Margaret, Loran Jr, Loran McKinley Sr.

On May 26, 1938, my father, Loran R McKinley, Jr., “Mac,” was born in Sheridan, IN to Loran R McKinley (1916-2003) and Margaret Millikan McKinley (1917-2007). He spent his childhood on farms in Indiana, played basketball in high school as any Hoosier boy would do, and went off to Taylor University in 1956. He was quite the prankster in college. He told stories of stuffing toilet paper in the pipes of the pipe organ in the chapel and rigging a car up on blocks so it was just barely off the ground to clear the wheels so the person had no idea that it wouldn’t go anywhere until they tried to drive the car. He told me that he really wasn’t ready for college, and he eventually was suspended from Taylor University for the 1959-1960 school year after an incident involving “misuse of a test” or, in other words, for stealing a test. While the letter from the dean stated he could be reinstated after the suspension if he showed “evidence of rehabilitation,” Dad decided not to return.

Figuring that his draft number would be called soon, he joined the Army. If he volunteered, he would have some choice as to what program he could get into and as he said, “I chose the program with the longest training.” On May 8, 1959 he signed the papers to enlist and get training in Medical Laboratory Procedures. He was first assigned to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for basic training then reassigned to Ft. Riley, KS. After Basic, he went to Ft. Sam Houston, TX for his initial Medical Laboratory training. In January, 1960, he was assigned to Madigan General Hospital, Tacoma, WA for four months, then on to Ft. Dix, NJ for transport via the USNS General William O. Darby to his next assignment at the 97^th General Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.

While in Frankfurt, he volunteered for the job of medical photographer.  He said that during that time, every American death in Germany had to have an autopsy & the pathologist required photographs. While he didn’t have much experience in photography, he read up on it and learned the skills he needed to do the job. Photography was a life-long interest of his after that.

He reenlisted in 1962 and was transferred to Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. He said that he transferred as the medical photographer, but also filled the Med Tech role that was open at Landstuhl. On October 12, 1962 he received the Good Conduct Medal. He stayed at Landstuhl through 1963, by which time he had married and started a family.

In 1964 he traveled with his family back to the US to Muncie, IN & was assigned to Ball State Teachers College for additional training in Medical Technology. While in Muncie, his family grew by one more child.

In March of 1965, the United States entered the Vietnam conflict.

In June of 1965, the family moved again to Ft. Sam Houston, TX where he was stationed to Brooke Army Medical Center. On April 4, 1966 he received his second Good Conduct Medal.

In January of 1967, he applied for an appointment to become a Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserve. At the same time he applied for Active Duty. This process was complete in August of 1967, when he was discharged from Enlisted status and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves with Active Duty status. On September 4, 1967, he took the Oath of Office of a Reserve Commissioned Officer.

He also received Certificate of Achievement on November 30, 1967 which stated that “Lieutenant Loran R. McKinley, Jr. (then Specialist Six) is cited for meritorious performance of duty while assigned to the Chemistry Unit, Pathology Service, Brooke General Hospital, …Lieutenant McKinley had the critical responsibility of monitoring the various types of apparatus used in Chemistry Unit procedures. By his keen intelligence and professional knowledge he was able to determine if the equipment was functioning properly and capable of producing correct physiological data. Particularly noteworthy were Lieutenant McKinley’s constant efforts to maintain and improve the system of automation in the section with the consequent conservation of time and personnel…”

In December 1967 he got orders to Walson Army Hospital in Ft. Dix, NJ. While at Ft. Dix, he received a Certificate of Achievement. The letter recommending this certificate stated that during his short time at Ft. Dix “2LT McKinley distinguished himself while assigned to the Pathology Service, US Walson Army Hospital as the Officer-in-Charge of the Blood Donor Center. The intelligence, efficiency, and conscientiousness he displayed while fulfilling his mission were notable. 2LT McKinley consistently directed his efforts towards collecting and processing over 500 pints of whole blood weekly for shipment to Southeast Asia. Largely through his leadership, sound judgment and attention to detail, the successful completion of this vital Fort Dix mission was possible.”

Then in January, 1968 he was reassigned to the US Army Medical Center Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa). He arrived in Okinawa in June & his family settled on base in August. He was the Clinical Laboratory Officer of the Medical Center.

