought their home on Camden in 1945, where they lived until their deaths. They had three children. After a back condition prevented Joseph from doing factory work, he and Mabel opened White's Restaurant on Wooster Pike, which they operated for a number of years. According to her obituary, Mabel was known for her delicious pies (Joseph’s favorite was apple). Joseph served on Fairfax Village Council from 1956 through 1967 and was the first president of the Fairfax Senior Citizens Club. The Whites were members of St. Margaret of Cortona. They had been married nearly 67 years when Mabel passed away in 1989.
