Vernon Wesley Gallagher
Vernon Wesley Gallagher was born more than 128 years ago in the Sunshine State of Florida @ the town of Dover on July 17th, 1891 to his Father John Gallagher and Mother Susan Lewis.
** Interesting events that occurred around the World during Vernon's birth year of 1891 included.
• On January 29th, 1891 Liliuokalani is proclaimed Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
• On March 14th, 1891 in New Orleans, Louisiana a mob storms the Old Parish Prison and lynches 11 Italians arrested but found innocent in the murder of Police Chief David Hennessy.
• On May 5th, 1891 "The Music Hall" in New York City ( Later renamed Carnegie Hall ) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Peter Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor.
• On on June 25th, 1891 in London, Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes appears in "The Strand Magazine" for the first time.
• On August 24th, 1891 Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera.
• In 1891, Canadian native James Naismith invents the game of basketball as an instructor at the Springfield Massachusetts YMCA. The first actual game is played on December 21st, 1891.
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Vernon was the third youngest child born to his Mother and Father. According to Florida State Census records from 1900 he had three older Sisters. ( Bessie, Jimmay May, and Mary Hattie ) and a younger Sister, Lucille.That same census indicates that Vernon's Mother had given birth to nine children in her lifetime but only 6 were living. By the next census in 1910 the Gallaghers had added a Son to their family whom they name Lewis. In this document Vernon's Mother, Susan Gallagher states that she had given birth to nine children but seven were living so these records conflict one another.
Gallagher Patriarch, John supports his family in the field of farming. By 1910, Vernon, 18 is working alongside his Father on the farm.
On March 5th, 1916 at the age of 24, Vernon Wesley enlists to serve his Country with the United States Army. He leaves Florida to train @ Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia and quickly rises through the ranks.
Vernon is sent to France on a secret mission in September of 1917 and he proudly serves through the entirety of the Great War until receiving his honorable discharge on January 8th, 1919.
Vernon meets, falls in love with, and marries Mamie Thesing a native of Tennesse on September 18th, 1918 in Bibb County Georgia which is where they met. Together the couple would have a single Daughter in 1926 whom they name Bernadine.
For the majority of his adult life Mr. Gallagher supports his family in the field of agriculture / farming in a variety of capacities.
On January 28th, 1936 Mr. Gallagher having traveled to Sarasota Florida for a new farming employment opportunity from the family home in Plant City checks into a local hotel. For reasons we know not, he raises a shotgun to his head and pulls the trigger. Vernon dies instantly.
** Not a single article describing Mr. Gallagher's suicide from across the state of Florida mentions his Wife and Daughter as survivors.
Vernon Wesley Gallagher... Husband, Father, Son, Brother, and proud United States Army Veteran of the First World War.