Culbert Descendants of the First World War

Many of them were young, single, and fresh off the farm. Some had never travelled outside their county let alone outside their country.

These descendants of John Culbert and Mary Ward, like so many other men of their generation signed up to fight for King and Country in the First World War (1914-1918). 100 years have passed since the signing of the Armistice that ended the fighting.

Earlier this week, you met Elmer McFalls, a Culbert descendant from Exeter, Ontario who was killed in action at Passchendaele, just a few weeks before the war ended. He was 20 years old.

The following is an alphabetical list of Culbert descendants who enlisted during WW1 and survived the horrors of the trenches. There may be more Culbert descendants who enlisted but these are the names I was able to find. I don’t have details for each man’s service but in a war where soldiers were desperately needed, it’s most likely that all or most of them were sent overseas.

Some of these men are your ancestors; all of these men are your relatives. They’ve long since passed away but here on the Culbert Family History blog, we will remember them.

HARRY HEBER BROCK

Sergeant Harry Heber Brock of Detroit, Michigan was born 1 August 1890 in Arva, Ontario. He moved from Canada to the United States in 1916. Harry signed up for duty on 27 Sep 1917. Harry Brock was a carpenter at the time, and single. His younger brother, Lorne Brock also enlisted, in Canada. Harry served with Battery "C" of the 330th Field Artillery. In 1920 he married Helen Alice Greiner. They had two daughters. Harry Brock went on to become a foreman at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. Harry died age 46 in 1936 from pneumonia at the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit. He is buried at Assumption Grotto Cemetery in Detroit. Although his signature (above) looks like his middle name is Hebor, he signed it Heber on his Naturalization declaration, and his birth registration lists him as Harry Heber Brock.

Family Tree for Harry Heber Brock:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (grandparents)

Rebecca Crawley and William H. Brock (parents)

LORNE GEORGE BROCK

Regimental number: 3135167.

Private Lorne George Brock of Lobo, Ontario was the younger brother of Harry Heber Brock (above.) Lorne enlisted on 14 May 1918. Born 29 June 1895 in Ilderton, Ontario, Lorne Brock was a farmer at the time, and single. In 1924, he married Margaret Cameron of Ripley, Ontario and they had four children: Jean Brock, William Murray Brock, and two other daughters. He became a mechanic. He died age 57 in 1952 and is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Section D, in London, Ontario.

Family Tree for Lorne George Brock:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (grandparents)

Rebecca Crawley and William H. Brock (parents)

JOHN CHESTER CULBERT

Regimental number: 3208203

Private John Chester Culbert of Calgary, Alberta (known as Ches) signed up in the early part of 1918. Born 17 December 1891 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario, Ches Culbert was a 27-year-old barber at the time, and single. (His birth document lists his birth year as 1891 but his Attestation Papers and his headstone say 1890.) He enlisted with the 1st Depot Battalion, Alberta Regiment of the Army. The same year that he signed up, he married Marie McHugh. They had two children: Maurice Culbert and John Chester Culbert, Jr. (aka Jack Culbert.) After the war, Ches owned and operated a barber shop. Later in life, he became a taxation officer. He died age 78 in 1969 and is buried in Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary.

Family Tree for John Chester Culbert

John Culbert & Mary Ward (grandparents)

Joseph Culbert & Eliza Dempster (parents)

JOHN EARL CULBERT

 

Regimental number: 3135563

John Earl Culbert enlisted in May, 1918. Born 2 March 1896 in Ripley, Ontario, John Culbert was a 22-year-old farmer, and single. On 23 December 1919, he married Jennie Etta Hodgins. They had four children: Eugene Earl Culbert, Lawrence Burton "Larry" Culbert, Roberta "Beth" (Culbert) Daley, and Etta Irene "Helen" Culbert. He died age 69 in 1965 and is buried in Ripley Cemetery in Ripley, Ontario.

John Earl Culbert's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Henry Culbert & Margaret Wall (grandparents)

John Silas Culbert & Elizabeth Needham (parents)

JOHN VICTOR CULBERT 

Lieutenant John Victor Culbert. Photo courtesy of Jane (Gras) Heigis.

Lieutenant John Victor Culbert of London, Ontario signed up in 1917. Born 4 December 1885 in Granton, Ontario, Victor Culbert was a mining engineer, and single. Victor never married. He lived in Toronto with his late brother Milton Culbert's widow, Laura (Yeo) Culbert.  He died age 77 in 1963.

