George A. Wilt, druggist at Redkey, a veteran of the World war and one of the best known young business men at Redkey, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his life with the exception of the time spent away in schooling and during his period of military service in France. Mr. Wilt was born at Redkey on June 24, 1894, and is a son of Daniel and Bertha (McArthur) Wilt, the former of whom, born at Deerfield, Ind., is a banker.
Reared at Redkey, George A. Wilt received his early schooling in the excellent schools of that city and then entered Purdue University, where he spent a year pursuing the pharmaceutical course. Thus equipped for the vocation to which he had devoted himself he returned to Redkey and in 1914 became engaged as druggist in the drug store of Doctor Pierce, and was thus employed when the United States took a hand in the World war. On July 27, 1917, Mr. Wilt enlisted in the Medical Corps of the United States army and was sent to Ft. Thomas. Three weeks later he was transferred to Ft. Benjamin Harrison, where he was kept eight days, at the end of which time he was sent to Camp Devens, where he spent eleven months in training and was advanced to the grade of first class sergeant. From Camp Devens (Massachusetts). Mr. Wilt was sent with his command overseas, the transport putting in at Liverpool, whence his command presently was transported to France and attached to the Seventy-sixth Division, with which command Mr. Wilt served as sanitary inspector during the continuance of his service abroad. He returned with his command to the United States on April 2, 1919, and was mustered out at Camp Sherman (Chillicothe, Ohio) on the following April 25.
Upon his return to Redkey Mr. Wilt decided to go into business for himself and opened the drug store he is now conducting in that city, where he is doing very well. Mr. Wilt is a member of the Methodist church and is a Republican. He is a Freemason and a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Redkey and of the Portland lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of
Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.
146-147. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.