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Stanley was described on his service records as 5'9", brown hair and blue eyes, and excellent character. In later years, he lost nearly all of the brown hair, retaining only a slight fringe around the back and sides of his shiny pate. Residences & events: Charleston, Coles Co, IL. Mattoon, Coles Co, IL. 8/6/1917 He enlisted as Pvt in the US Army at Jefferson Bks, Mo. He saw action in France during WWI and was discharged on 9/23/1919. 1938 At the time he and Ella married, his occupation was steam jenny operator, providing steam power for railroad construction crews. Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL, where Ella worked at the shoe company. Decatur, Macon Co, IL, where he and Ella owned several rental houses during their semi-retirement years. Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. Mattoon, IL. Completing a full circle, they moved back home to be nearer the family in their old age. Niece, Dorisgene Van Gundy Webb, expressed the following sentiment: "Aunt Ella and Uncle Stanley were special. We spent many a week-end playing canasta. Aunt Ella was always wanting to help....either re-covering a chair or sitting with the kids!" On a personal note, I never knew Aunt Ella and Uncle Stanley until they had retired, but did form a close association with both of them, perhaps a little closer with Stanley. My impression of him was a congenial old gentleman. He was a man of few words but had a kind heart and a sense of humor. In his old age he wore his hat cocked at the same angle as when he was a frisky young man, according to photos of him in both stages of life. When we moved to Decatur, he was retired, except for the rental houses, and proved to be extremely helpful in getting our house in order, getting the utilities turned on without a deposit, etc. Any time he and Ella went shopping, they would call to see if I needed anything or wanted to go with them. I often went because they were such fun to be with, never in a hurry, never impatient. Often Stanley appeared on our door step with instructions from Ella to retrieve us for supper or Sunday dinner at their house. One event always comes to our minds (Dale's and mine) whenever this particular "favorite" uncle's name is mentioned: While we lived in the country, Uncle Stanley, being a resident of the high rise, needed a spot to plant comfrey, which he made into tea, claiming it as a cure-all for everything that ailed the human body. We offered him a flower bed size area in our back yard and he would come out every few days to tend his garden. One day when he finished it was nearly supper time and I invited him to stay, he accepted readily. As usually happens in the middle of summer when gardens flourish, the produce is shared among the family as well as the fishermen's excesses. Literally everything on the menu that evening had been given to us. During the meal we mentioned the ones who had provided each dish and how much we appreciated their passing their bountiful harvest on to us, allowing this "free meal." When Stanley left, he thanked us for supper with Dale's response being, "Come out anytime you want another free meal!" A few days later, we received an envelope containing $5 in the mail with a note from Uncle Stanley that he always paid his own way and did not need freebies from anyone. Needless to say, we returned his money immediately and discovered he had asked Grandma Van Gundy for advice on how to handle the situation of being invited to dinner, then told to come back whenever he wanted a free meal, with her response being exactly as Stanley had done. Had she known who had made the remark, she would have told Stanley to ignore it and enjoy as many free meals as he could get. From that time on we weighed our words better before speaking to the older generation. |
| This was Stanley's second marriage, having children by his first wife. |
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He had been a resident of the Masonic Home in Sullivan for some time prior to his death. In his will he left his entire estate to his wife but in the event she predeceased him, then it was to be divided equally among his 2 children and Ella's siblings. |