By: Mark Holtsberry
Hosea Gerald Hummell was born in Antwerp, Ohio January 25, 1897. The son of Leroy, born in Ohio, November of 1873 and Catherine (Doyle) Hummell, born in Ohio, December of 1874. This couple was married June 30, 1894 in Paulding, Ohio.
By 1900 the Hummell family was living in Antwerp. The family consisted of three children, daughters Marie M. born in December of 1895, Hosea in 1897 and Ester V. born in August of 1899. The father, Leroy was a barber. The family was living with Catherine’s parents, Michael and Catherine Fox.
By 1910, the Hummell family had their own home. Living on West Washington Street in Antwerp. The couple was blessed with the birth of a son, Leroy M. in 1902. And a daughter, Mildred, in February of 1909. Now, Catherine’s parents were living with the Hummell family. Hosea was in school, as well as his sisters, Marie and Ester.
By 1918, with the World War 1 draft going on, Hosea joined the Navy, May 18, 1918. He was sent to Detroit, Michigan to serve with the United States Naval Reserve Force Recruiting Station. He was assigned to the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, May 18, 1918 after being called to duty. He served until June 14, 1918. He was then shipped to serve at the Naval Operations Base in Norfolk, Virginia and served on the U.S.S. Arkansas until November 11, 1918. He was Seaman 2nd Class for 177 days and was released from duty, January 23, 1919.
By 1920, Hosea found himself living on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan working as an inspector in a Rubber works factory. Hosea was living in a boarding house with a fellow Antwerp and World War 1 Veteran, Ralph O. Brattain. (I posted an article on him months ago.) Hosea was Honorably Discharged, from the Navy, September 30, 1921, due to lack of funding. In 1926, Hosea’s father, Leroy passed away.
It is unclear what happened to Hosea between 1926 and 1935, I could not trace his where abouts. By April 1, 1935, I found where Hosea was living at 709 Thieme Drive in Center Township in Grant County, Indiana. He was staying at a United States Veterans Administration Facility.
He was still living there on April 10, 1940. On November 18, 1944, after living at this facility for nine years, seven months and 23 days, he passed away. Hosea was buried in Maumee Cemetery. His mother, Catherine Hummell, signed for his military tombstone in August of 1945. He was never married.
…Until Next Time!
