Military History in Paulding County
By: Mark Holtsberry
George Carlysle Plummer was born March 10, 1893, in Monterey, Putnam County, Tennessee. He was the son of William Asbury Plummer, born June 10, 1855, in Ohio, and Ella V. (Smith) Plummer, born in 1865 in Ohio. The couple married in 1882 and became the parents of Louis Ellsworth (1883), Edwin William (1885), Eric Floyd (1887), Essley Inez (1889), Susannah Ionia (1891), George C. (1893), and Joseph D. (1896).
Joseph passed away on June 8, 1896, and was buried in Middle Creek Cemetery. On March 8, 1900, Ella also passed away and was buried in the same cemetery. After Ella’s death, the family lived in Grover Hill, Ohio, where they employed a servant, Flora Feister, a seventeen-year-old daughter of John Feister, a local Civil War veteran from Grover Hill.
In 1901, William Plummer married Hermia Ann (Hartzog) McDorman, a widow and the sister of Joshua Hartzog, Paulding County’s Medal of Honor recipient. Her first husband had died in 1900. William and Hermia had two children together: Reginald Arthur (born 1902) and Mary Belle (born 1904).
George attended school and, by 1910, was living with his family in Latty Township, Ohio. William worked as a farmer, and George was employed as a farm laborer. Around 1912, George moved to Denver, Colorado, residing at 1324 29th Street. On April 30, 1913, he traveled to Essex, Canada, to visit Windsor, Ontario. By 1916, he had become a school teacher.
On June 5, 1917, George registered for the World War I draft in the Latty precinct. He was described as tall, of medium build, with dark brown eyes and black hair. He was single and employed as a mechanical superintendent for the Marion Products Company in Marion, Indiana. His brothers also registered: Eric Floyd Plummer on June 2, 1917 (not chosen), Edwin William Plummer in Michigan on September 6, 1918 (not chosen), and Louis Ellsworth Plummer in California on September 12, 1918, where he worked as a school teacher (not chosen).
George joined the National Army from Paulding on June 15, 1918. He served in the Training Detachment Public School in Cincinnati, Ohio, until August 14, 1918, and later in Public Hospital, Madison Department, 63rd Infantry, until July 18, 1919. He received an honorable discharge on July 18, 1919.
By 1920, George was living with his parents in Latty Township and working as a farm laborer. Later, he became an adventurer and aviator. After completing a two-year flying course at Landowne Airport Flying School, he earned his pilot’s license.
On June 15, 1930, George was flying with passengers Marvin Mayfield and Lemuel Timmons of Nashville, Tennessee, en route to Horse Cave, Barren County, Kentucky. During the flight, George lost control of the plane, which entered a tailspin and crashed along the Dixie Highway, killing Mayfield and Timmons instantly. George was taken to Glasgow Community Hospital, having suffered the loss of a foot and a severe skull fracture. He died the following day, Monday, June 16, 1930.
His body was brought home to his father’s residence on Tuesday, and on Thursday, June 19, 1930, George Carlysle Plummer was laid to rest in Middle Creek Cemetery, Section 1, Lot 39, Grave 2.
…Until Next Time!
