By: Mark Holtsberry
Orville Henry McCormick: This fella was born in October of 1889 in Cecil, Ohio. The son of George William McCormick born June 2, 1866 in Middleton, Columbiana County, Ohio, and Rosella (Hetrick) born October 27, 1868 in Paulding County. She was the daughter of David and Mary (Skiver) Hetrick. This couple was married in 1887. George and Rosella had a daughter, Georgianna, born March 13, 1888 in Emerald Township.
Sometime before 1897, George and Rosella divorced. They both remarried in 1897. George married Caroline King and Rosella married Mark Calvin Rose. By 1900, Orville and Georgianna were living in Emerald. They were step-children living with their mother and Mr. Rose. Mr. Rose was a farmer and the children were in school.
By 1910, Orville, 21 years old at the time, moved to Norton, Summit County, Ohio. He became a carpenter. He was living with his step-uncle, Amerion L. Rose, who was also a carpenter, and his family. Strange twist, Amerion married Rosella’s sister, Edna E. Hetrick in 1902. They too, later divorced.
On June 21, 1916, Orville joined the Ohio National Guard out of Toledo. This was during the border war with Mexico. Orville was living at 1769 Summit Street in Toledo. He served with Battery B. 135th Field Artillery, Ohio National Guard. He was promoted to mechanic August 1, 1917. He was called again to serve in World War One. His orders came through to board the ship, U.S.S. Vermont March 12, 1918 and set sail for Brest, France. On March 26, 1919, He saw action in the Defensive Sector in France. On March 26, 1919, Orville was promoted to Chief Mechanic of Artillery. Orville was Honorably Discharged April 11, 1919 at Camp Sherman, Ohio.
Orville moved back to Cecil in 1919. Orville moved to eastern Ohio to become a construction foreman. He worked with his uncles in the trade. He worked until 1923 when his health turned bad.
On July 24, 1923, Orville was admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dayton. He was suffering from acute pulmonary issues. He was discharged June 22, 1924. Not sure why he was discharged.
By 1926 he was living in Hamilton, Ohio. Poor health had reduced him to have minimal work. He moved back to Paulding, where his mother began caring for him. Orville had become an invalid. He passed away from tuberculosis on May 1, 1927. His mother, Rosella, passed away in 1943. His father, George passed away in 1945.
… Until Then
