Dr. Emmett E. & Eva Blanche Uhl Newcomer

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The following information was submitted to Richard Dils, in honor of his family!

Here is some additional info on my Great Aunt & Uncle Eva Blanche Uhl and Dr. Emmett E. Newcomer. My original mailing to you is still at the bottom of this message for your reference. Unfortunately, I don’t have too much but here is a set of notes from the family tree I am working on. Feel free to use as much of this as will fit within the framework of what you are doing. Again, thank you very much for your efforts.

Eva Blanche Uhl Newcomer was born in Wood County, West Virginia, November 18, 1882. She was a graduate of Mountain State Business College in Parkersburg, West Virginia. In her early career she worked for Senator Lilley (Lilly?) of West Virginia.

When presidential candidate Warren G. Harding made his campaign stop in West Virginia, he was introduced to Eva by the senator. Apparently Harding was impressed. He asked her to join his campaign, to which she allegedly replied “Does it pay well?”. Apparently it paid well enough because she became part of his successful presidential campaign and wound up as his confidential secretary in the White House when he took office.

At this point history took a cruel turn. While Harding and his staff, including Eva were on a world tour by steamship, the president became ill and died. His presidency was also wracked by a scandal called “Teapot Dome”. Eva, being a true confidential secretary, even after his death, would never talk much about that incident except to say that many of the things which were alleged to have taken place in the Oval Office just didn’t happen. “I was there within 50 feet of the president all the time” she said. “Those people would have had to get by me in order to get in. If it had happened, I would have known about it”

She spent the latter part of her career as secretary to U. S. Senators Howard Sutherland and Davis Elkins, then worked in the Commerce Department.

She was married to Dr. Emmett E. Newcomer, a doctor in the Medical Corps during WWI. The fates were not kind to “Doc” Newcomer. He died in 1926 from blood poisoning caused by a blister on his foot. Pennicillin had not yet been discovered.

After her retirement, she remained in Washington, DC. During the summers, her nephew A. W. “Cub” Dils and his son “Dickie” would take the overnight train to Washington to bring “Aunt Eva” back to Parkersburg for the summer. “Dickie” thought that was great since he got to ride the trains and sleep in the pullman cars. To his Dad, who worked for the B & O Railroad, the trip over was just another busman’s holiday. They all enjoyed the trip back however since Aunt Eva had a 1941 red Buick convertible.

During her final years she moved to Parkersburg and lived in a corner suite at the Chancellor Hotel where she enjoyed visits from her grand niece and nephew. She died in 1971 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with her husband.

Note: Emmett E. Newcomer was interred on 29 November 1933 in Section 18, Grave 5318. Eva Blanche Uhl Newcomer was interred with her husband on 8 September 1971.

NEWCOMER, EMMET E

  • PVT 14TH 4TH BN 153RD DEPOT BRIGADE USA
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 11/25/1933
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 11/29/1933
  • BURIED AT: SECTION WWW  SITE 5318
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

NEWCOMER, EVA U WIDOW OF EMMET E

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 11/18/1882
  • DATE OF DEATH: 09/04/1971
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/08/1971
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 18  SITE 5318
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF EE NEWCOMER – PVT 11TH CO, 4TH BN 153RD DEPOT BRIG, USA

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