By: Mark Holtsberry
Albert Wallace Treat
Interesting feature person, who started out as a Corpsman in World War 1, ended up serving as a relief officer in Iran. Albert was born December 23, 1895 in Gays, Illinois. The son of William E., born 1854, in Michigan and Carrie E. (Wallace) Treat, born February 9, 1869 in Illinois. This couple was married April 24, 1889 in Shelby, Illinois.
By 1900, the couple had three children, a daughter and two sons, with Albert being the youngest. William was in the hardware business. The family was living in Whitley, Illinois. By 1910, the Treat family was living in Farmer, Ohio. William was the town’s postmaster, Carrie a homemaker, Albert and brother Dee were in school. Albert’s sister, Birdie, was married November 10, 1910 in Defiance. The lucky fella was J. Fordyce Ridenour. Albert’s mother, Carrie, passed away, July 20, 1911. She was buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Hicksville. Not sure what happened to Birdie, but she passed away May 15, 1916 in Garrett, Indiana and was buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Hicksville. Albert was a Medical Student at the University of Chicago. He also was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. As war loomed in Europe, June 5, 1917, Albert registered for the draft in Payne, Ohio. Albert listed that he was working as a Traveling Solicitor for Radcliffe Chatauguas out Washington D.C. This company put on plays, musicals and other shows. Records listed him as 5’7″, medium build, brown eyes and brown hair.
June 21, 1917, Albert traveled to Philadelphia and enlisted in Reserve Corp. Albert was called to active duty, June 22, 1917. He was given the rank of Private 1st Class. January 9, 1918 leaving by the ship, “Usaas”, out of New York, Albert was sent to France. He was serving with Section 562, United States Ambulance Service. Albert served with the U.S. Army until May 31, 1919, where he was Honorably Discharged.
After being discharged from the Army, and living in Paris, France, Albert filed for a passport application, October 21, 1919. This application was through the State Department. Albert was in route to Turkey in connection with food relief, through the American Relief Administration. The passport allowed him to travel through France, Switzerland, Italy, Romania and Turkey.
March 8, 1920, Albert reapplied for a passport, as Relief Officer, to travel through the same counties to monitor the success of the program. The program was monitored through The United States Foreign Food Service. Albert was serving as Vice Council as part of The United States Consular Services. January 25, 1921, Albert reapplied again for a passport to go through the same countries.
In 1923, Albert’s father, William, passed away in Michigan. He was buried beside his wife Carrie and daughter Birdie in Hicksville. With Albert’s travels this always draws the concern of danger. Not sure of any details, Albert passed away in Tehran, Iran, May 3, 1929. His body was brought home July of 1929 and was buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Hicksville, Ohio.
…Until Next Time
