Milford News
Everett Titterington left Thursday morning for Des Moines to enlist in the Navy. He will go from there to the naval training station at the Great Lakes.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, December 14, 1939, Page 13
Our Men and Women in Uniform
Everett Titterington, the oldest son of Mrs. Pearl Titterington, writes he is in San Pedro, Calif., assigned to the U. S. S. Okalahoma and will embark for Honolulu on April 15th.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, April 04, 1940, Page 1
EVERETT TITTERINGTON, MILFORD
MISSING IN ACTION, NAVY REPORTS
OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION
RECEIVED BY FAMILY MONDAY
Everett Titterington, son of Mrs. Pearl Titterington, Milford, is the first Milford young man to give his life for his country in the recently declared war with Japan.
Monday evening Mr. Titterington received a message from the United States Navy Department, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D. C., stating that her son, Everett first class fireman, was reported missing following action in the performance of his duty.
The message came as a shock to relatives and friends, as it had been hoped that Everett had been rescued by ships leaving Pearl Harbor. It is presumed he lost his life while engaging in combat with the Japanese forces, who, without warning, attempted to bomb and torpedo the American fleet and personnel out of existence in the Pacific ocean on December 7.
No further details have been received. As government censorship is very strict, it is unlikely that a detailed account of what happened will be known for some time.
Everett enlisted in the United States Navy on Dec. 15, 1939. He was 21 years of age on August 25 of this year. He received his preliminary training at the naval training station at Great Lakes, following which he was assigned to a ship. He was home on furlough in February, 1940, before his assignment to a ship.
Before enlisting, Everett was a member of the CCC camp at Bancroft for about two years.
Mrs. Titterington has two other sons in the service. Robert is stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu Island, and Lyle at Camp Polk, La. She also has two daughters, Dorothy of LeMars and Mildred, now Mrs. Ralph Watson of Sioux City.
This mother with three boys in the service has certainly contributed much to the welfare of her country. Mr. Titterington died suddenly following an accident about fifteen years ago when the oldest child was seven years of age, and Mrs. Titterington has raised this family of five children. She can well be proud of a son who has exemplified, the quotation, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
While the message of Monday evening brought with it heartbreaks and tears of sorrow, it is and will be a glorious sacrifice Everett has made. Valiantly he gave his life for his country, that everything we hold dear in America, our lives, our freedom, our opportunities, our right to live according to our consciences, and our democratic way of life, may never be denied to or forcibly taken away from the American people.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, December 25, 1941, Page 1
Appeals to County Red Cross
For Information Regarding Son
Mrs. Pearl Titterington of Okoboji, whose son, Everett Titterington, was reported “missing in action” after the Pearl Harbor bombing on December 7, has appealed to the Home Service Department of the Dickinson County Red Cross to insist in getting information regarding the youth. The local department has written the national Red Cross headquarters for their services in learning the whereabouts of the youth.
Everett, who is with the U. S. Navy, was stationed on the U. S. S. Oklahoma which was reported sunk on December 7, and no word has been received from him since before that time. Another son, Robert, also in the navy, is reported at Hawaii, but he has been heard from since the war started.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, January 08, 1942, Page 1
Weekly News From Milford Locality
The past week one of the most outstanding window displays in the H. E. Jacobs corner window has been of the most high interest to everyone in the community. There has been placed there 60 pictures of men in the service of Uncle Sam. Almost every home in Milford with men in services is represented. Two gold stars are put on the pictures of Lieut. Maurice Miller and Everett Titterington. There are three members of two families in the display, they are: Kenneth, Warren and Narvan Miller and Everett, Robert and Lyle Titterington. Two brothers from the same families are: Ensign J. E. and William Shelledy, Lieut. Maurcie and Walter Miller, Dale and Dick Aldred.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, March 05, 1942, Page 7
Memorial Services Held at Milford
For Everett Titterington
MILFORD – The American Legion and Auxiliary sponsored a memorial service Sunday at 2 o’clock for Everett Titterington, who was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7.
The services were held in the public school auditorium and members of the American Legion and Auxiliary gathered at the town hall before the services and marched in a boy to the school. All Legion and Auxiliary members throughout the county represented various posts and units.
Rev. J. C. Korthal was speaker on the occasion with Roland Hegg, Larry Jensen, Mrs. l. B. Moreland, Mrs. Dwight Hemphill, Mrs. W. G. Anderson, Dr. J. E. Shelledy and Dale Peterson singing “In The Garden” and “Let The Lower Lights Be Burning.” Dr. H. J Koolker also spoke in behalf of the Legion.
