| Home Surname List Name Index Sources | Twelfth Generation597. Comments from his son, Lawrence Arthur "Little Abe" Acree: "Why was pop called Abe? I was told by grandmom (Acree) and his sisters that Pop got the moniker 'Abe' because as a teen entrepreneur he would buy ripe produce cheap at the Light Street waterfront market. Then sell it out of his cart in the backstreets and alleys. These Baltimore street hawkers were called 'arabbers,' and so his buddies and siblings started calling him 'Arabber' and then 'Abe' for short; and when I was born, I was 'Little Abe'." (His obituary states that he was born in "Brooklyn," but the Census records for his parents in the early 1900's indicate that they lived in the Masonville community, which was adjacent to Brooklyn.) He appeared in the census in 1920 in Masonville Community, Anne Arundel County, MD.610 He appeared in the census in 1930 in South Baltimore, Baltimore County, MD.601 Abe had Social Security Number 212-07-5453.741,742 He on 5 July 1935 in Wagner's Point, Baltimore County, MD.741,743 He served as the Best Man at the marriage of John Joseph Serp and Katherine Kutcher. His name was listed on their marriage certificate as "Alvin Akers." His first wife, Ruth Cora Cayer, was the Maid of Honor. He appeared in the census in April 1940 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD.612 He and his oldest son, Lawrence, were living with his parents in their home at 1625 Cereal Street in Curtis Bay (25th Ward). He was listed as "Married," but his wife was not living in the household. She and their youngest son, Alvin III, were living with her brother because she and Abe were estranged. According to the Census, Abe had completed just one year of high school, his occupation was "Pipefitter, Shipyard," and his total wages in 1939 were $1,000. He registered for the Military Draft in 1940 in Baltimore (Independent City), MD. 744,745,746 His World War II Draft Card listed him as age 25, 6'3" tall, 205 pounds, with Brown eyes, Black hair and a Ruddy complexion. At the time, he was employed at the U.S. Coast Guard Depot in Curtis Bay. (Gary Griggs has a copy of his Registration Card.) Abe served in the military between 30 September 1942 and about December 1945.129,744,747,748 He was drafted into the military on 30 September 1942 and served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, with Service Number 547-550. According to the U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949, he had the following assignments: Based on the ship's record, he most likely was on board when LST-18 departed from Florida, passed through the Panama Canal, and served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater in New Guinea, Wake Island, and The Philippines. No further assignments after 12/31/43 are listed on the Navy Muster Rolls, and his date of separation from the Coast Guard is not known. However, he was listed as being in the Coast Guard when he applied for a marriage license o/a 18 May 1945 for his marriage to Margaret Yearsley. Ship's History: "The U.S.S. LST-18 was built in Pittsburgh by the Dravo Corporation and was sponsored by Miss Ruth Watt. The LST-18 was then floated down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from 19 to 25 April, 1943, arriving at New Orleans on the latter date. She entered commissioned service under the command of LT John Lence, USCG, on 26 April 1943. There were only 7 officers and 67 enlisted men in the original crew. After tests and maneuvers at St. Andrews, Florida, she returned to New Orleans on 14 May 1943 for post-shakedown availability. She was then assigned to LST Flotilla 7, Group 21, Division 41. On 1 June 1943, she got underway for the Canal Zone. Arriving at Coca Sola, Canal Zone, on 14 June 1943, CDR Clarence H. Peterson, USCG, with two officers and 13 enlisted men reported aboard for duty to the staff of Group 21, LST Flotilla 7 and the LST-18 was designated flagship for the group. Peterson was relieved on 12 March 1944 by CDR F. D. Higbee, USCG, who in turn yielded to CDR N. M. Nelson on 4 October 1944. She then proceeded to Milne Bay, New Guinea, arriving on 2 September 1944, for ten days of beaching operations and loading for the first trip in the forward areas. During the time that the ship was in the forward areas she participated in fourteen invasions, six of which were initial invasions. Initial Invasions: Finschaven: 22 September 1943; Cape Gloucester: 26 December 1943; Wake Island: 17 May 1944; Cape Sansapor: 30 July 1944; Leyte, Philippines: 20 October; and Cebu, Philippines: 