Spanish - American Soldiers - Frank B. Gorman, Wilson Sylvester Motter, and Charles Tiller

 

#15 Corp. Frank B. Gorman, #16 Pvt. Wilson Motter, # 17 Charles Tiller

Corporal Francis Bernard Gorman

The son of Martin B. and Catherine Agnes (Zook) Gorman, Frank, as he was known, was born on September 1, 1877, in Defiance.  He lived with his parents and a host of siblings until he enlisted in Company M, 6th Ohio for the Spanish-American War at the age of 23.  He began as a Sergeant, but a reduction in rank took place on November 3, 1878, and then he was appointed Corporal on April 1, 1899, mustering out with his regiment.

He married Daisy Catherine Carpenter, the daughter of William and Harriet (Chase) Carpenter on December 24, 1900.  The Defiance Weekly Express of December 27 reported:

"On Monday evening Frank B. Gorman and Miss D. Catherine Carpenter, both of this city, were married at *Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, the pastor, Rev. Doherty, officiating.

The groom is a son of M.B. Gorman, the well-known grocer of Perry Street, and the bride a daughter of Mrs. William Carpenter. Both of the young people are well known in this city and have a large circle of friends to wish them a long and happy married life."

(St. Mary's Catholic Church)

That, sadly, was not to be. The newlyweds moved into the residence of Daisy's mother, the widow, Mrs. William Carpenter. Mrs. Carpenter was planning to go to another daughter's house in New York to stay for a few weeks, giving the newlyweds a brief time alone.

Frank opened an agency of the Holmes Hand Steamer Laundry of Toledo to serve as a livelihood for the family in 1902. He was a salesman for the company.

Their only child, a daughter named Frances Harriet Gorman, was born on January 6, 1905, in Defiance.  But sometime after that, the couple divorced.

In January 1909, Daisy and Frances returned from a three-month visit to Boston, Massachusetts, home of her deceased father's family.

In the Federal Census of 1910, Frank lived in a hotel in Detroit as a boarder. Working as an assembler at an automobile company, he described himself as 34 and single.  At the same time, Daisy was enumerated in Defiance at her mother's home on Jackson St. The records read that Daisy was 30 years old and divorced. Her mother, Harriet Carpenter, was 61, and with them were Daisy's sister, Bessie, 19, and little Frances, age 5.  Daisy had her own millinery shop, and Bessie was also working to support the family. 

Frank filled out his World War I draft registration at age 42 on September 12, 1918. He was marked as physically disabled at that time, with his mother, Catherine Gorman, as his nearest relative and the home on Jackson Avenue as his residence. 

Death followed shortly after on August 28, 1919. The death certificate listed the cause of death as a lung disease that could have been pneumonia. He was single and a retired machinist.

An obituary appeared in the Defiance Crescent-News on August 28, 1919:

"Frank B. Gorman died Thursday night at Mercy Hospital at Toledo. The remains will be brought to Defiance this evening and taken to the home of his mother, Mrs. M. B. Gorman on Jackson Avenue. The funeral will be held from St. Mary's Catholic Church Monday morning at 9 o'clock. 

Deceased was a Spanish-American War veteran, having served in Company M which was organized in Defiance."

Frank was buried in Riverside Cemetery on August 30, 1919.

Daisy went on to remarry John C. Price in Wayne County, Michigan, when she was 33.  John, 31, was a musician, and Daisy was still a milliner. Together they had a son, Hayden J.  They moved to Riverside, California where they lived at least thirty years or more. 

John died in 1963, while Daisy lived to be 100 years old, passing away in 1980. They are buried together in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Orange County, California.

Private Wilson Sylvester Motter

Private Wilson Sylvester Motter was a private in the 6th Regiment OVI, Company M and was mustered out with his company. A Defiance resident, he was the son of E

Aftmanuel and Elizabeth (Wirock/ Weirauch) Motter of Adams Township.

er coming home from his service in Cuba, he married Lizzie Ramos/ Ramus, the daughter of Elias and Elizabeth (Myers) Ramus. Wilson, 22, was a farmer in Adams Township, and Lizzie, 21, was also from Adams Township. The wedding on March 22, 1900, was performed by Squire C. H. Hunter. 