The following obituary was read:
Everett Cecil Titterington, oldest son of the late Everett and Mrs. Maud Pearl Titterington, was born at Terril, Iowa, August 5, 1921. With the exception of two years in Michigan and two years in the navy, Everett had lived his entire life in and around Milford. He attended the Milford schools which he left when 16 years of age and entered the Milford CCC camp. He was later transferred to the camp at Bancroft, Iowa. During the 27 months spent in camps, he was a willing worker and he tirelessly gave his whole effort in helping maintain a home for his four younger brothers and sisters.
On December 9, 1939, Everett enlisted in the United States navy. He received his three months basic training at the United States Navy Training Station at Great Lakes, Ill. He was home on a short furlough in February, 1940.
His one great desire was that his brother, Robert, who is also in the navy, might reach the Hawaiian Islands to that they could be together. Although Robert’s ship sailed past his brother’s on November 2, 1941, he did not have the opportunity to see him before the disastrous raid on December 7, 1941.
Word was received here December 20, 1941, that Everett was missing but hope was held that he may have been on one of the outgoing boats. His mother, next of kin, received official word February 1, 1942, that he had been pronounced lost [aboard the USS Oklahoma] as of December 7, 1941. Everett was of a sunny disposition and was well liked by both young and old alike.
He is survived by his mother, two sisters and two brothers, namely, Mildred, now Mrs. Ralph Watson, of Omaha, Nebr., Dorothy of Milford, Pvt. Lyle H., Co. I A. F. F. F., Ft. Knox, Ky., and Robert B., U. S. Navy, Oahu Island, Hawaii, also a grandmother, Mrs. m. H. Titterington, Pomona, Calif., and a grandfather, J. H. Griffin of Milford, also one niece, Sharon Lea Watson, and a host of relatives and friends.
Sources: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, March 12, 1942, Page 1 and The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, March 19, 1942, Page 6
Iowa’s Honor Roll
Here are more Iowans who have been killed in action. The final line beneath each picture gives the geographical location in which the man was serving. Additional Honor Roll pictures will be carried on future Sundays.
Source: The Des Moines Register, Sunday, December 19, 1943 (photo included)
Everett Titterington Is Awarded
The Purple Heart Posthumously
According to a letter received this week by The Milfrod Mail from Mrs. Pearl Titterington of Wilmington, Calif., she had received a Purple Heart medal from the government, a posthumous award to her son, Everett C. Titterington, P 1-c, who was killed at Pearl Harbor in the attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
Everett was the first of the local youths to be killed in action. He enlisted in the U. S. Navy Dec. 9, 1939, and took his training at the Great Lake Naval Training school. In April, 1940, he was assigned to the U. S. S. Oklahoma, on which he was serving when the Japanese made the infamous attack on the Hawaiian harbor. That ship, it was reported by the Navy last week, has now been re-floated and will soon be returned to service.
At present, the youth has two brothers and two brothers-in-law, serving in the armed forces in his stead. They are Lyle Titterington, who is at the General hospital in Los Angeles; Robert Titterington, AMM 1-c, on duty in the Pacific; Ralph Watson who is at the naval air depot in San Bernardino, Calif., and Lt. Geln Walden, now in officers’ training at Arlington, Mass.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, February 17, 1944, Page 1
Milford Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
To Be Instituted Dec. 14
The Everett C. Titterington Post No. 5139, Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be instituted at the town hall in Milford this Friday night, Dec. 14, at 8 p. m. Department Surgeon F. m. Minnich of Pocahontas will be the instituting officer and will be assisted by Deputy Chiefs of Staff, H. S. Montgomery of Algona and G. R. Lee of Spirit Lake. The degree team of Post 3159 Spencer, will put on the degree work.
At a meeting held in the town hall Dec. 1, the following temporary officers were elected: Commander Glen Hemphill; Senior Vice-Commander, Chester Sheley; Junior Vice-Commander, Lawrence Jensen; Chaplain, Harlan Miller; Quartermaster, Norman Gross; Post Advocate, M. Donahoe; Post Surgeron, Dwight Hemphill; and Trustees, Archie Barriage, Clarence Reiman and James Trebbien. The other officers will be appointed and announced after the institution.
Although the names of any veterans joining the post within 90 days after the institution will appear on the charter, all eligible veterans are urged to join now and take part in the institution. For further information, contact any of the above officers.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, December 13, 1945, Page 1
