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Note: died Friday at Lorain Community Health Center's eastern campus following a short illness. He was born in Elyria Township and had lived in Cleveland and Pontiac, Mich., before moving to Lorain. He lived in the Golden Acres Nursing Home for seven years before his death. He attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse located on his parents' property. He later graduated from Elyria High School. Mr. Higgins served in the Navy during World War I as a seaman first class aboard the USS George Washington and the USS Bridgeport. He was present when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Armistice ending the war. He was recently honored by the Veterans Administration as one of a rare few surviving veterans of World War I. He worked for National Tube, now USS/Kobe Steel, as an electrician and mechanic. After 44 years, he retired in 1963. He served as the first president of US Steel Local 1104. This year, the Masonic Lodge in Sandusky recognized Mr. Higgins for his 75 years of membership there. He enjoyed building furniture and grandfather clocks. Survivors include his daughter, Nadine Chesnick of Lorain; 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Lucie (nee Quatrevaux); daughters Christianne Straw and Gail Woods; his parents Clarence and Virginia (nee Reighley); and five brothers. Graveside services will be at 10 AM Wednesday in the Ridge Hill Memorial Park in Amherst Township. The Reverand Norman Beetler will officiate. The Disabled American Veterans, Louis Paul Proy Chapter 20 of Lorain, will conduct Full Military honors. Memorials may be sent to the Animal Protective League of Lorain County, 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria 44035; or a charity of the donor's choice. Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Ave. Lorain is handling arrangements.( Orlo met his wife Lucie while in France during World War I. They fell in love, married and he brought her back to the States to be his wife.) The following is taken from an interview done by David Straw of his grandpa Orlo Higgins. Orlo Higgins was born July 15, 1898 in Elyria Township and lived on a farm of 160 acres. One of his early memories is of hitching up the bobsled which would carry the family to town to buy supplies. He and his brothers spent much time helping on the farm. Summers were spent with friends swimming "skinny dipping" in a local pond. Radios were scarce so Orlo and some of his friends bought radio parts and made their own. These they could send Morse code to each other from. He also built a radio which would pick up 5 or 6 stations. They had to use earphones as speakers were a thing of the future. He and his brothers attended a one room school house which was located on their parents property. He then attended Elyria High School. Shortly after High School, World War I broke out. Orlo enlisted in the US Navy and was stationed in Brooklyn Naval Yard where he attended the Pratt Institute for training in diesel and electronics. At Brooklyn Naval Yard Orlo helped recondition interned German ships that had been captured in US ports and damaged (the Germans would smash the engines) Orlo also stood guard at a cable station. Volunteering for transport duty Orlo was assigned to the 800 foot George Washington which had been the German ship Agdamemum. President Woodrow Wilson and his wife traveled to France and back twice on the George Washington to sign the Armistice at the Louvre, in Paris France. The transport ships traveled in a convoy of seven to ten ships. Two of the ships in his convoy, the Cyclops and Covington, were lost to German submarines. One dark night the George Washington rammed an English freighter in mid-ocean as both were traveling at night without lights to avoid submarine attack. Orlo made the trip between France and New York about 15 times during the war. His job was the ship's main switchboard operator.
Note: Obituary, December 16, 1996 Chronicle Telegram: Orlo M. Higgins, 98, of Lorain
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