The Cutler Family History Project

The Cutler Family History Project


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Eugene Marlborough Cutler World War I Tunic and Patches

This is Eugene's tunic/jacket from World War I. It's made of wool (very scratchy!) and lined with cotton.


Several years ago, a WWI expert looked at the jacket and had this to say about it:

The tunic was probably custom-made, not standard issue. The tag inside doesn't give indication of where it was made. It's also very small (Eugene was only 5'7"). It fits me, as you see below, and I'm 5'1".

Button details, on the front and on the pocket.


Collar detail. The collar insignia is for the artillery corp, D Battery.



The left sleeve has several patches.

The bomb insignia identifies a member of the Trench Mortar section.
The red chevron is for his rank, private 1st class, and the red is for an honorable discharge.

The double chevron indicates one year of overseas combat-- 6 months for each stripe. 

Friday, September 23, 2011

Making progress on the Western Front -- Eugene Marlborough Cutler in World War I

That title was my lame excuse for a pun, because at the moment, I'm focused on gathering information on Eugene Marlborough Cutler's service in World War I.

After digitizing many of the files and pictures I have, I started to transcribe letters and difficult-to-read documents. One such record is an original copy of Eugene's Honorable Discharge from the United States Army.
Because of a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center, it's possible this may be some of the only original documentation of Eugene's service. I'm hoping to fill out a form to obtain any additional information the NPRC may have.

According to the research I've done, and based on Eugene's obituary, he "entered the army for service in Europe with the First Infantry Division during WWI." There is, however, a slight discrepancy in dates, as Eugene enlisted on Jan. 5, 1918, and the First Infantry Division, which was made up of experienced soldiers, sent the last of its troops in December of 1917. He also returned in April 1919, and the First didn't return home until August/September of 1919. It's possible he was a volunteer put into the division after arriving on the front.

On the back of the form, under "Battles, engagements, skirmishes, expeditions," it reads "A.E.F." This stands for American Expeditionary Forces, which were the troops sent to Europe by the United States in World War I.

He is noted to have been a Private First Class, and appears to have been a member of the H.A.C, or Honourable Artillery Company. This was a British army division, but many American soldiers were placed in British and French units to augment the work being done. This is noted on the second line of his discharge document. If that is the case, there is a possibility he took part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which was instrumental in ending the war.

Just prior to the H.AC. notation on the second line is a word I am unable to make out. It seems to read "Neadjce/Needjre/etc." but a fold line has made it difficult to read, and this is obviously not a word. I'm continuing to research what this means, as it seems to make reference to his company, regiment, arm, corp, or department, as noted by the footnotes at the bottom of the document.

Eugene enlisted at Fort Douglas, Utah. During WWI, this base was used as an internment camp for Germans living stateside, as well as a POW camp for captured German naval members. It was also used as a training base for many troops before they headed off to Europe.

Eugene's discharge date is listed as April 19, 1919 at Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming, which is currently F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The base had an airfield that had become active that year, so it served as a convenient drop-off point for soldiers heading to the west.

The full transcription of Eugene's Honorable Discharge document is below:

[top of the page stamped Book 17 page 251]

Honorable Discharge from the United States Army

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This is to certify, that Eugene M. Cutler A.S. # 828056 1/c Private, Neadjre[?] H.A.C.

THE UNITED STATES ARMY, as a testimonial of honest and faithful service is hereby honorably discharged from the military service of the United States by reason of Circular 106 W.D. 1918.

Said Eugene M. Cutler was born in Kilgore, in the state of Idaho. When enlisted he was 18 2/3 year of age and by occupation a farmer. He had blue eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, and was 5 feet 7 inches in height.

Given under my hand at Fort D.A. Russell, Wyo., this 19th day of April, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

[Signed]

H.C. Smith

Major A.G.D.

Post Personnel Adjutant

Commanding

[reverse]

[top of the page stamped Book 17 page 252]

Enlistment Record

Name: Eugene M. Cutler; Grade: 1/C Private

Enlisted, or inducted, Jan. 5, 1918 at Ft. Douglas, Utah

Serving in First enlistment period at date of discharge

Prior service: none

Noncommissioned officer: never

Marksmanship, gunner qualification or rating: Not qualified

Horsemanship: Not mounted

Battles, engagements, skirmishes, expeditions: AEF

Knowledge of any vocation: farming

Wounds received in service: none

Physical condition when discharged: good

Typhoid prophylaxis completed: Jan. 29,1918

Paratyphoid prophylaxis completed:

Married or single: single

Character: Excellent

Remarks: Service: honest and faithful . No A.W.O.L. or absence under G.O. 31 W.D. 1912 and G.O.45 W.D. 1914

Entitled to travel pay to: Idaho Falls, Idaho

Signature of soldier: Eugene M. Cutler

[Signed]

C.R. Farmer

1st Liet. AGD

Ass’t Personnel Adjutant Commanding

[Bottom is signed] Basil G. Squier, [with a hand-written] 111 15 [above it]

[There is also a stamp on the back that reads:] Recorded Dec. 13, 1962, 3:00 PM book __ of __ page __ J.L. Lemmond (sp?), clerk and recorder Cascade County, Montana by J.J. Schmidt, deputy.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Harmon Cutler and Agnes McGregor family tree and group records

