Your great-grandpa Spicer, Jesse, was born in Irvine, Estill County, Kentucky June 7, 1896. We don’t know too much about his earlier days, but we know it must have been some hard living. I believe he was named after his Uncle Jesse Spicer, who was, once upon a time, a deputy sheriff – and then an outlaw. More on that on another page.
Jesse was the son of Granville Spicer and Sarah (Sally) Estes. (a, 3) When he was 5, his family was living in Station Camp, Kentucky.(b) At age 10, the family had moved again – this time to Heidelburg, Kentucky. (c)
Jesse Spicer’s service locations, rank, dates 
Jesse Spicer marriage record to Ola Hensley 
1940 US Federal Census Record for Jesse Spicer family 
By 1917, the family had moved to Ohio – and at that time, the United States finally declared war on Germany. World War I began in earnest. Shortly after his 21st birthday, Jesse enlisted in the US Army and went into battle in service of our great country. Jesse served as follows:
“Battery B 15 Field Artillery to 11 Aug 1917; 2 Battery Training Battalion 5 Field Artillery to 3 Dec 1917; Co A 1 Engineers to 9 Aug 1919; Co E 1 Engineers to Discharge Private, first class 5 Nov 1917; Private 31 Dec 1917; Private, first class 10 May 1919. Montdidier-Noyon; Aisne-Marne; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Defensive Sector. American Expeditionary Forces 12 Nov 1917 to 4 Sept 1919. Honorable discharge 25 Sept 1919. “(1)(2)(3) Almost 2 years in the European theater!
He married Ola Hensley on September 2, 1927, in Indiana. Ola was the daughter of Henry Levi Hensley and over 17 years they had 8 kids, 7 of whom survived to adulthood.
In 1935 and 1939, Jesse and Ola were living at 312 Park Drive in Dayton. Jesse was working as a factory worker for Frigidaire, according to the 1940 US Federal Census.
When the census was taken on April 15, 1940, the family was still complete. Tragically, in September of 1940, their young daughter Carolyn, drowned. She was in kindergarten at Oak Street United Brethren church.
Two years later, son Carl was born. Carl also came to a sad ending, when he died homeless and alone in Texas. His body, as far as I have been able to determine, was never claimed by the family. He was returned to Ohio for interment. I’ll get back to Carl’s story on another page.
In 1952, Les was conscripted (not enlisted) into the US Army and was sent to Korea.
Ola died in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio in May 26, 1962.
As his family grew, Jesse took care of his family by welding – first for a safe company and later with Frigidaire.
Jesse died in 1972 at age 78. He left behind his second wife, Ethel Cook Spicer (no marriage certificate located as yet) his children, step-children and grandkids. (3)
Footnotes:
(a) US Federal Census, 1900, (b) US Federal Census, 1910
(1) Ohio Military Men, 1917-1918, Vol. 23; (2) Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918; (3) The Journal News, Hamilton, Ohio, 27 Jul 1972, Thu • Page 16 – Obituary of Jesse Spicer