26 March 1945. The LST-18 also participated in eight support landings: Lae: 21 September 1943; Manus Island: 30 March 1944; Tanah Meran, D.N.G.: 27 April 1944; Biak Island: 28 June 1944; Noemfoor Island: 4 July 1944; Morotai: 15 September 1944; Lingayen Gulf: 9 January 1945; and Palawan, Philippines: 1 March 1945. After the cessation of hostilities on 14 August 1945, the LST made one support landing at Brunei Bay, Borneo on 25 August 1945, and then completed her tour of duty by taking a load of occupation troops to Taku, China. In carrying out these invasions, LST-18 was under attack on eight different occasions by enemy planes, shore installations and torpedo. No casualties were suffered by the ship's crew, but one Army passenger was killed aboard, the result of an enemy strafing run. The ship carried approximately 19,000 tons of equipment in all these trips and about 16,000 Army and Navy personnel. She also evacuated 617 ambulatory cases and 179 stretcher cases from the various beachheads. There were three deaths aboard; one Army enlisted who had been brought on board for treatment; one Army passenger who died of wounds during an air attack (mentioned earlier); and one prisoner of war who was brought onboard for treatment. Up to the time of the ship's return to San Francisco on 16 Dec 1945, 291 enlisted men and 33 officers had served aboard at various intervals. Proceeding to Galveston, Texas, via the Canal Zone, she arrived on 1 February 1946 and was decommissioned at Houston, Texas, on 3 April 1946. The LST-18 earned four battle stars during her service in World War II.". He appeared in the census in April 1950 in Orchard Beach, Anne Arundel County, MD.733,749 His household was at 128 Greenland Beach Road in Orchard Beach. Living in his household were his wife Margaret (age 34) and their children, Jacqueline (3), Sharon (2), and Charles (2). His occupation was "Iron Work, U.S. Coast Guard." (He built the home where they lived.) Between 1952 and 1954 he was in Orchard Beach, Anne Arundel County, MD.749,750 He owned a building contractor business named "A. V. Acree and Son" and built homes in the Orchard Beach area in the 1950's. His oldest son, Lawrence, worked with him. He operated the business until he moved his second family to Florida in about 1954. Abe lived in Maryland about 1967.751 Between about 1982 and 1984 he was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.741,749 He and his construction crew helped build a concrete stadium at King Saud University. They had to be innoculated and pass background investigations to work there. His wife Susie lived there with him. He lived in Salisbury, Wicomico County, MD about 1995.752 His household was at 717 Madison Street. Abe died on 22 February 2000 at the age of 84 in Salisbury, Wicomico County, MD.189,737,739 Obituary Notes: "Funeral services will be held Friday for Alvin 'Abe' Acree, 84, who died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000, following a gallant and prolonged battle against cancer. Born June 3, 1915, in Brooklyn, Md., he was a son of the late Frances and Alvin V. Acree, Sr. and served in the Coast Guard during World War II. 'Abe' Acree survived some of the bloodiest campaigns in the South Pacific and obtained the rank of chief machinist mate-in-charge prior to his honorable discharge. Mr. Acree was a highly regarded supervisor who was employed by several of the most notable construction companies in the United States as well as several firms on the Delmarva Peninsula. Mr. Acree tackled projects as diversified as the extensive remodeling of Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. in Salisbury, to the building of a sports complex in the Saudi Arabian desert. Known to many people as simply 'Abe,' he was an accomplished sportsman who thoroughly enjoyed fishing, visiting racetracks and rooting for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. Memberships included athletic clubs and veterans organizations. Abe is survived by his wife of nearly 27 years, Susie Bozman Acree of Salisbury; four children; Lawrence Acree and his wife, Barbara, of Palm Bay, Fla.; Jackie Horst and her husband, Jon, of Baltimore; Sharon Acree of Tampa, Fla; Charles Acree and his wife, Marlene, of Westminster, Md.; two brothers. Glen Acree of Pasadena, Md., and Wilbur 'Pib' Acree and his wife, Rita, of Baltimore; a stepson, John Bozman and his wife, Donna, of Salisbury: three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Another son, Alvin V. Acree Jr., is deceased. The Rev. Buford 'Bo' Painter, pastor of