He was named on page 37 of the paper, “A History of the Army Blood Program” (by Edward A. Lindeke, Col. Ret. MS, US Army, 2020). “When Captain Loran McKinley (later, BBF class of ’71-72) arrived in Okinawa, he began his own blood collections.” I think this meant that the the blood could now be collected consistently and did not have to wait for someone to travel from Japan to hold a blood drive. Therefore, more blood from Okinawa could then be added to the supply needed for the Pacific Command. Dad said that they would collect blood from the soldiers who stopped in Okinawa on their way to Vietnam or from the Marines stationed on the island. He said they could figure out when a soldier was afraid to donate and would make up some reason such as low blood pressure to excuse that man from donating.

A valuable tool in the transportation of blood during the Vietnam conflict was the Collins Blood box—a styrofoam box developed in 1965 & used to ship units of blood. It may seem simple these days, but at that time it was a breakthrough. It was made of styrofoam & was lighter weight and significantly cheaper to produce than the original transport box, and it was disposable. (according to the Department of the Army paper “Vietnam Studies, Medical Support 1965-1970”) Dad salvaged at least one of those boxes and we used it for many years as a cooler.

Also stated in the US Army report, “for the first time in US military history, every unit of whole blood used to support the war was donated free of charge by military personnel, their dependents, and civilians employed at military installations.” Dad has a certificate recognizing his donation of 3 gallons of whole blood while in Okinawa.

His rank was difficult to follow. In May of 1969, there were Special Orders promoting him to Captain. But then in October of 1969 he was promoted to Reserve Commissioned Officer 1^st Lieutenant. Then in July of 1970 he applied for a Commission in the Regular Army. December of 1970 he was promoted to Captain in the Reserves.

According to his military papers, he assumed the role of Commanding Officer of the US Army Medical Center Ryukyu Islands for a short term.

I assume this appointment must have been during a transition period waiting for the new Commander to arrive as there is only one set of orders he signed as Commanding Officer & within a few weeks there was a new Commander. His orders were then amended to Clinical Lab Officer. He had Top Secret Clearance. While in Okinawa, he had several “Court Martial Appointing Orders” to serve as a member or counsel. He took TDY (Temporary Duty) assignments to Taiwan & Japan. My uncle told me that Dad ended up across the “wrong border” on one of his trips & may have been in Laos. I never heard that from Dad.

In 1970 he started the application process for the Blood Bank Fellowship program at Ft. Knox, KY. He was granted entry into the program in April of 1971.

Also in April of 1971 he received the Army Commendation Medal. Unfortunately, there is no citation for this medal in his papers. However, he was very proud of how he helped coordinate the blood supply from Okinawa to support the needs for the troops fighting in Vietnam.

He then received travel orders to Ft Knox. He was at Ft. Knox, KY for about a year for the Blood Bank Fellowship (BBF) training program. As the website for this program states, the purpose was to “prepare selected career officers to become managers of large military hospital blood banks, transfusion services & blood donor centers.” He then received certification as a Specialist in Blood Banking.

In July of 1971, during his time at Ft. Knox, he was Appointed to the Regular Army. He attended the Army Medical Department Officer Advanced Course in March of 1972. He was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant in Regular Army Medical Service Corp on July 10, 1972.

After that, in November 1972, he moved on to Fort Sam Houston, TX for a brief stay before taking his family overseas again to 2^nd General Hospital, Landstuhl, Germany.

While at Landstuhl, he served as the Laboratory Officer. Just as in Okinawa, he also served as a member of Court Martial. He also received additional training on specialized laboratory equipment and participated in race relations training. On August 26, 1973 he was promoted to Regular Army Captain.

In December of 1975, he received a Certificate of Achievement for recognition of his direction of the renovation of the Laboratory. “With the result that 2^nd General Hospital now has a laboratory which will be able to provide more efficient service to its physicians and patients…”

In March of 1976, he received orders of assignment to Redstone Arsenal, AL.

