Spanish - American Soldier - Private Albert L. Rollins

#11 Joseph Hesselschwardt, #12 E. Gleason (not on the roll)

#13 Albert L. Rollins  #14 Frank G. Korn

Albert L. Rollins, 21, of Defiance, enlisted into Company M, 6th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry for the Spanish-American War in 1898. He was the son of James A. and Elva Ann (Woodcox) Rollins. As it turned out, he made the military his career, primarily fighting in the Philippiines.

Albert re-enlisted a second time for a three year term in the infantry that took him until June 24, 1902. He enlisted a third time under Major Browne, again for three years. This enlistment gave his birthplace as Defiance, Ohio; he was 25. His description noted that he was 5'6" with blue eyes, light brown hair and a dark complexion. On his last enlistment, he became a Captain in the 1st Regiment, Company K. His military career ended on February 17, 1906, with a discharge at Cuartel de Espanila, Manila, P.I

After mustering out, he soon married Nora Eva Delap on April 8, 1907, in Denver, Colorado, but they first resided in Nevada, Missouri. She was only 16, and Albert was more than ten years older. By the Federal Census of 1910 in Rawdon, Ellis County, Oklahoma, they were renting a home there. With them, lived an eleven year old nephew, Edward L. Sawyer, born in Kansas.

They were in Harrison, Nemaha County, Kansas by the 1920 census.  Albert had become a partner in a farm with his father-in-law, George Delap, 57, and wife, Elizabeth, 55. with the children of Albert and Nora - Minnie A., 7, and Elvia A (Elizabeth)., 5.

The rambling family had moved on by 1930, back to Center, Vernon County, Missouri. Albert, now 54, owned a farm and lived on it, but he named house carpenter as his occupation. Their two children, Minnie - 18 and Elizabeth - 16, were home with them. Sadly, Albert and Nora divorced some time after this, probably around 1936 in Reno, Nevada.

Albert moved to California and died there on Friday, November 20, 1939. He had resided at Fort Wiley, Orville, California and died in the Veterans' Administration facility there. The obituary appeared in the Defiance Crescent-News on January 31, 1940:

"BURY FORMER RESIDENT WITH MILITARY HONORS

Albert L. Rollins, former Defiance resident who served in Company M during the Spanish - American War, was buried with full military honors in the Presidio of San Francisco, a (national) military cemetery, it was learned by relatives here today. Mr. Rollins died in the Fort Wiley Veterans Hospital in San Francisco on November 20, 1939.

Besides Company M, he also served in the 19th and 21st Infantry in the Spanish-American War and was a member of the U.S.W.V. and V.F.W. in Missouri.

Survivors include his daughters, Mrs. Perry Bedsoe, Orville, California and Mrs. H.L. Hood, Yuba City, Colorado, two grandchildren and a brother, F. D. Rollins, Nevada, Missouri; James Rollins, Defiance, his cousin and Mrs. Mitchell Moore, a niece."

San Francisco National Cemetery, The Presidio

The Presidio

Albert's wife, Nora remarried to George L. Ackerman on December 18, 1936. She was 44, and George was 58 years old. They also made their home in Orrville, California. The local newspaper, the Oroville Mercury Register, announced the Reno, Nevada divorce from Albert Rollins on December 1, 1936.

Nora Delap  Rollins Ackerman died on March 2, 1958, in Oroville at the age of 67. She was survived by her husband, George Ackerman and one daughter, Mrs. Betty (Elizabeth) Glidwell of Sacramento, California. (The Enterprise Record, Chica, California, March 3, 1958)

Nora was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Oroville, CA.

 
Dianne Kline, Researcher