MILITARY HISTORY IN PAULDING COUNTY
By: Mark Holtsberry
Everett Thomas Upthegrove was born on May 29, 1897, in Emerald, Paulding County, Ohio. He was the son of Charles Upthegrove, born in 1870 in Highland Park, Ohio, and Annie (Grant) Upthegrove, born in 1868 in Kentucky. The couple married in 1893 in Paulding County.
By 1900, the family was farming in Emerald, Ohio, while raising their children: Lizzie A., born in 1894; Perlie, born in 1895; Everett, born in 1897; and Bessie E., born in 1898. A son, Floyd, was born in 1903.
In 1905, Charles suddenly passed away. He was buried in the Upthegrove Cemetery in Jackson Township. Everett went on to live with his grandfather, Josiah Upthegrove, and his two aunts, Mattie and Ettie, in Emerald. On November 6, 1911, Annie married the Rev. Elisha B. Underwood in Paulding.
By 1917, Everett had moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he was working for a company called Overland, a trucking and shipping firm. On June 4, 1918, Everett registered for the World War I draft at Local Board Division No. 4 in Toledo. He was described as having brown hair and brown eyes.
On September 5, 1918, Everett was inducted into the National Army. He was first assigned to the 158th Depot Brigade for training, serving until October 3, 1918. He was then transferred to the 148th Infantry Base Hospital, where he served until December 31, 1918. His final assignment was with the Embarkation Service Hospital at Camp Stuart, Virginia, where he served until August 1, 1919, when he received an honorable discharge.
By 1920, Everett was living in Toledo, Ohio, where he worked various factory jobs. On August 26, 1929, Everett found someone who turned his gears. He married Lillian Francis Orr Duffy, a schoolteacher in the Toledo Public School System. Lillian was born on April 12, 1899, in Toledo, Ohio. By 1930, Everett and Lillian were still living in Toledo, where Everett was employed in the automobile industry as a sheet metal worker.
In 1931, Everett’s mother, Annie, passed away. She was buried beside her husband, Charles. By 1935, Everett and Lillian had divorced. Lillian moved to California, where she continued teaching.
By 1940, Everett had moved to Massillon, Ohio, where he worked in a printing shop. On February 16, 1942, he registered for the World War II draft. He was listed as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a light complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. He was not selected for military service.
By 1950, Everett was once again living in Toledo, working as a printer. On November 1, 1960, he filed for Social Security. He later spent his remaining years in Detroit, Michigan. On July 25, 1990, Everett passed away at his home in Highland Park, Michigan. His burial location is unknown.
After her divorce from Everett, Lillian remarried a man named Jack Williams. Lillian and Jack divorced during the 1960s. Lillian passed away on June 22, 2000, in Los Angeles, California, and was buried in Angeles Rosedale Cemetery. During her career, she taught school for 58 years.
…Until Next Time!
