MILITARY HISTORY IN PAULDING COUNTY
By: Mark Holtsberry
I found this fella to be very interesting…
Edward Andrew Szabo was born on December 21, 1894, in Madasel, Hungary. He was the son of Andrew Szabo, who was born on July 20, 1863, in Austria, and Mary (Ivan) Szabo, whose birth date could not be found. Edward became a naturalized citizen in 1907. I am guessing his parents did as well. Records were difficult to find until 1920, but I am certain the Szabo family came to Paulding County before 1915 because, on January 27, 1915, Edward joined the National Guard out of Paulding. He enlisted as a private in Company B, 2nd Ohio National Guard.
Edward was a farmer and, on May 22, 1917, married Ilo Emma Ansley in Monroe, Michigan. She was born on April 28, 1894, in Blue Creek Township, Paulding County. On February 17, 1918, Edward was discharged from the National Guard and was listed as an alien enemy. He was not assigned a serial number. Hungary, as any historian of World War I would know, was an enemy of France and Britain as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
On September 12, 1918, Edward was farming when he was called to register for the World War I draft. He was listed as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, a light complexion, and a stout build. He was not selected to serve.
By 1920, Edward, Ilo, and their two-year-old son, Edward Basil Szabo, were living in Jackson Township, where Edward was farming.
On September 27, 1923, Edward’s parents, Andrew and Mary, were living in Geauga County, Ohio. The following account appeared in the Daily Journal Herald of Delaware, Ohio. Andrew had driven his team of horses under a tree when the first large raindrops began to fall. A few seconds later, the tree split in two, and Andrew Szabo fell dead. The horses, uninjured, ran about, giving Andrew’s wife, Mary, her first indication that something was wrong. A triple rainbow appeared during the storm and was seen by witnesses to the event. Andrew was buried in East Claridon Cemetery in Claridon, Ohio.
By 1930, Edward’s family had grown with the addition of daughter Phyllis Marie, born March 20, 1920, and son Dale Ansley, born May 28, 1924, in Broughton. Edward continued farming.
By 1940, he was still farming in Jackson Township. Edward Jr. and Phyllis had married and moved out on their own.
On June 27, 1942, Dale registered for the draft. His brother, Edward, did as well. Edward was not selected, but Dale was. That is a story for another time.
By 1950, Edward had started working for Fruehauf Trailer Company in Fort Wayne. Edward and Ilo had moved to Paulding and were living at 808 Harrison Street. Edward also served as a custodian for the Paulding Methodist Church.
Edward retired in 1960 and remained at home with Ilo in Paulding. On Saturday, August 21, 1965, at 10:00 a.m., Edward passed away at Parkview Memorial Hospital from prostate cancer, a condition he had battled for two years.
Services were held on Tuesday, August 24, 1965, at 2:00 p.m. at Paulding Methodist Church, with the Rev. John Zinsmeister officiating. Edward was laid to rest in Live Oak Cemetery.
Ilo passed away on January 17, 1975, and was buried beside Edward.
… Until Next Time!