On February 3, 1903, a daughter, Lavina Ann Motter, was born in Henry County.

In 1904, the Defiance Daily Crescent-News reported that

"Wilson Motter of Jewell, a farmer and member of Company M, has been granted a pension of $6 a month and back money to the amount of $357. George Killey secured the pension for him." 

Killey was a local attorney.

The next evidence of the family's whereabouts was found in 1918 when Wilson filled out his World War I draft card in Toledo on September 12. At that time, his residence was at 237 Pinewood Avenue. He was 40 years old and he was co-owner of a secondhand furniture store on Monroe Street called Ward & Motter.

In the 1920 Federal Census, Wilson named himself as an Interior Decorator, owning his own business. The family had moved to Woodlawn Avenue by this time. Lavina, at 16, worked as a bookkeeper at a glove factory. Perhaps it was there that she met Edward A. Becket, her future husband. They were married on July 18, 1925, in Adrian, Michigan.

Wilson dubbed himself a house painter by the 1930 census. At 52, he and Elizabeth owned their own home. Lavina was gone, but they had taken in a boarder, Charles Jackson, 46, from Norway. Something was brewing with Wilson, however, and on April 4, 1931, he went missing. 

In mid-April 1931, it was discovered that he had drowned in the Maumee River. The story appeared in the Henry County Signal, Napoleon, Ohio on April 23, 1931, on the front page:

"FORMER RESIDENT DROWNS IN TOLEDO

Funeral services for Wilson S. Motter, 53, of 1527 Woodland avenue, Toledo, whose body was found in the Maumee River near the Ash-Consaul street bridge in that city Saturday, were held in the home Tuesday morning at 8:30 and at St. Teresa's church at 9.

Motter was formerly a resident of Napoleon. He had been missing from his home since April 4 and officers had been asked to aid in a search for the missing man.  Members of his family were of the belief that he had come to Napoleon to visit his brother, William. He also had relatives in Defiance and Ft. Wayne, but the missing man failed to visit their homes.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Motter; a daughter, Mrs. Edward A.  Beckett; a sister, Mrs. Suzanne Tubbs, Defiance; and brothers, Charles of Fort Wayne, Ind., and William of this city."

A coroner's inquest was made and the conclusion was "Drowned." One paper said the result was accidental, but the rest of the story is lost.

Elizabeth Motter lived on until August, 1972, in Toledo. She never remarried and lived until the age of 93. She and Wilson were buried together in Calvary Cemetery, Toledo.

"ELIZABETH MOTTER

Mrs. Elizabeth M. Motter, 93, of 2740 120th Street, died Sunday in her home. She was the widow of Wilson S. Motter. Surviving are her daughter, Mrs. Lavina Beckett, and sisters, Mrs. Rose Ellff and Mrs. Frances Bales.

The body will be in the Jasin Mortuary tonight after seven. Services will be Wednesday at 1:30 in St. John's Catholic Church.

Private Charles Tiller

Charles Tiller's parents, George Henry and Jane (Beale) Tiller were from Dorset, England; however, Charles was born in Albion, Indiana, on November 21, 1877.  He had a slow start in Company M, 6th Regiment after he enlisted at age 20. He was on sick leave in the division hospital from September 16 - October 14th, 1898, and again from October 15 - November 14, and then extended to December 14. After he mustered out, he was the lamp man of the P.G.& E. Co. Later, he worked in Defiance as a lineman for the telephone company.

Charles married Gertrude Agnes Zeigler, the daughter of Michael Sr. and Philomena "Phoebe" (Hahn) Zeigler on December 18, 1900, in Defiance.

The Crescent News printed on December 19, 1900:

"BRIDE AND GROOM HONORED.

