Photo by CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary The Turbotville Community Hall was erected in 1922 in honor of local WWI veterans. Currently, a committee plans to mark the building’s Centennial in June. Daniel Bower, standing at the hall’s entrance, is a great-great nephew of WWI veterans Paul and Russell Fryer. Bower is a curator at the Carlisle War College, Carlisle, PA.

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the armistice was signed and the world sighed in relief, the Great War, the war “to make the world safe for democracy,” was finally over. The doughboys returned to the families, farms, and jobs they had left a few years earlier. Life could return to normal.

The Turbotville community shared a strong sense of appreciation for those men who went to fight and wanted to honor their service to our country. And so, a committee was formed, funds raised, and in 1922, the Turbotville Community Hall was built. It became the center of the greater-Turbotville area, a gathering place for community dinners, plays, and movie-nights, and later, high school graduations.

Save the date

One hundred years have passed and once more, a committee has formed to celebrate the “100th birthday” of the Turbotville Community Hall. The event will be held June 6-11, 2022, in conjunction with the borough’s annual carnival. The hall will be open each evening hosting displays of authentic World War I artifacts and memorabilia.

Also, visitors will be able to preview biographies of local men who served. The committee is looking for information on those WWI veterans listed below. To share, please contact John Marr at 570-4372876 or johncsmarr@aol.com.

Veterans include; Lester Boyer, John Billhime, John Bush, W. Wilbur Bieber, Francis Caldwell, Paul Dewald, Ralph Doebler, Randall Ellis, Russell Fryer, Paul Fryer, Chester Garnhart, William Gold, Paul Grittner, Harry Grittner, Ralph Harlan, Jothan Herr, Allen Hartman, Dr. Charles Heacock, Thurman Krumm, Lester Laidacker, Ralph Lyons, Dr. G. W. Muffly, Earl Mohr, J. Alvin Moser, Raymond Miller, John Reynolds, Edward Reynolds, Bryan Shade, W.E. Sallada, Allen Schraeder, Lester Stalnacker, Warren Stalnaker, Hunter Watts.

Also, Lester W. Bensemer, Charles Bowman, Henry A. Bush, Cloyd Claudefelter, Charles Cromis, Allen S. Dean, John F. Foust, Thomas Hartman, Lloyd T. Holcomb, Rancy Houghton, Walter A. Litchard, Lloyd L. Lose, Leroy A. Moser, Servalush H. Moser, Wallace W. Ortman, Oliver Perry, Walt Siebert, Otto M. Traub, Robert L. Traub, Franklin D. Vennell, and Daniel Weller.