John Victor Culbert Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (grandparents)

Thomas Culbert & Letitia Dempster (parents)

LORNE HENRY CULBERT

Regimental number: 3135564

Lorne Henry Culbert of R.R. #3 Ripley, Ontario signed up on 16 May 1918. Born 13 July 1896 in Ripley, Lorne Culbert was a 21-year-old, single farmer. Lorne never married. His father died when he was a boy so he took over the family farm as soon as he was old enough to do so. In his retirement years, Lorne and his sister, Eva Gladys Culbert moved to Ripley. He died age 71 in 1968 and is buried in Ripley Cemetery alongside his sister.

Lorne Henry Culbert Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Henry Culbert & Margaret Wall (grandparents)

William Culbert & Rachel Harris (parents)

LOT EZRA CULBERT

Regimental number: 3135565

Lot Ezra Culbert of R.R. #4 Ripley, Ontario signed up on 16 May 1918. Born 8 January 1896 in Bruce Township, Huron County, Ontario, Lot Culbert was a 22-year-old, single farmer. He returned from overseas in 1919. In 1921 he married Utha Welsh. They had one child: Murray Allison Culbert. Both Lot and his wife became teachers. They lived at Lot 13, Concession 8 in Huron Township until 1955 when they moved to Ripley. He died age 85 and is buried in Ripley Cemetery.

Lot Ezra Culbert's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Henry Culbert & Margaret Wall (grandparents)

Joseph Henry Culbert & Edith Sophia Swalwell (parents)

ALBERT HALL

Regimental Number: 651893

Sapper Albert Hall (aka “Ab”) of Kincardine, Ontario signed up on 4 March 1916. His younger brother, Arthur Hall also served in WW1. Born 1 April 1884 in Kincardine Township, Albert Hall was a 31-year-old sailor, and single. In 1920, he married Alice Pearl McConnell. They had three children. Albert Hall died age 68 in 1952 and is buried in Kincardine Cemetery.

Albert Hall's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Elizabeth Culbert & Richard Dagg (grandparents)

Ann Jane Dagg & Charles Hall (parents)

Brothers-in-arms: Arthur Hall (left) and his brother, Albert Hall (right). Photo courtesy of Arthur's daughter, Lynda (Hall) Hunter.

ARTHUR HALL

Regimental number: 1025.

Major Arthur Hall (aka "Art") of Kincardine, Ontario (Albert's younger brother) signed up on 27 Oct 1914. Born 14 January 1889 in Kincardine, Art Hall was a 25-year-old, single painter. He served with The Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (R.N.C.V.R.) Overseas Division as an Ordinary Seaman and was later ranked as Petty Officer. After three months of training with the British Navy, and Canada now fully involved in the war effort, he asked for a transfer into the Canadian Naval Service. He was assigned to different sea-going ships; Victory, Idaho, Vivid 111, and Niobe from November 29th, 1916 to April 5^th, 1919.  In 1943, he married Roberta Iola Cowan. They had 3 children: Richard Douglas Hall, Donald Gary Hall, and Lynda Jane (Hall) Hunter. He died age 82 in 1971 and is buried in Kincardine Cemetery.

Arthur Hall's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Elizabeth Culbert & Richard Dagg (grandparents)

Ann Jane Dagg & Charles Hall (parents)

For more information about Art Hall, click here for a biography written by his daughter, Lynda (Hall) Hunter.

JOHN DUFFERIN HODGINS, Sr.

Regimental number: 829865

John Dufferin Hodgins (aka “Jack”) of Winnipeg, Manitoba signed up on 20 April 1916. Born 25 October 1884 in Biddulph Township, Ontario, Jack Hodgins was a 31-year-old lithographer, married to Missouri-born Ida Watkins. They adopted a son: John Dufferin Hodgins, Jr. who was born 17 November 1914. Later, they moved from Winnipeg to Calgary, Alberta, and then to Los Angeles, California. Jack Hodgins died age 39 in Los Angeles in 1924. He is buried in St. James Cemetery, Clandeboye near Lucan, Ontario. His widow remarried to Claude Johnson.