Mr. and Mrs. James Ellsworth entertained a number of friends last evening at their cozy home on Kintner street, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tiller, who were married last evening. Those who enjoyed their hospitality were Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Watts and daughter, Mildred, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schmunk and son, Paul, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Garber and son, Francis, Misses Alice Sapp, Mary Wickman, Kate Myers, Annie Clemons, Tillie Kalk, Anna Balske and Myrtle Baker.  Messrs. John Hohenberger, Charley Barnhart, Reinhart Franzdorf and Thomas Dohoney.

Delicious refreshments were served during the evening. Cards and games were played, while Charley Barnhart entertained the company with music on the phonograph.

 The couple had eight children: Raymond, Edwin "Ted', Margaret (Zuelke), Francis Michael, Cpl. George Washington, Imelda (Bohland), Helen (McNutt) and little Mildred who was born and died in 1913.

"DEATH OF LITTLE MILDRED TILLER

Mildred, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tiller, died yesterday noon, about 12:30, aged 6 months and 21 days. The child at the time was at the home of her grandmother, Mrs. Michael Zeigler, on Kintner Street, where the family had been staying while their furniture was being moved from one house to another.

The funeral wlll occur Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the English Catholic Church, Rev. Father Doherty officiating. The remains will be interred in Riverside Cemetery."

Crescent-News, March 15, 1902

The family had a financial tragedy in the spring of 1907.

"An alarm of fire was sent in about 9:15 Saturday night and the department responded promptly, making a two mile run in good time. The fire was in the barn of Charles Tiller, on Squires Avenue, just over the corporation line, and was used as a hen house by Mr. Tiller.

Employees of the Diamond Glass Works had a stream on the blaze when the department arrived, and the latter added two sections of hose to that of the Glass Co 

The fire had obtained such headway that the building was totally destroyed and about 250 chickens burned. The loss is estimated at $300."

Defiance Weekly Express, May 17, 1907

In 1918, the family moved to Toledo City. Charles took a job as an electrician for the Champion Spark Plug company, perhaps this was a war job for World War I.  He spent twenty-five years working there, and before that, he worked at the Northwestern Telephone Company in Defiance 18 -20 years.

The Tillers celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December 1950 with a family dinner, followed by an open house. Charles died on November 1, 1964, of arteriosclerosis, according to his death certificate.

His obituary was available from the Toledo Blade, Sunday, November 1, 1964:

"CHARLES TILLER

Charles E. Tiller, a Spanish-American War veteran, died today in St. Vincent Hospital after a three-week illness. He was 86 and lived at 1735 Eileen Rd.

Born in Albion, Ind., Mr. Tiller came to Toledo 46 years ago.  He served with Company M, 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was a member of Egbert Camp, United Spanish War veterans.

Mr. Tiller was employed 25 years as an electrician at the Champion Spark Plug Co., retiring in 1943. He also was a member of Little Flower Church and its Holy Name Society.

Surviving are his wife, Gertrude; sons, Raymond, Edwin, Francis, and George; daughters, Mrs. Margaret Zuelke, Mrs. Imelda Bohland, and Mrs. Helen McNutt, all of Toledo; 24 grandchildren, and 39 great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Little Flower Church with burial in Calvary Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited. Monday at 8:30 p.m. by the Little Flower Holy Name Society in the Neville Mortuary."

Gertrude Tiller lived on until the age of 94, passing away on June 22, 1976.  Her obituary appeared in the Toledo Blade of Wednesday, June 23, 1976.

"GERTRUDE TILLER

Mrs. Gertrude A. Tiller, 94, formerly of the 1700 block of Eileen Road, died Tuesday in the Royal Crest Rest Home, Ottawa, Ohio, where she had been living three years.

Mrs. Tiller was the widow of Charles Tiller. Surviving are her sons, Raymond, Edwin, Francis, and George; daughters, Mrs. Imelda Bohland and Mrs. Helen McNutt; sister Mrs. Margaret Serrick and brother, Ray Zeigler.