St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, will conduct an 11 a.m. service at Holloway Funeral Home, 501 Snow Hill Road in Salisbury. Friends may visit one hour earlier. Interment will be in Wicomico Memorial Park on nearby Shumaker Road. Contributions in memory of Alvin 'Abe' Acree may be sent to St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 400 East Vine St., Salisbury, Md, 21804." According to his Death Certificate, Abe died of "lung and laryngeal cancer." Laryngeal cancer is cancer of the larynx, or voice box. Laryngeal cancer symptoms include voice changes, such as hoarseness, and a sore throat or cough that won’t go away. Treatment may include surgery to remove part or all of your larynx, called a laryngectomy. His son Lawrence said that, for the last eighteen months of his life, Abe had a voice box, an organ in the neck located at the top of the windpipe (trachea) that is crucial for breathing, producing sound, and protecting the airway. The trachea contains the vocal cords, which are folds of tissue that vibrate when air passes through them to create sound. He was buried on 25 February 2000 in Salisbury, Wicomico County, MD.753 in the Wicomico Memorial Park. He has Ancestral File Number KlTR-4W6. Abe has Ancestral File Number LTLX-P8Z. Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Ruth Cora CAYER741 were married on 2 November 1935 in Baltimore (Independent City), MD.165,741,748,754 According to their Marriage License, he was 22 years old and she was "19," although she was only 17 years, 4 months and 0 days old at the time. His occupation was listed as "Factory" and hers was "None." They were married by Rev. W. A. Melvin. Their oldest son, Lawrence, was born the following June, 1936. They165,741,748,754 were divorced before June 1944.741,755,756 Ruth re-married in June 1944, so she and Alvin had divorced before then. Alvin was on Coast Guard duty on 31 December 1943, so they must have divorced in early 1944 while he was at sea in the South Pacific. Her husband, Alvin Jr., and their oldest son, Lawrence, were living with her husband's parents because they were estranged. She appeared in the census in 1950 in Anne Arundel County, MD.733 She and her youngest son, Alvin III, were living with her second husband. Ruth lived at 304 Pleasantview Avenue in Pasadena, Anne Arundel County, MD about 1980.757 She died on 25 September 2004 at the age of 86 in Pasadena, Anne Arundel County, MD.189,731,756,758,759 Obituary Notes: "On September 25, 2004, Ruth Cora (nee Cayer); beloved wife of the late James L. Matt; devoted mother of Josephine Chesson and Jane Sins. Also survived by six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Friends may call at the McCully-Polyniak Funeral Home, 3204 Mountain Rd. (Pasadena) on Monday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral Service on Tuesday at 11 A.M. Interment in Glen Haven Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Hospice of the Chesapeake and the American Cancer Society." (Her obituary does not mention her two sons from her first marriage, to Alvin Acree.) She was buried on 28 September 2004 in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, MD.189,759 in the Glen Haven Memorial Park. Ruth has Ancestral File Number L585-N9V. Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Ruth Cora CAYER had the following children:
Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) was in a relationship .741 Abe Acree had a relationship with Katherine Mary (Kutcher) Serp while he was stationed with the Coast Guard in Curtis Bay in March 1943. He had served as the Best Man for Katherine's husband, John Serp, when John and Katherine were married in July 1935. Abe's relationship with Katherine resulted in the birth of their daughter, Barbara Sharon Lee Serp, on December 10, 1943. He maintained a fairly close relationship with Barbara for the first 7-8 years of her life, but she was raised by Katherine and John, and she never saw Abe after that time. Barbara's husband, Gary Griggs, has researched Abe's genealogical history extensively. In October 2025, Barbara and Gary visited Abe's oldest son, Lawrence, at his home in Leeds Township, Maine. It was the first time that Barbara had met Lawrence and they had a very enjoyable visit talking about their family history. Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Katherine Mary KUTCHER had the following children:
Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Margaret Eleanor YEARSLEY obtained a marriage license about 18 May 1945 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA.741,760 They741,760 were married on 21 May 1945 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA.748,761,762 (She was the 2nd wife of Alvin Acree, Jr.) They748,761,762 were divorced in May 1961 in Indian River County, FL.761,763 Family will receive friends at the McCully-Polyniak Funeral Home, 3204 Mountain Road, Pasadena, on Sunday from 1 to 3 P.M. and 5 to 9 P.M. Services will be held on Monday at the Jenkins Memorial Church at 10 A.M. Interment Glen Haven Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093." She died of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma while being cared for by the Stella Maris Hospice at Mercy Health Services. She was buried in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, MD.753 in the Glen Haven Memorial Park (Section A). Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Margaret Eleanor YEARSLEY had the following children:
Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Elsie Marie ARENDAS obtained a marriage license on 25 July 1962 in Vero Beach, Indian River County, FL.741,771 They741,771 were married after 25 July 1962 in Indian River County, FL.748,772,773 (She was the 3rd wife of Alvin Acree, Jr.) They748,772,773 were divorced in February 1966 in Indian River County, FL.741,774 She was a former Head Teller at Indian River Citrus Bank, and the bookkeeper at Green's Gas and Buss Appliances before retiring. Surviving are her two daughters, Jackie (Joel) Tillman of Vero Beach and Dr. Deborah Fuschetti of Sebring, FL; a granddaughter, Trinity Hundredmark of Vero Beach; five nieces and four nephews. The family will receive friends 6-9 p.m. Thursday at Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach. A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Fort Pierce, FL." She was buried in Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, FL.129,780 in the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Alvin Vernon "Abe" ACREE Jr. (^^) and Susan Jane "Susie" MOORE were married about 1974.129,602,748 (She was the 4th wife of Alvin Acree, Jr.) His obituary stated that they had been married nearly 27 years at the time of his death in February 2000. They married some time after the death of her first husband in July 1973. Obituary Notes: "Susan “Susie” Bozman Acree, 91, of Salisbury died at the Wicomico Nursing Home in Salisbury on Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, following a short illness. She had been a resident at the nursing home and rehabilitation center since March 25. Mrs. Acree, better known to some in this area as Mrs. Bozman, was born Susan Jane Moore in East New Market, Md., in Dorchester County on April 24, 1919, the youngest daughter of the late Lucy Cooper Moore and Isaac 'Capt. Ike' Moore of Salisbury. She is survived by an only child, her son, John Gary Bozman, and his wife, Donna O’Grady Bozman, both of Salisbury; several adult stepchildren; and dozens of adult nieces and nephews in who live in New York, New Jersey, Arizona and California. As Susie Bozman, she was a supervisor in the traffic department of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. of Maryland for 25 years, retiring in May 1974. She was a member of the Maryland branch of the Telephone Pioneers of America and St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Salisbury. She loved gardening and yard work. Mrs. Acree was preceded in death by two older sisters, Edna Guy Hunt of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Lucille Howard of Baltimore; two older brothers, William 'Bill' Moore of New York City, and Robert Moore of the Eastern Shore of Virginia; and, a younger brother, Isaac 'Ike' Dickerson Moore Jr. of Cabazon, Calif. Her first husband, William Russell Bozman, died in July 1973; and her second husband, Alvin V. 'Abe' Acree, died in February 2000. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 3:00 pm at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury where friends may call one hour prior to the service. The Rev. Sally Dolch, pastor of Salem United Methodist Church and Bethany United Methodist Church, both in Pocomoke City, and the Rev. Andrew M. Frick, pastor of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Salisbury, will officiate. Susie will be cremated following the services on Wednesday. Contributions in memory of Mrs. Acree may be made to the Wicomico County Humane Society Inc., 5130 Citation Drive, Salisbury, Md. 21804, or St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 400 East Vine Street, Salisbury, MD 21804." |