In May of 1976 he received the Army Commendation Medal with first Oak Leaf Cluster. He was recognized for modifying equipment and procedures to allow the Laboratory to “increase its productivity by over 50,000 procedures a month without the necessity of additional manpower.” The citation also states that he spent “numerous off duty hours assisting in the painting of the laboratory area at a substantial savings to the US Government.”

In August of 1976, established his final duty station at Redstone Arsenal Medical Laboratory. He was a member in the Society of Armed Forced Medical Laboratory Scientists. On November 1, 1977 he was promoted to Major.

While at Redstone Arsenal, he oversaw the transition of Laboratory services to a new hospital, Fox Army Hospital, which opened in September 1978.

On June 19, 1979, he received the US Army Health Services Command Award Meritorious Service Medal (first Oak Leaf cluster) with the citation stating, “Through his deep personal interest, tremendous depth of knowledge, initiative, and untiring devotion to duty, Major McKinley significantly upgraded the laboratory instrumentation resulting in a remarkable expansion of accuracy and capability of the department. As the only officer assigned to the department, he was solely responsible for the successful accreditation of the laboratory by the College of American Pathologists. Through sound advice, tact, and wealth of experience, he contributed immeasurably to overall mission accomplishment. Major McKinley’s exemplary performance of duty reflects great credit on him, the Army Medical Department, and the United States Army.”

Looking through all of his Officer Evaluation Reports, he always received exemplary scores and remarks. He obviously worked hard and took pride in what he did. He retired from the US Army on June 30, 1979 after 20 years of service. The skills he developed served him well for many years in civilian life as he worked in hospital or private clinic laboratories.

Some things he learned in the Army never left him. I remember attending concerts or events with my folks when there would be a recognition of active duty or retired members of the military. My Dad would stand with the veterans. His ability to stand fully upright at attention waned as he got older but I noticed that regardless of that, he would always hold his hands with his thumbs along the side seams of his pants, as I’m sure he was taught so many years ago in Basic Training.

While this story of a military career does not include any heroic battle scenes, it is the story of a regular guy who did an honorable job in support of his country during a time of war and a time of peace. Loran R McKinley, Jr died July 27, 2021. He is buried at the National Cemetery in Montevallo, AL.

Thank you for your service, Dad.

© MJM 2024

Another Labor Day holiday, so time to look again at the work some of my ancestors did. While most of Dad’s side of the family were farmers in the early years, eventually some of them found work off the farm.

My Grandfather, Loran McKinley, Sr. (1916-2003) worked several jobs in his lifetime. He compiled a list of those jobs, probably for a class reunion. Eventually, that list made it to my collection.

First, from 1936 to 1938, he worked at the American Rolling Mill (ARMCO Steel Mill) in Middletown, OH. The company produced rolled sheets of steel. He had this job when he got married to my Grandmother, Margaret. While there, he practiced and honed his skills as a crane operator. His first pay check for 40 hours of work was $36. The recession caused him to move on to another job.

 This card gave him access to practice on the cranes at the factory.

From 1939 to 1941, he worked for Interstate Foundry in Indianapolis, IN. He worked as a foreman and overhead crane operator. He made 40¢ per hour.

From 1941 to 1950, he was self employed. He had a farm & drove a milk route for Polk Dairy. No, he was not a “milk man.” He picked up milk from the dairy farmers and took it to the Polk Dairy in Indianapolis. I’ve been told that his job was considered “essential” and therefore he was not drafted into the military during WWII.

From 1950 to 1952, he worked for AVCO Corporation in Richmond, IN. He was Security Guard at this manufacturing plant.

Then, from 1953 to 1981, he worked for the Chrysler Corporation as a Security Guard. He indicated that 3^rd shift pay was $3.56/hour.

He retired from Chrysler and moved to a farm near Sheridan, IN.

After I saw the list of jobs that he had, I asked Grandpa what was his favorite. He replied, “farmer.” So, even though he had experience in other areas of work, he still went back to the original family business, farming.

© MJM 2017

This sounds like a “Family Feud” category, but it isn’t. I have a small leather billfold in my collection. It obviously belonged to my Great-Grandfather, Oscar McKinley (1887-1969). While there wasn’t any money in it, there were a few interesting items tucked inside.

