By: Mark Holtsberry
Ralph Walter Emery Reed was born March 17, 1892 in Pennsylvania. The son of William S. and Ina (Burkett) Reed, she passed away February 6, 1899. By 1900 after Ina had died, the family, William and seven sons, were living in Stoneycreek, Pennsylvania.
William was a wheelwright and Ralph in school. Ralph quit school in the 6th grade. By 1910, Ralph was still at home living on Seventh Street in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania. His father remarried a gal named Barbara.
In 1912, Ralph married a gal, not sure what her name is, but in 1914, a daughter named Gertrude was born. Between 1915 and 1917, another child was born.
On June 5, 1917, Ralph, while living in New York, registered for the draft. He was listed as tall and slender build, gray eyes and light hair. He was listed as married with two children. He was a wood worker for the Curtis Aerio Company.
Ralph moved to Paulding and on July 17, 1917, enlisted in Company B. 2nd Infantry Ohio National Guard. Attained the rank of Corporal on September 1, 1917. He was assigned to Company I. 145th Infantry, 37th Division. Also known as the Rainbow Division. He served until February 26, 1918, then was reassigned to serve with Company B. 112th Signal Battalion. He served with this unit until March 25, 1919.
He served in Meuse-Argonne, Ypres-Lys Defensive Sectors. Ralph was honorably discharged April 12, 1919. After returning home, it seemed that his marriage did not work out, but he met a gal named, Ada B. Gardner. They were married, August 23, 1919 in Detroit, Michigan.
By 1920, Ralph, Ada, daughter Gertrude, from his first marriage, and a newborn son, Warren, were living on 18th Trent Street in Toledo. Ralph was an Electrical Engineer for a company called Spring Company. Sometime after that, Ralph and Ada were not together.
By 1930, Ralph’s new wife, Katie and stepdaughters, Evelyn and Ilia Starkey, were living in Emerald Township in Paulding County. Ralph was engaged in farming. By 1940, Ralph and Katie had a son Ralph V. Reed Jr. born in 1932. The family was still living in Emerald Township and engaged in farming.
In 1942, while living in Cecil, Ralph had to register for the World War Two draft registration. He listed that he worked for the New York Central Railroad out of Sherwood. Ralph became a seed and hardware dealer as well as pump station operator for the Cincinnati Northern Railroad.
On May 21, 1949, Ralph Walter Emery Reed, passed away from cancer. He had battled this disease for three months. He was survived by his wife, Katie, and children Ralph Jr, Gertrude, Step daughters Ila and Evelyn. Never found what happened to son Warren. Katie remarried to a fella named Selleck, and she passed away January 29, 1987. They both are buried in Rochester Cemetery, Section 3, Row 5.
…Until Next Time!
