FRANK CLONINGER was born 17 May 1891 or 1892 in Knoxville and died Thursday, 12 March 1966 at the Veteran’s Hospital in Long Beach California. He is buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery, Section 99, Row B, Site 10. In 1910 Frank is with his mother and family here in Knoxville.

Dad (W.F. Mode) said that Frank ran away when young and Jewell Vermillion said that she thought her Uncle Frank had gotten into some kind of trouble here in Knoxville and hopped a train and went west. He left home sometime between 1910 and 1917, returned to Knoxville in circa 1920, and spent most of his life working in the oil fields of California. At the age of 25 Frank registered for the WWI Draft (#490-90) on 5 June 1917 and worked for Standard Oil as an Oil Man. At this time he is living in Brea, Orange County California. Frank was listed as single, “Tall” with a “Medium Build” and had “Blue” eyes and “Black” hair. Frank Cloninger served in France during W.W.I. He served from 3 December 1917 until 23 April 1919 in the United States Army and was honorably discharged, perhaps in Long Beach California. He was a Private First Class and his serial number was 1768836.

In the picture of Uncle Frank saluting he is wearing an Engineer service device on his collar. He was a member of Company D, 26th Engineers (Water Supply Regiment) He was wounded real bad and was nearly killed several times. He came back shell-shocked. Among the memorabilia he brought back were a French 37mm WWI shell and a piece of trench art consisting of shell casings in the shape of a pen holder. Aunt Wilma Massey Mode showed me the pen holder when I was a kid, but I don’t know who has it now. After coming back, till the day he died, his hands would shake and this was especially noticeable whenever he was holding something or trying to eat. He said he didn’t think too much of the French women, according to granny, his niece (Margarete A. Sliger Mode Caldwell) He stayed in the hospital a long time and at one point the hospital caught on fire. He was saved by a little nurse who somehow wheeled him out of the hospital.

He may have married Ellen unknown according to Jewell Vermillion, but separated and had no children. In the 1920 Knox County census, sheet 7, Frank Cloinger (28) is listed living with his mother and siblings. The 1920 Placentia, Orange County California census, sheet 25 also shows Frank Cloinger, 28, living in Placentia Township, Orange County, California in a boarding house, working as a laborer in the oil fields. At the age of 43 Frank married Lorea Dick, 24, of Utah on 10 August 1935 in Los Angeles, California. At the time Frank’s residence is listed as the Veteran’s Hospital in Sawtelle, California. He was listed as single, 43 years of age, an Oil Driller, and this was his first marriage. His parents are listed as James. M. Cloninger and Nancy E. Shields and he states that both of his parents were born in Virginia. Lorea’s parents were James R. Dick and Hazel Brandt and they both were born in Utah. She lived at 4828 ½ S. Figueroa, Los Angeles. Lorea was 24 at the time and this was her second marriage. Witness to the marriage was R.L. Stevenson and the Chaplin was Joseph D. Ewers (License #12406-page 276) According to Jewell, the gal Uncle Frank married was beautiful and often worked as a model. Once she had a modeling job to go to and handed Frank her silk blouse and told Frank to iron it. Jewell said Frank didn’t like being told what to do so he said he “fixed” her by leaving the iron on her blouse. Frank related to Jewell that he and his wife divorced because he didn’t like being told what to do.

The 1940 Coalinga, Fresno California census, ED 16-1A, sheet 81B lists Frank Cloninger 47, married, and working as a driller for a petroleum company. He lived to be 81 years old. He was also required to register for the draft during WWII (Registration Card #423) and lists his residence circa 1942 as Box 582 Filmore Street, Filmore Ventura California. He was 49 at the time and lists his birthday as 17 May 1892 and Mrs. N.E. Cloninger of Knoxville as a contact. His employer was the George F. Getty Oil Company located in Piru Canyon, Piru Ventura California.