Milton Omer Lynn Sr. (1909 - 1976)

Born 29 Oct 1909 in Hagerstown, Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Elizabeth (Keever) Lynn — married 8 Jan 1929 in Hagerstown, Maryland

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1976 at age 66 in Baltimore, Maryland

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Biography

Milton Omer Lynn, Sr. was the son of Milton Cambridge Lynn and his wife, Julia Butler (Swain) Lynn. Dad's direct paternal lineage is Ulster Scottish, meaning that his paternal ancestors were of Scottish origin but lived in Ulster, Ireland for an undetermined period of time before emigrating to America in 1788. Scotland's national flower is the thistle, and Ireland's is the shamrock; and so the two are paired as the background image for Dad's profile here on WikiTree. Dad also had a great deal of German and Dutch ancestry, but his Scottish ancestors include the families of Campbell, Carlisle, Donaldson, Linn or Lynn, Widney, Wilson, and others yet undiscovered.

Dad was the firstborn of six children. When he was four, his only sister was born, but she lived only a few brief months. When he was ten, the youngest of his brothers was born but survived only a few days. Then, in just a few days more, his mother also was taken from him.^[1][2][3]

The following years were not happy ones. The nation's economy was failing, with the Great Depression looming ahead. It was necessary for Dad to leave school after completing the 8th grade and go out to the streets each day to do whatever he could to add to the family purse.

Four years later - two months before his 18th birthday, Dad enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In order to do so, he gave his year of birth as 1908 rather than 1909. He was first an apprentice seaman and signalman, then became a Seaman First Class. Aboard the U.S.S. Utah, he served as President-Elect Herbert Hoover's aide-de-camp during Hoover's 1928 South American Goodwill Tour.^[4]

On 8 January 1929, while home on leave, Dad and Mom were married at the Grace United Brethren Church in Hagerstown.^[5] Dad returned to duty, and Mom lived with her sister and brother-in-law, Esther and William Lynn, in Hagerstown.^[6] William was also Dad's uncle.

Dad was honorably discharged on 3 October 1930. Returning to Hagerstown, he worked first for the Hagerstown Shoe and Legging Company and later joined the Western Maryland Railroad. For the railroad, he worked first as a fireman, then a brakeman, and finally an engineer.^[7]

Dad was active for some years in The Salvation Army, coached its Red Shield Boys Club baseball team, and served as a troop leader for the Washington County Council of Boy Scouts. He loved music and sang many duets in church with Mom. He was a devoted husband and father of eleven who is sorely missed but whom we hope and expect to meet again, with Mom, in heaven.

It isn't all the "should've beens", the "ifs", the "buts", the "whys"

That cause the tears to fall so freely, softly from our eyes.

It's just that we will miss the love unspoken that we had

And know we'd all be less if he had never been our Dad.

In 1954, the family left Hagerstown for Baltimore, where Dad continued to work as an engineer for the Western Maryland Railroad. He passed away at home on 6 October 1976 and was laid to rest at Rest Haven Cemetery in Hagerstown.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Sources

1. ↑ Grace United Methodist Church, Hagerstown, MD : 1 Nov 1909 Baptism of Milton Omer Lynn, Son of Milton Lynn and Wife, Julia
2. ↑ US Census, 1910, Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD, ED 154, p. 231A, Sheet 2A
3. ↑ Grace United Brethren Church, Hagerstown, MD : 14 Sep 1914 Cradle Roll Certificate for Genevieve Irene Lynn, Daughter of Cambridge and Julia Lynn
4. ↑ US Navy Summary of Record and Discharge, 3 Oct 1930
5. ↑ State of MD Marriage Certificate for Milton O. Lynn and Elizabeth E. Freeman, 8 Jan 1929
6. ↑ 1930 Census, Hagerstown, Washington Co., PA, ED 20, Sheet 16A
7. ↑ "The Daily Mail", Hagerstown, MD, 05 1952 : Article Concerning the Lynn Family's Presence at the WMRR Anniversary Party
8. ↑ State of MD, Dept. of Health : Death Certificate #8574213, Milton Omer Lynn, Sr.
9. ↑ "The Daily Mail", Hagerstown, MD, 8 Oct 1976 : Obituary of Milton O. Lynn Sr.
10. ↑ Second-hand Information : Recollections of My Father, Milton Omer Lynn, Sr.
11. ↑ First-hand Information : Recollections of Loretta (Lynn) Layman, Daughter of Milton