Harmon Cutler, date unknown

Family Group Record

Harmon Cutler
Born 16 July 1799 in Dover, Duchess, New York
Baptized 13 Nov 1852
Endowed 7 Feb 1846 EH
Sealed to parents 11 May 1960 LA
Married 19 Dec 1859 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, SS 21 Feb 1863 EH
Died 29 Jan 1869 in West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah, buried at "Cutler Hill" Pioneer Cemetery, Midvale (pictures below)
Father: Samuel Cutler
Mother: Cordelia Youngs

WIFE Agnes McGregor
Born 13 Aug 1843 in Bonhill, Dunbrtn, Scotland
Baptized 1851
Endowed 21 Feb 1863 EH
Sealed to parents 24 Jan 1980 LG
Died 9 March 1904 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, buried at Sandy City Cemetery
Father: William McGregor
Mother: Ann Hossack

CHILDREN
1. Elizabeth Ann Cutler
Born 22 Jun 1861 at West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah
Baptized 19 Nov 1885 LG
Sealed to parents 8 Apr 1964 IF
Spouse Aaron Henry Williams, Married 28 Jun 1894 (sealed same) at Logan, Cache, Utah
Died 16 Jun 1914

2. William Cutler
(see information here)

3. Jane Susan Cutler
Born 21 Jan 1865 in West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah
Baptized 30 Oct 1965
Endowed 30 Nov 1965 AL

4. Youngs Cutler
Born 10 Dec 1866 in West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah
Baptized 3 Aug 1877
Endowed 16 Mar 1921
Spouse: Gertrude Richardson, Married 22 Feb 1899/1900
Died 11 Jan 1929, buried Sandy City Cemetery

5. James Edwin Cutler
Born 15 Oct 1868 in West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah
Baptized 3 Aug 1877
Endowed 15 Jan 1904 SL
Died 9 Nov 1903, buried Sandy City Cemetery, Utah
Under Harmon's name: Obituary in Deseret Evening News, 3 Feb 1869, Vol: 2 Pg 2
In West jordan Ward, January 29, 1869 at 20 minutes to 8 o'clock pm, Elder Harmon Cutler [died] of disease of the bladder.
Br. Cutler was born July 16, 1799; was baptized by Elder James lakesley in the spring of 1830? in Amboy, Oswego County, New York; moved to Nauvoo in 1840; left Nauvoo for Pottawattamie Country, Iowa in 1846? where he resided near Council Bluffs until June 1852, when he crossed the plains acting as captain of the Twelfth Company of Saints. He arrived in this valley the latter part of September and has since resided the most (sic) of the time in West Jordan Ward where he acted for some time as President of the High Priests Quorum of that Branch of the Church.
Br. Cutler died in the 70th year of his age. He lived universally beloved and respected by his brethren; was true and faithful to the interests of his holy religion and to his brethren in all conditions of life. He died as he had lived, a faithful and true Latter Day Saint.
The funeral services took place at 3 o'clock pm on Sunday 31st, Bishop Archibald Gardner officiating and giving much valuable instruction. [note: Dates followed by a question mark were not very legible.]
Under Jane Susan Cutler: She apparently died as a child.
Under James Edwin Cutler: He apparently did not marry. He is buried next to his mother gnes in the Sandy City Cemetery, Utah.


Above are two views of Harmon Cutler's burial site, "Cutler Hill" Pioneer Cemetery in Midvale, Utah. There are no grave markers at the site.


Above are two views of Agnes McGregor's headstone in Sandy City Cemetery. The double headstone is shared with her son, James. What can be read of the headstone says: "In Memory of Agnes McGregor Cutler. Born in Bonhill, Scot. Aug 13, 1843. Died Mar. 9, 1904." There is what appears to be an epitaph below, but it is too badly worn to read.

Pictures of Harmon and the grave sites courtesy of this site and this site.

William Cutler and Tinie Sarah Smith family tree and group record

Information for William Cutler and Tinie Sarah Smith

William and Tinie Sarah, date unknown

Family group sheet

William Cutler
born 20 Mar 1864 in West Jordan, Salt Lake City, Utah
Baptized 29 Oct 1872
Endowed 20 Dec 1893 SL
Married 7 Dec 1898 in Salt Lake City, Utah, SS 7 Dec 1898 SL
Died 11 Dec 1947 in St. George, Washington, Utah (buried there)
Father: Harmon Cutler
Mother: Agnes McGregor

WIFE Tinie Sarah Smith
Born 20 Sep 1877 in Louisa Co, Virginia
Baptized 12 Apr 1893
Endowed 7 Dec 1898 SL
Sealed to parents 14 Apr 1898 SL
Died 8 May 1902 in West Jordan, Salt Lake City, Utah, buried 11 May 1902 Sandy, Utah
Father: Marlborough Smith
Mother: Araella Celastine Theodosia Simms

CHILDREN
1. Eugene Marlborough Cutler (see this post for information)

2. Douglas Cutler
Born March 1901
Died bef 1907

Note that under Tinie Sarah's name on this page is a copy of her obituary from the Salt Lake Tribune, May 9, 1902:
From West Jordan
Mrs. Tiny Cutler, wife of William Cutler, passed over the divide to the great beyond this morning at 3:30. She was about 24 years old and leaves a husband and two small children behind. The children are 2 and 1/2 and 14 months old, respectively. She was a native of Virginia where her husband first met her when on a mission. She arrived in Utah about 3 and a half years ago and has lived here ever since.