First, there were 3 of those paper “Identification” cards that come in wallets. All 3 had Oscar’s name & his address: Brooklyn, Indiana Box 56. He lived on South Main Street. His telephone # was 59. The emergency contact on 2 of the cards was Oscar’s brother, Fred. On the 3^rd card, the emergency contact was his wife, Rilla. Oscar and Rilla Throckmorton Caldwell got married in 1941. Wonder why he had 3 cards.

Then there was another official ID card for his job at Adams Division of the LeTourneau-Westinghouse Company in Indianapolis. It is dated Oct. 17, 1955.

H. Rupprecht was having a birthday February 17 & there was a request for birthday cards. Notice on the above work ID card, H. Rupprecht signed the authorization as representative of the Personnel Department.

There was a business card for the Rev. H.M. Myrick, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene at 325 W Raymond, Indianapolis. H.M. Myrick was probably Herman Myrick, who was Oscar’s cousin.

The bottom half of a check was also in the billfold. It was for 25 dollars for “Priscilla McKinley Est.” signed by Oscar. Priscilla McKinley was Oscar’s Mother & she died in 1941.

He kept his Indiana state tax form for 1938 in this billfold. According to the form, he worked as a trucker for J.D. Adams Co. Indianapolis. He made $1,184.91, had a $1,000 exemption and the tax due was $1.85.

The 1939 Indiana Motor Vehicle Registration card was also in the billfold. He owned a Ford & paid a fee of $6.

Then there was the cover of a Basic Mileage Ration book from the U.S.A. Office of Price Administration, dated Nov. 20, 1942. It indicated Oscar drove a “Ford V-8 Coach.” It was an “A” ration book, which allowed Oscar 3-4 gallons of gasoline per week. It was the lowest priority for gasoline rationing during WWII.

Finally, there was a folded news clipping from a Martinsville, Indiana newspaper with no date. The title was “She Was a Teacher” with a woman’s photograph under the title.

While it does not give the full name of the woman, it mentions “Miss Asher,” who taught school for over 35 years. It appears to be a eulogy for Miss Asher. So who was Miss Asher & why did Oscar keep this clipping in his billfold? Turns out that there were 2 Asher sisters who were school teachers, Goldie and Grenda. The Indianapolis Star reported that the sisters completed their training for the “4 year elementary license” at the Indiana State Teachers College at Terre Haute in 1931. Obviously, they had been teaching for quite a while before then. According to the 1940 US Census, they lived in Jackson Twp, Morgan County, IN. Goldie never married & died December 19, 1942. She was 55 years old. It would make sense that she is the “Miss Asher” mentioned in the article, as notices on the back of the clipping mention Christmas. There is one more connection between Oscar and Goldie Asher: they were First Cousins once removed.

So there we have it, the things found in Oscar’s billfold. I wonder what people would find interesting about the things we carry today?

© MJM 2017

While researching the US Census records on Ancestry.com, I came across a famous name on the same page as one of my ancestors. The 1930 US Census record for Brown Twp of Morgan County Indiana has the George Konig family listed just before the John Dillinger family. Was this family related to THE John Dillinger? The thought was intriguing.

First, who was George Konig? His wife, “Zella,” on the census, was O’Zella Mae McKinley. She was the daughter of Jeremiah (1852-1934) and Polly (1859-1941) McKinley. She married 3 times, first to John Russel McCracken in 1917, next to Byron M. Weller in 1924, and finally to George Konig in 1927.

John W. Dillinger was the father of the notorious gangster, John Dillinger (1903-1934). General information about the Dillinger family from internet sources indicates that they moved from Indianapolis, IN to the Mooresville, IN area around 1920. John robbed a grocery store in Mooresville and went to prison. After he was released in 1933, at the height of the Depression, he continued his life of crime. He started robbing banks. He reportedly returned to Mooresville to visit his family through his final year. On July 22, 1934 he was killed by FBI agents after leaving the Biograph Theater in Chicago, IL. His body was returned to Mooresville before burial in Crown Hill Cemetery of Indianapolis.

So the question is, did George and O’Zella know about the son of their neighbor? Did they ever encounter him? How close was their residence to the Dillinger residence? It is not known exactly what the census enumerator’s route was—and I haven’t looked at a plat map for that timeframe to know if the homes were “next door” (or as close to that as farms would be) or across the road from each other.