John Dufferin Hodgins Sr.'s Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (grandparents)

Sarah Catherine Crawley & Samuel Hill Hodgins (parents)

ETSOL PHILLIP MORGAN

Serial number: 3472

Etsol Phillip Morgan of Detroit, Michigan enlisted on 12 September 1918, along with his two younger brothers, Grafton and Thomas. Born 25 November 1877 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario, Etsol Morgan moved with his family to Flynn Township, Michigan when he was a boy. At the time of his enlistment, he was a 40-year-old self-employed baker, married since 1900 to Maggie Seymour. His bakery was located in Detroit's Broadway Market. He died age 44 in 1922 and is buried in Marlette City Cemetery in Marlette, Michigan. His name is spelled Edsel in his obituary but various official documents show his name as Etsol, as does his signature, above.

Etsol Phillip Morgan's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (grandparents)

Elizabeth Crawley & Thomas Morgan (parents)

GRAFTON JOHN MORGAN

Serial number: 616

Grafton John Morgan of Sandusky, Michigan enlisted at the same time as his two brothers, Etsol and Thomas. Born 11 August 1881 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario, he moved with his family to Flynn Township, Michigan when he was a little boy. In 1905, he married Ella Maude Adair. They had two sons: Willard Scott Morgan and James Russell Morgan. Grafton was a farmer, a carpenter, and he worked for Chamberlain Elevator. His full name is sometimes listed as Grafton John Morgan and sometimes as John Grafton Morgan but he went by "Grafton." He died in Port Huron, Michigan, age 42 from pneumonia in 1923 and is buried in Marlette City Cemetery.

Grafton John Morgan's Family Tree is the same as Edsel's, above.

THOMAS MILTON MORGAN

Serial number: 2980

Thomas Milton Morgan of Flynn Township, Michigan signed up at the same time as his older brothers, Edsel and Grafton. Born 12 April 1900 in Flynn Township, Michigan, Thomas Morgan was only 18 at the time he enlisted, and he worked as a farm labourer. In 1922, he married Christine Juhl. They lived on a farm south of Marlette, Michigan and had two children: Lois Jean Morgan and another daughter. Thomas was manager of the Sanilac County Conservation Office and the Marlette Township Treasurer. He died age 60 in 1961 and is buried in Marlette City Cemetery.

Thomas Milton Morgan's Family Tree is the same as that of his brother Edsel.

ORAN WESTELL

Oran Westell. Photo courtesy of Oran's grandson, Don Jarrell.

 

Cousins, Arthur Hall (left) & Oran Westell. Photo courtesy of Lynda (Hall) Hunter.

Regimental number: 53525

Oran Westell of Kincardine, Ontario signed up on 27 October 1914. Born 17 May 1891 in Clandeboye, north of Lucan, Ontario, Oran Westell was a 23 year old cook at the time, and single. Oran went overseas and amazingly, he survived a chlorine gas attack. While recuperating in Manchester, England from that chlorine gas attack, Oran met Jane "Jenny" Russell while rowing in Heaton Park. They married in Prestwich, Lancashire in 1919. They had three children: John Russell "Jack" Westell, Susan Lorena "Toots" Westell, and another daughter. Oran Westell was for many years the Kincardine Lighthouse Keeper. He died age 65 in 1955, the result of a car accident. He is buried in Kincardine Cemetery. You can read more about Oran Westell in this previous blog post.

Oran Westell's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Elizabeth Culbert & Richard Dagg (grandparents)

Susan Dagg & Omar Westell (parents)

MILES IRVING WHITEFORD 

Serial number: 41. Registration number: 137.

Private Miles Irving Whiteford of Hedrick, Iowa signed up in the USA on 5 June 1918. Born 6 August 1896 in Hawarden, Iowa, Irving Whiteford was 21 years old and single. His first wife was Ellen Murray and his second wife was Viola Pearl Lindsey. Later, he owned a meat market in Carroll, Iowa. He would enlist again years later in World War Two. Irving Whiteford died age 50 in 1947 and is buried in Section 36 of Graceland Cemetery in Webster City, Iowa.

Miles Irving Whiteford's Family Tree:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)

Rebecca Ann Culbert & William Whiteford (grandparents)

William Henry Whiteford & Mary Jane Hout (parents)

100 years have passed since the signing of the Armistice that ended the fighting in WW1. Our relatives who served will not be forgotten. We will remember.