Military History in PauldIng County
By: Mark Holtsberry
Emil Spoor was born in Payne, Ohio, on January 21, 1891, the son of John Spoor, born in 1851 in Germany, and Stepena (Shoemaker)—or, in the German spelling, Schuhmacher—born in 1865 in Germany. The couple was married on November 14, 1889, in Ottawa, Ohio.
By 1900, the couple was living in Payne, Ohio, where John was farming in Harrison Township. John and Stepena were the parents of Bertha Mae, born October 19, 1885; Emil, born in 1891; Lucy Marie, born August 24, 1892; and William, born November 7, 1897. On April 17, 1901, a son, Lewis Spoor, was born. By 1910, the Spoor family was still farming, and Emil was helping his father on the farm. He quit school after the eighth grade. A sister, Josie, was born in 1912.
By 1915, Emil had moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was working as a fireman for the New York Central Railroad. He was living at the Lake Shore Hotel in Fort Wayne when, on June 5, 1917, he registered for the World War I draft. He was described as tall, of medium build, with brown eyes, black hair, and single. His brother William also registered for the draft on June 5, 1918. William was living in Payne, Ohio, and working on the railroad for the B&O Railroad out of Junction. He was described as tall, slender, with blue eyes and light hair.
Emil joined the National Army out of Paulding on May 30, 1918. He boarded the ship Aquitania out of New York on September 2, 1918, and headed for France. Emil served with Company F, 334th Infantry, 84th Division, until October 6, 1918, when he was transferred to Company A, 138th Infantry, where he served until April 28, 1919. Emil served as a private in the Meuse-Argonne sector and was honorably discharged on May 17, 1919.
After returning home, Emil turned to farming. On September 6, 1922, he married Ida L. Miller, born in November 1895 in Ohio. They settled as a farming couple in Harrison Township. In 1929, Emil’s father John passed away and was buried in Lehman Cemetery. By 1930, Emil and Ida were still living in Harrison Township, continuing their farming operations. In 1932, Emil’s mother Stepena passed away and was buried beside John at Lehman Cemetery.
By 1940, Emil and Ida were still living in Section 33 of Harrison Township and continued farming. Emil discovered a natural gas vein within a bed of gravel on his property. He developed this resource and, for many years, supplied numerous friends with his commodity. In 1942, Emil registered for the World War II draft.
On June 25, 1946, Emil passed away from a heart condition that had developed years earlier. Through his contacts and fair dealings, Emil made many friends and was well known for his steady work and good neighborly conduct. Funeral services were held at Snyder Funeral Home with Rev. A. A. Knupe officiating. Members of the local post of the American Legion, of which Emil was a member, participated in the services. Emil was laid to rest in Lehman Cemetery.
On October 4, 1948, in Paulding, Ida married widower Clarence Foster, whose wife Estella had passed away in 1947. The couple moved away for a time. After Clarence’s death, Ida returned to Paulding around 1950. She passed away on January 2, 1982, and was buried in Lehman Cemetery.
…Until Next Time!
