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The Elmore Boys of '24 and their fascinating family

By Karen Zach, Around the County

Thursday, February 4, 2021 4:00 AM

Cline, Ulysses and Eston Elmore

Cline, Ulysses and Eston Elmore

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Many of you know I graduated from Waveland High School with 19 in my class; Jim (my husband) graduated in one of the biggest ever out of CHS (about 300 – WWII babies galore) but the class of 1924 out of CHS was somewhere in the middle – over 100 with some really brilliant, creative, intellectual folks. We had those too but we rarely had a duplicate name in one class unless there were twins and Waveland seemed to have quite a chunk of those. Wait though there were three in the CHS class of 1924 – last name Elmore and all fellows. As you read, ya’ might want to be informed that Cline is on the left, his brother Dutch in the middle and Ulysses on the right in their yearbook photo!

Always fascinated with the Elmore family so I thought it might be fun to write about these three of the same name. Their first names were quite different; Ramey “Cline” was the oldest born August 3rd, 1904. Ulysses Hubert was born March 16, 1905 being the one in the middle age-wise, and the third Elmore boy was Cline’s younger brother, Eston Byron. Dubbed with the nickname of Dutch, he was born August 28th in 1906. Cline and Dutch were sons of Charles Ira and Edna Brandon Elmore while Ulysses was the son of Rev. Homer Hubert and Julia Belle Durham Elmore. While comparing dates, the oldest was the first to pass away on November 4, 1965; the middle one next passing 25 March 1968 and the youngest last by quite a few years, Eston passing March 22, 1986.

Ulysses Hubert Elmore’s prophecy was that he would be recognized as an equal to the famous Billy Sunday. “Reverend Elmore saves car fare by using the radio instead of the lecture platform. Through his efforts, the Golden Rule is so commonly practiced that taxi drivers abide by it.” Assumingly, this reflected his father being a minister. Ulysses did not become a minister but was a trustee of the First Baptist Church for some years and had a brother, Austin who became a minister. In fact, his nephew, Rev. David E. Elmore officiated at his funeral. He married Katherine Wert who died at age 45 in 1950. They had three daughters, Phyllis, Mary and Janice. He married secondly Evelyn Conner who survived him. His senior year he was only involved in two clubs, the Athletic Association and Commercial Club but made a wow impression in athletics, particularly basketball his junior year when he was credited as coming off the bench toward the end of the game, popping in two shots and getting his teammates pepped up for a win over Martinsville in the state tourney. He had some bad luck, for sure, losing a finger off of each of his hands and a barn and many pigs in a fire. Tall and thin, he was noted in his WWII draft registration as being light complected, weighing just 140# and being 5’10” with brown hair and gray eyes. He was a farmer all his life, suffering a fatal heart attack while in his barn. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Cline was also married twice #1 to Josephine Merchant and the second wife was Lena Burchell. In high school, he played basketball a couple of years thus in the Athletic Association, plus glee club and chorus. As with Ulysses, he too was in the Commercial Club. Not sure if he liked to be on the water or what but he was prophesized to be a skipper of a large steamship line. However, in a maritime storm he ordered (which was then entered in sea annals): “Hoist the top sail, man the capstan, yank the spanker or I’ll spank your yanker!” Kind of silly but that’s why the old Prophecy sections in year books were fun. He and Eston had one sister Dessie. Cline became a Real Estate salesman for some time, then worked as a furniture salesman the rest of his life. Involved in the Masons, he was a member of Mace Methodist church and was sick with cancer for several months before passing November 4th in 1965. He lived in Muncie for much of his life. He was not much shorter than Ulysses being 5’9” on his WWII card, weighing 164#, with ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. Possibly, but I don’t believe he had children. He is buried in Oak Hill Grant Avenue (Masonic) as is his brother.

Dutch was prophesized as being a farmer and the Indiana Farmers held a large meeting in the new, enlarged Stock Pavilion at Crawfordsville. Among those present was Eston Elmore a successful farmer and stock raiser. Well Dutch didn’t go that route as far as I know as he worked as a linotype foreman at Donnelley’s for over 42 years, retiring in 1969. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, as well, also the Masons and Elks’ Lodges. Dutch married Dorothy Everson on August 28, 1927 and they had a large, happy 50th anniversary and were not long to wait for their 60th when he passed away. By far the shortest of the three Elmore boys of ’24 he was but 5’5”, weighed 126# and as his brother, had ruddy complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. It was fun to compare their father’s WWI draft card – it said medium build, medium height, blue eyes and brown hair. Definitely related there. Dutch also passed with cancer (colon) in the Emergency Room at Culver. Two sons (David and Tom) and Dorothy survived him. Hunt’s Funeral Home took care of Dutch and Ulysses.

Of course, being the history/genealogy nut I am, had to figure out how these three were relation. Okay, okay, the brothers were too easy but did they relate to Ulysses? The boys go to the famous Matthias Elmore (son of Jacob and Mary McKinsey Elmore) who fathered James Buchanan Elmore, the Bard of Alamo. I’m not sure from where in South Carolina Jacob hails but I’m guessing there is some relation since Ulysses’ great-great-grandfather, Abijah (wife Abigail Box) was born and raised in Laurens County, South Carolina. Guess I’ll have to spend more time checking farther. For now, though, hope you enjoyed the Elmore boys of ’24!

Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.

Source: Indianapolis News Fri 14 Dec 1962 p 18