Looking at the 1940 US Census, George and O’Zella have moved to Jacksonburg, Wayne Co, IN. The Census indicates that on April 1, 1935, they lived in Richmond, Wayne Co, IN. So, when did they leave the Mooresville area? Were they even there in 1934 when all of the excitement about John Dillinger’s last days was happening? Right now I don’t have an answer to those questions. But it is interesting to speculate that they at least knew about their famous neighbor.

© MJM 2017

“Jeremiah McKinley was the youngest of a family of seven children born to George & Polly McKinley. He was born in 1852 and had been a life long resident of Morgan Co. The parents, brothers & sisters preceded him in death.

Jan. 4, 1879, he was married to Priscilla Stafford. Six children came to gladden their home. His companion of fifty-five yrs., two sons, Oscar & Fred McKinley, his daughter Ozella Konig, and four grandchildren, all residents of Brooklyn, survive him.

It is with mingled feelings we hear the news of the passing of the few remaining pioneers of our Community.

Jeremiah McKinley 1926

We who knew Jerry best, with the family feel our loss.

Why? Because this tribute could be written in these words, “He was a faithful friend.” He didn’t go away from his home or Community to find a large place to fill, but he used the untold riches that were hidden in the depths of his heart.

He took what God gave. Some have been given more. Many have been given less. But he took what he had and made for his Soul a house of happiness & rendered a service near home.

Jerry made friends easily. His cleverness & humor gave us a tonic thought.

The goodness of his character attracted for him friends & the genuineness of his character kept them.

He was honestly & sincerely interested in his neighbors and this expressed itself in an open and understandable type of neighborliness & he and his family have created responsive neighborliness among us.

The many friends who have called at the home & those who are attending this service testify to the constructive influence of his happy friendly live.

Did you ever find the happiness flower? It isn’t so hard to find. It opens wide at the morning hour, In the meadows of Cheerful Mind.”

–Eulogy for Jeremiah McKinley, 1934

A copy of this handwritten message is in my collection. There is no indication of who wrote it. However, I assume it was probably written by the pastor who presided at Jerry’s funeral. As mentioned below, that was the Rev. O.C. Haas.

On Thursday, January 18, 1934, there was the following notice on page 1 of The Mooresville Times: “McKINLEY RITES SATURDAY. Funeral services for Jeremiah McKinley, 81 yr old retired farmer will be held Saturday morning at the Brooklyn M.E. Church with the Rev. O.C. Haas in charge. Burial will be in Centerton. Mr. McKinley lived in Morgan Co. all his life. He was the son of George & Polly McKinley.”

So who was Jeremiah “Jerry” McKinley? For one thing, he was my GG Grandfather. As the eulogy says, he was born in 1852. His death certificate lists his birthday as May 28. He died January 18, 1934. He lived on South Main Street of Brooklyn, IN. He was a farmer in Morgan County, IN. His parents were George McKinley (b. ~1802) and Polly (Mary) Packwood (b. ~1807).

He married Priscilla Stafford (1859-1941) January 4, 1879 in Morgan County, IN. The picture shown was given to me by my Grandfather & is actually a very small tintype with the oval opening in the frame approx 3/4 of an inch long. I do not have 100% proof that this is a picture of Jerry and Priscilla, but the features seem to match later pictures of them. They had the following children:

Oscar (1887-1969), Fred (1890-1972), Unnamed son (lived 4 days in April 1892), Perley (1893-1894), Ozella (1895-1980) and George (1900-1902).

I received the McKinley family Bible from my Uncle and the children are listed on the “Births” and “Deaths” pages.

McKinley Bible Births

McKinley Bible Deaths

The Agricultural Census Schedule for 1880 has Jeremiah listed in Clay Township, Morgan County, line 5. At that time he was renting his farm “for shares of product.” The farm consisted of 21 acres of improved land and 19 acres of “woodland & forest.” The value of the farm was $400 for the farm land, fences & buildings; $200 for farming implements & machinery; and $250 for livestock. The estimated value of all farm productions, (sold, consumed or on hand) in 1879 was $400. He had 1 horse, 1 milch cow and produced 100lbs of butter. There was 1 swine on the farm. Jerry had 36 barn-yard chickens, producing 200 eggs in 1879. He had 9 acres of oats, producing 200 bushels. The rest of the farm was orchard, 6 acres in apples (400 trees) producing 300 bushels & 5 acres in peaches (400 trees) with no listed production. The total value of orchard products was $150. He cut 30 cords of wood at a value of $100.

