Dudley Wheeler Stewart

Dudley Wheeler Stewart [II], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

 Born on November 11, World War I veteran.

Great uncle Dudley (my great uncle, only brother to my maternal grandfather, Evans STEWART), was born on November 11, as you can see here by the lettering on the back of the Denison monument in Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT.

He lies buried next to my grandfather, with a matching headstone to my grandparents. He has a flag marker for WWI vets and it says, Rhode Island.

Dudley was named for his grandfather of the same name. They are buried within sight of this gravestone. 


But, where is his wife? I have found a tree at Ancestry.com that contains her father and mother's name. 


Dudley is listed on the Family group sheet with his brother and parents created by Dorothy Kellogg STEWART who was keeping her husband's genealogy records which are now stored at the North Stonington Historical Society. My friend, Gladys Chase, of North Stonington has been a huge help with my research there.


Dudley is listed on that sheet as the "singing cop" and I can find no record of his occupation listed as such. His draft cards list him as a truck driver and later as working for his father at Victor Cleansing Co./Westerly Laundry. He lives on both sides of the border between CT and RI.


His draft card amazes me. He is listed as TALL. Nobody in my family is tall! He has black hair, brown eyes and is medium build. This means he looked nothing like my grandfather. My father said he was exposed to mustard gas during WWI and suffered with lung trouble for the rest of his life. I can see no evidence of children from this marriage. I have no photographs of him. His WWII draft card lists him as 5' 11'' and 350 lbs and is still living with his wife.


Dudley died on 10 Feb 1943, probably in RI or nearby CT. I think this is the first person I will have to find in the 1940 census.


Rest in peace, Dudley, I am still working on your life. Thank you for your service and for your birthday today. I woke up thinking about you even though you died before I was born.