Also: Her burial site was located in the spring of 1990 and a headstone placed there by her grandchildren, R.E. Cutler, Cleyone Daly, and Donna Wallace. The cemetery record gives her cause of death as heart disease and pneumonia.

Note that on this page it reads: No records of his [Douglas's] birth or death have been found; however, reference is made to his mother's obituary. The oldest child described would have been Eugene M. Cutler, and the child described as 14 months old is thought to have been named Douglas. He was born in the covenant.

Bessie Adams and John Spreeuw

Pictures of Bessie Adams with her second husband, John Spreeuw.




Bessie Adams, Parents, and Siblings

Images of Bessie Adams, her parents, and siblings.

R.D. (Robert Darius) Adams and Jessie Ellen Adams (parents) with brother Robert, Bessie, and sister Iva, dated 1907.

R.D. (Robert Darius) Adams, Bessie's father, date unknown

R.D. and Jessie Ellen Adams (seated) with their children, date unknown. Possible names from left to right: Bert Jay Adams, Rex Bilby Adams, Iva Adams, Iris Adams, LaVon Adams, Bessie Adams, Robert Guernsey Adams.

Jessie Ellen Adams (seated) with Iris, Bessie, and Iva.

Jessie Ellen Adams
Jessie Ellen with Iva, date approximately 1906

Bessie, aged 12 years, with Timme (?) and puppies

Eugene Marlborough Cutler and Bessie Adams family tree and group sheets


Eugene Marlborough and Parents William Cutler and Tinie Sarah Smith
Family Group Record

Eugene Marlborough Cutler
Born 18 Sept. 1899 in Kilgore, Fremont, Idaho
Baptized 6 Oct 1907
Endowed: 29 Oct. 1983 (PV)
Died 19 Oct. 1975 in Belle Fourche, Butte, South Dakota
Buried in Sturgis, Meade, South Dakota
Married 1 Aug. 1925 (div) in Parowan, Iron, Utah
Father: William Cutler
Mother: Tinie Sarah Smith

WIFE: Bessie Adams
Born 16 June 1904 in Marysvale, Piute, Utah
Baptized 16 June 1912
Endowed 4 July 1957 (AL)
Died 21 March 1990 in Great Falls, Cascade, Montana
Buried 23 March 1990 in Cutbank, Glcier, Montana
Father: Robert Darius Adams
Mother Jessie Ellen Billingsley

CHILDREN
1. Doyle William Cutler
Born 6 May 1926 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah
Died 1 Sep. 1926 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah (buried there)

2. Cleyone Cutler
Information withheld; still living

3. Robert Eugene Cutler
Born 23 Jun 1930 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah
Baptized 1 Oct. 1938
Endowed 1 Dec. 1955 (AL)
[added] Died 14 Feb. 1999 in Provo, Utah, Utah, buried Orem, Utah, Utah
Spouse: Opal Maxine Rowley, married 21 Sep. 1951 (div) in Great Falls, Cascade, Montana, SS 1 Dec. 1955 (AL)

4. Donna Jean Cutler
Born 12 May 1937 in Hurricane, Washington, Utah
Baptized 3 Aug 1947
Endowed 13 Oct 1955 (AL)
[added] Died 30 June 2003 in Aloha, Washington, Oregon
Spouse: Gaylon Worth Anderson, married 11 May 1957 (div) in Cutbank, Glacier, Montana, SS 4 Oct 1962 (LA)

5. Douglas Eugene Cutler
Born 21 Jul 1940 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah
Died 21 Jul 1940 Cedar City, Iron, Utah
The above pages contain information about records that I will not include here.

Eugene Marlborough Cutler and Bessie Adams

Eugene Marlborough Cutler and Bessie Adams, date unknown

Robert Eugene Cutler plaque for retirement from Richfield Police Department

Robert Eugene Cutler served as a police officer in Richfield, Utah from to 1967 to June 1979. On retiring, he was awarded this plaque.

Badge and patch

Plaque reads:
June 1979
Robert E. Cutler
In appreciation for 12 years of service to the city of Richfield, Utah.
Kendrick Harward, Mayor
Woody Farnsworth, City Manager
Duane Wilson, Public Safety Councilman
Boyd Ward, Chief of Police
John Bettreund, SGT
Rex Dana, SGT
John Evans, Patrolman
Mayo Jacobsen, Patrolman
Micheal Carter, Patrolman
James Hansen, Patrolman
Duane Ross, Patrolman
Janet Gafa, Secretary

Robert Eugene Cutler and his sister Cleyone, between 1995 and 1998


Robert Eugene Cutler and his sister Cleyone, somewhere between 1995 and 1998.