American Legion Forms in Pike Co., MS 1919

This is one of my favorite types of newspaper articles because it includes names from several branches of our family. This one includes: Alford, Brumfield, Ellzey, Fortenberry & Ott family members. This is also useful to identify men from our family who served in World War I. Veterans' Day seems the perfect time to publish this list of WWI soldiers.

Read my endnotes to learn more about those men I was able to identify. 

 

Pursuant to call issued by J. H. Price, Jr., delegate to National caucus, a meeting of soldiers, sailors and marines convened at the Pike county court house at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon, June 21^st, 1919, and organized by the Pike County Post of the American Legion. Temporary were elected as follows: K. G. Price, McComb, chairman; Thomas Cotton, Summit, vice-chairman; Van H. Weathersby, secretary and treasurer.

 

Although this was the first attempt that has been made to organize a Post of the American Legion in Pike county, a great deal of enthusiasm was manifested by those present, and plans were perfected for organizing Posts over the entire county, the desire being expressed that every soldier, sailor or marine who had served honorably during the war should become a member of his local post.

 

The only credentials required of a candidate to make him eligible for membership to the American Legion is his honorable discharge, and fifteen or more such members can organize a local post and obtain a charter from the National organization.

 

The following committees on membership were appointed for the purpose of organizing posts at the various places in the county, and they are urged to do this at once as it is desired that as many Posts as possible be organized by July 12^th. In addition thereto, it was decided to have a general meeting or rally, inviting every soldier, sailor or marine in the county. The time and place of this rally to be the same as the celebration which will be given the soldiers by the Council of Defense. The time and place will be announced later.

 

The following is a list of committees on memberships, and they are urged to perfect their organizations without delay, and are requested to apply to the chairman or secretary for information.

 

Johnston Station – E. I. Carruth, Claude C. Carruth, J. A. Parnell.

 

Summit – Thomas Cotton, H. F. Wolbrecht, A. B. Reeves.

 

McComb – Harry Naul, Ewell Martin, Luther Lane, Pelham Mills, Jr.

 

Fernwood – C. L. Taylor, Albert Fitzgerald, unreadable name

 

(Unreadable Location) – L. C. Allmand, Ernest Curruth, Emmett Carruth, L. M. Speed.

 

Osyka – Sam Fortenberry[1], John Mixon, Culver Ott[2], Hollis Webb.

 

Silver Springs – H. L. Simmons, A. E. Fortenberry[3]. 

 

Progress – (Address R. F. D. Magnolia) Elmer Alford[4], Edwin Alford.

 

Walker’s Bridge – (Address R. F. D. Magnolia) L. M. Brumfield[5], J. C. Rimes, Emmett Gulledge[6].

 

Holmesville – (Address R. F. D. Magnolia) Luther Brent, Hugh Bullock, Chas. A. Gibson, Joe Bullock.

 

Graycoat – (Address R. F. D. Osyka) Willie Bryant, Ben Spears.

 

Carter’s Creek – (Address R. F. D. McComb) D. P. Walker, Jr., Tom Norman, Purser Boyd.

 

Felder’s Camp Ground – (Address R. F. D. Summit) Jack Felder, Jewell Dunaway, Rayner McEwen.

 

Source: American Legion for Pike County Organizes. (McComb, MS: The McComb City Enterprise, 10 Jul 1919) 1; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed Sept. 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

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[1]Samuel Floyd Fortenberry, b 15 March 1889 Pike, MS, d Feb 1964 Pike, MS; husband of Maude Robert Easley; son of Richard A. Fortenberry & Josephine Ellzey.

[2]Culver Lamer Ott, b 2 May 1895 MS, d 17 Jan 1924 LA; son of Samuel Adolphus Ott & Georgia Ritchie.

[3]Alfred Eugene Fortenberry, b 26 June 1879, d 7 April 19953 LA; husband of Annie Elizabeth Ott; son of William Franklin Fortenberry & Mariah B. Hall.

[4]Elmer C. Alford, b 19 March 1890 Pike, MS, d 30 Jan 1966 Pike, MS; husband of Willie Belle Hall; son of Julius Ceaser Alford & Sarah Elizabeth Fortenberry; US Army, 345^thInfantry.

[5]Leura McCauley Brumfield, b 5 October 1887 LA, d 19 August 1948 LA; husband of Norma Flint; son of Uriah V. Brumfield & Julia McElveen.

[6]Willis Emmett Gulledge, b 14 September 1895 MS, d 26 October 1961; husband of Hettie Muriel Ellzey; Corporal WWI Army Infantry.