By 1920, Jerry and Priscilla had moved to town. They show up in the US Census in Brooklyn, IN with their son, Fred. Their other son, Oscar and his family are listed just above them on the census.

By the way, the eulogy mentions 4 grandchildren who were living when Jerry died. They were Oscar’s sons, Myron and Loran (my Grandfather) and Ozella’s son and daughter. Ozella had another daughter later in the year.

So there it is, information on the life of Jerry McKinley. If it weren’t for the eulogy, there would just be a selection of facts, but that added a little more insight to the kind of man he was, besides a farmer, Jerry McKinley was a good man.

© MJM 2017

Fred McKinley was born in Morgan County, Indiana, March 21, 1890. He was my Grandfather Loran McKinley’s Uncle. His parents were Jeremiah (1852-1934) and Priscilla (1851-1941) McKinley.

He was 27 years old & single when he registered for the draft in 1917. His card # is 28. He was living in Clay Twp, Morgan County, Indiana. He worked as a farmer. He was of medium height and medium build, had blue eyes and brown hair.

The Martinsville Democrat newspaper was a source of information regarding the draft. On July 13, 1917 it lists Fred with draft #822 of 1501 registrants from Morgan county. He was not called in the first draft.

Then on April 26, 1918, 58 men were called to Martinsville to the conscription station. Thirty of those men were selected to go to Camp Taylor, Kentucky for training. This is to “fill Morgan county’s quota on the first call of the second draft.” It said that farmers would be given “deferred classification for the present if their cause merits it.”

Even though Fred was a farmer, he did not get the deferred classification & on Friday, May 3, 1918, he is included as part of the group of 33 men who left for training camp the Saturday before “to make themselves ready for actual service on Uncle Sam’s firing line in his great fight to make the world safe for democracy.” It is said that there was a large group of friends and family members at the train station to see the men off.

I got a copy of his service record card from the Indiana State Archives. It states he had the rank of Private in the 159 Depot Brigade, which was essentially the training brigade at Camp Taylor. He was inducted on April 27, 1918 in Morgan County, IN. He was discharged November 1, 1918. He did not go overseas.

The story is that Fred got the flu while in the Army and this is why he was not shipped out. In searching for more information regarding the flu epidemic during the war, I came across a blog post from January 4, 2011 from the Filson Historical Society <filsonhistorical.org>. It mentioned that at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, KY, there was an influenza outbreak in 1918 that killed 824 soldiers and caused 13,000 to be hospitalized. I expect Fred was one of those 13,000.

Fred’s service record card also lists his honorable discharge as S.C.D. When I searched the internet for this code, I found that it is “Service Connected Disability.” His card states that “in view of occupation he was, on date of discharge, reported 10% disabled.” So I guess his experience left him with some kind of permanent disability. I guess I’ll have to do more searching on what exactly his issue was.

Grandpa had a large oval photograph of Uncle Fred that he gave me. It is the same picture as above. It is very cumbersome & the frame is broken, so it sits in a box in my closet instead of hanging on the wall. There were also a few less formal photographs of him in uniform that were given to me by Grandpa.

Once he returned home, Fred spent the rest of his life in the Brooklyn, IN area, continued farming and served as the sexton of the Brooklyn cemetery. He never married. He died at age 81, March 8, 1972 at the Veterans Hospital in Marion, Indiana. Grandpa also had Fred’s burial flag. It is now in my collection as well.

One more thing: On November 15, 1918, the Martinsville Democrat had the front page story of “The end of the war, the world war, the greatest conflict between man and peoples that, we hope, will ever be recorded in this world’s history.” Unfortunately, there were more wars to come. But the end of the “Great War” is commemorated each November 11 as Veteran’s day. Thank you to all who have served.

© MJM 2016