The Family of George Blair
and Anna Smith Love

George Blair (1879-1976) = Anna Smith Love (1886-1970)
married: November 23, 1904 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Russ (1906-1996)
married Feb 8, 1930
Solveig Herschel (1910-2001)
Russ Jr. (1932-2018)
Robert (1935-2017)
.
.
Robert (1916-1978)
married Dec 10, 1947
Rita Connelly (1917-2005)
Robert Jr.
Russ
Jeff
Greg

Bob, Ann, Russ Jr, Emma Lou

Dotty, Laura, and Solveig

Florida 1999.
Two grandsons and a great granddaughter.


Russ, Greg, Yoko, Jeff, Bob
Deni, Angie,Yoko, Peg, Matt

Makoto, Jessie, Rita, Nagisa
David, Luke, and Barcie

Honolulu 1998.
Four more grandsons and 7 great grandchildren.

(more Blair Descendants)



From the beginning ...

Philadelphia (n.d.).
George Blair and Anna Love (top left corner).

        George enlisted in the 3rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B on his 19th birthday May 10, 1898. He was waiting in Florida to be shipped to Cuba and became sick (diarhea?). The Spanish-American War ended after only six weeks, however, so he returned to civilian life in Philadelphia.

Anna Smith Love (c. 1903).
Original photo and porcelain painting (1947).

        Anna Love worked as a secretary (amanuensis) at a laundry before she met George.



Mexico 1916.
Chasing Pancho Villa across the border.

        Major George Blair (fourth from the left ) joined General Pershing and the 8th Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas in the hunt for Francisco ''Pancho'' Villa and his Mexican revolutionaries after they crossed the border and attacked Columbus, New Mexico. In this photo some (American) officers of the Mexican Expedition are posing in front of a shack.
        He was stationed at Cloudcroft, New Mexico in September 1916.



Soldier's Family 1917.
Anna Love Blair, Bob (9 mo.), and Russ (11)
wait out the Great War (W.W. I) at home.

        On July 28th Major George Blair and his family pose in front of a tent (theirs? or were they just visiting?) at Camp Cresswell, Pa. The major and his troops were preparing to join the American forces in Europe and help ''make the world safe for democracy''.




World War I 1918.
Crossing the Rhine at Coblenz
with the Advanced Guard of the 3rd Army.

        George Blair served with the First Pioneer Infantry, 3rd Battalion in September 1918; the 3rd Army Advanced Guard on December 14, 1918 (photo above); and 2nd Division Headquarters in February 1919.
        Created on November 7, 1918 the Third Army was ordered to occupy central Germany. The march began ten days later and ended December 15. On December 14th Major George Blair (middle horseman) and Lt. J.T. Taylor (horseman on right) led the first contingent of American troops into Germany. They crossed the pontoon bridge at Coblenz. The Third Army remained there until disbanded July 2, 1919.

        During World War II Colonel George Blair was called out of retirement to commanded an army post in Wyoming. He retired in the Philadelphia area, residing at 1109 Morgan Ave., Drexel Hill and at 63rd & Walnut, Philadelphia.


George and Anna's Two Sons

Russ Blair [1906-1996]

Russ as a West Point cadet
He graduated in 1928 as a First Sgt. and President of the Chess Club.

After graduation
In the army, at Culver, and in retirement.

        In the summer of 1928 he worked as a counselor at a summer camp for girls in order to earn enough money to buy his uniforms. It was there that he met Solveig "Sunny" Herschel [b.-d.]. They were married in February 1930 and set up house at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. They moved to Panama, Fort Benning, Miller Field in Staten Island, Schofield Barracks, Fort Howard (Maryland), Arlington (Virginia), Spartanburg (So. Carolina), Costa Rica, Germany, and returned to the States. He disliked his duty as Inspector General and decided to retire in 1950.
        He then earned a Ph.D. in Russian language and literature from the University of Pennsylvania. From 1958 until 1970 he taught Russian and Spanish at Culver Military Academy (center). Upon his second retirement he and Sunny moved to Alajic, Mexico (near Guadalahara). They returned to the United States in 1982, living first in San Antonio, Texas and later Winter Park, Florida (right). He and Sunny are buried in Arlington National Cemetary, just two graves away from his parents.

Robert Morris Blair [1916-1978]

Philadelphia? (c. 1917 and 1920)
Robert Blair as a small child

        As an "army brat" Robert and his family often moved.

Nov 1916 to ?
? to Oct 1920
Oct 1920 to Sep 1923
Sep 1923 to Aug 1925
Aug 1925 to July 1926
2927 Columbia Ave.
5542 Broomall Ave.
Camp Gaillard
Harvard Street School
5542 Broomall Ave.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Panama Canal Zone
Laconia, New Hampshire
Philadelphia



Fort Bennington, Ga.? (c. 1926).
Robert Blair in the front row (second from left).

        The family continued moving.

during 1926
July 1926 to July 1927
July 1927 to July 1928
1029 Valencia Ave.
Winton Hts. School
5531 Broomall Ave.
Coral Gables, Florida
Columbus, Georgia
Philadelphia



In the 1930s
as a young man

        Helping clean up after a big hurricane in Tampa City, Florida (n.d.). In his ROTC uniform. And on horseback.

July 1928 to June 1935
June 1935 to June 1936
611 Grant Ave.
Wayne Ave.
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania

As an underclassman
With his company(s) in 1936, 1940, and 1941.

"Mike" as a cadet Sgt
He graduated with the Class of 1942.



In 1942 and 1963
Robert Blair as a soldier.

        Text.

Last updated September 2021
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