Military History in Paulding County
By: Mark Holtsberry
Ernest Irvin Phillips was born on September 30, 1894, in Mandale, Ohio, the son of Charles Phillips, born in January 1866 in Ohio, and Ida L. (Moxley) Phillips, born on September 11, 1879, in Washington Township, Paulding County, Ohio. The couple married in 1893.
By 1900, Charles and Ida were living in Washington Township with their son Ernest. Also residing in the household were Charles’s brother John and brother-in-law Joseph Moxley. Charles worked various odd jobs and farmed for income. In 1900, the couple welcomed a daughter, Noble Phillips. On August 17, 1903, their son Cecil Noel Phillips was born; he would later serve in World War II.
On June 5, 1917, Ernest traveled from Grover Hill to the Mandale precinct to register for the World War I draft. His registration described him as 5’8” tall, with a light brown complexion, stout build, brown eyes, and brown hair. At the time, he was working as a farm laborer for his father.
Ernest was inducted into the National Army from Paulding on August 3, 1918. He was first assigned to the 10th Training Battalion at Camp Sherman, Ohio, where he served until November 18, 1918. He was then transferred to Company B, 418th Reserve Labor Battalion, serving until December 7, 1918, and later to Company I, 6th Pioneer Infantry, where he served until December 17, 1918, when he was honorably discharged.
By 1920, after returning home from Camp Sherman, Ernest was living with his parents, brother, and sister, helping out on the family farm. Between 1922 and 1926, he continued working on the farm. On February 26, 1926, his father Charles passed away, though his burial location remains unclear. His mother Ida later remarried a man named George W. Cowell.
By 1930, Ernest had moved to Cleveland, where he worked as a mechanic and lived in a boarding house on East 57th Street. He later married Ethel Maggie (Lynn). By 1940, Ernest and Maggie were still living in Cleveland, having moved to 2360 East 69th Street.
In 1942, at the age of 47, Ernest registered for the World War II draft, though he was not selected for service. By 1950, he and Maggie remained at the same address. Living with them were Maggie’s mother, Laura Lynn, and Ernest’s niece, Mary Underwood. By this time, Ernest was unable to work.
Ernest Irvin Phillips passed away on March 11, 1951. He was buried in Highland Park Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. On March 16, 1951, the County Commissioners applied for his military tombstone. The application was confirmed on March 26, and his stone was ordered on April 17, 1951. Ernest is buried in Section 3, Lot 3, Tier 30, Grave 70.
…Until Next Time!
