| Frank K. Ward, 1940-1952 Rock Island Lighthouse Keepers Frank K. Ward, 1940-1952 Written by and David Ward Frank K. Ward, born in 21 March 1909, was a son of George Ward who was a career lighthouse keeper. George's father, James Ward was a keeper also, as was George's father-in-law . George served as keeper at Detroit River Light, Crossover Light, Horse Island Light and Keeper at Oswego Harbor Light. Besides Frank were his two brothers, Edwin and Oswald who also became keepers. Edwin was a career lighthouse keeper stationed at Tibbits Point Light and at Sodus Point Lights, both on Lake Ontario. Oswald served at stations at Buffalo and Rochester, NY. These men, as well as thousands of others, were dedicated to the U.S. Lighthouse Service, which existed until 1940. U.S.L.H.S. servicemen served on both coasts and all the navigable rivers in the country. There also were floating light houses, called lightships, anchored on the ocean in locations where land based lights were not effective. At least one, in the mid 1930's, anchored off the mid-Atlantic coast, was lost with all hands during a bad storm. In 1939 with an act of Congress, the U.S. Coast Guard took over the Lighthouse Service. Frank, like all the active Keepers, was given the option to enlist in the Coast Guard or become civilian employees of the Coast Guard. Frank took the enlistment option in 1940. In the spring of 1940, just before the Coast Guard replaced th...
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