Services will be in the Little Flower Church.  The Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. Friday in the Neville Mortuary, Dorr Street, where the body will be after 3 p.m. Thursday."

Dianne Kline, Researcher

F

Martin B. Gorman - G.A.R., Bishop Post

Born in Ireland, Martin Barney Gorman immigrated to America in 1848, he reported on one of the censuses.  He was only a lad of about 3 or 4 at the time.

Just before the Civil War broke out, he was living with John B. Weisenberger, John's wife, Margaret, and son, Frank,1, in Defiance.  Martin was 14 at the time.  Perhaps he was Margaret's brother as she, too, was born in Ireland?  Mr. Weisenberger was a grocer, an enterprise that Martin would also follow for many years of his life.

In 1862, when only 16 years old, Martin enlisted as a private in Company H, 87th Ohio Infantry. By law, enlistees had to be 18 unless they had parental permission, but recruiters often looked the other way at this rule. He enlisted on May 29, 1862, and served until October 1, 1862.  During that time, he fought in the battle at Harper's Ferry in September where he was captured and held very briefly.

When he was about 18, he reenlisted as a private in the 7th Ohio Independent Company of the Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on December 16, 1863, where he served until the end of the war, discharged on Sept. 9, 1865.  Another name for this unit was the Union Light Guards.  These soldiers served as bodyguards for President Lincoln, among other duties.

Govenor Tod of Ohio organized this unit with the intention of recruiting one man from each Ohio county to serve.  However, Defiance County had at least four men chosen because some counties did not put forth a man quickly enough.  They were enlisted for three years or until the end of the war and were mustered into service in Columbus.  They were not told that they were a special service group enlisted to act as bodyguards or mounted escorts for the President until they were mustered in. Some men were assigned to the White House, others around Washington D.C., and some to forts around Washington, especially in Virginia.  Those from Defiance who served included Martin B. Gorman, Abraham T. Brechbill, John Crowe, and Lemuel T. Hibbard.

The book, Lincoln's Body Guard, the Union Light Guard of Ohio by Robert McBride, 1911 stated:  
"Taking the company as a whole, the membership was much above that of the average company of soldiers, intellectually, morally, socially, and physically."
According to McBride, some men were disappointed with their assigned duty and thought they should have been fighting instead, but in the end, most saw it as a badge of honor to so serve the nation.

When Martin returned home, he married Catherine Agnes Zook on February 24, 1868, according to Ohio Marriages.  They settled in Defiance and he resumed his occupation as clerk in a retail grocery, according to the 1870 census.  Their first child, Martina, was 2 at the time.

Eventually he opened his own grocery store at the corner of Perry and Fourth Streets in about 1871.  The family, in fact, resided at 87 Perry Street in 1880 with their expanded brood of seven children.  (Later they would move to 507 Jackson Street.)  Along the way, some of the children found employment in the store as bookkeepers or salesmen or clerks.  

In 1910, Martin B., 64, and Catherine, 64, still had living with them Martina, 41; Viola, 35 - a bookkeeper; Millie E., 27 - a bookkeeper, and Thomas E., 25 - city auditor.  Catherine had had eleven children, but at that time only nine were living.

Martin Barney Gorman died on March 22, 1914.  His obituary appeared in the Defiance Democrat on March 26 and it named all the organizations in Defiance to which he had contributed and gave details of his Civil War service.

     
 After his death, his son, Martin Earl, and daughter, Viola, took over the store which eventually moved to Perry and Fifth Street.  

His wife, Catherine, lived on until 1930, and her obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on February 1, 1930:

  She was laid to rest beside her husband in Riverside Cemetery.

On October 20, 1961, on page 6, the Crescent-News reported that the Defiance Historical Society had received some donations for its museum.  Among them was an item related to Martin B. Gorman:

 "From Edward S. Bronson, Union Light Guard badge which President Lincoln presented to his bodyguard, Martin Gorman."

Do we still have that? Please comment if you know.

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)