Charles Dedlow Jr.
World War I
Charles J. Dedlow was one of those puzzling veterans to research, as there are several inconsistencies in the information I found for him.
He was born in Pierce County (his marriage license says Randolph, but his WWII registration says Plainview) to Charles Sr. and Bridget (aka Bertha) Dedlow on Aug. 21, 1897 (although the military master index says Aug. 22). His father was a farmer, and Charles Sr.’s obituary says that he also held the office of county commissioner for Pierce County for several years.
Charles Jr. was the 11th child of 14 born to the couple, although several died young – a sister, Emma, died in 1883 at less than one year old, and a brother, Louis, died at age 4 in 1894, both before Charles was born.
Two sisters died within the same year: Anastasia or Stasia, age 15, died of what was called brain fever (meningitis or encephalitis) in March 1900, and Minnie, age 13, died of heart trouble in November 1900. The two sisters were buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery at Osmond.
He also had three other sisters who died relatively young, Gertrude at age 24, Mary at age 39 and Agnes at age 43. So many tragedies in this family. I found it curious that he was the fourth son, but he was the one named Charles Jr.
Charles was enlisted in the U.S. Army on Jan. 24, 1918, and in August of that year, he was on a transport ship, the Leviathan, leaving Hoboken, NJ, for France. He was a private in Company H, 55th Infantry.
The information I found on the 55th Infantry is as follows: The division of which this regiment formed a part was engaged on the outer defenses of Metz, and about to make another attack when the Armistice was signed. This regiment first entered the lines in the vicinity of Pon-à-Mousson, the arms of which bear a bridge of three arches flanked by two towers; the center arch is broken to symbolize the partial destruction of the bridge at the time the regiment was there. Metz remained German until the end of WWI, when it reverted to France.
I then found Charles on a transport ship returning from France on Jan.
21, 1919. He was discharged Feb. 10, 1919, although at that time he was listed with the 103rd Infantry. Charles’s name was in the Hastings Tribune Roll of Honor in February of 1919, under those returning soldiers who were “wounded slightly.”
I couldn't find him in the 1920 census to see where he went after the war, but I can assume that he came back to this area at least for a short period of time. I then found a marriage record for Charles and Mary “Fay” Jefferson on Nov. 29, 1922, in Woodbury County, IA.
The 1930 census shows Charles and Fay and their 6-year-old daughter Donna living in Sioux City, where he was working as a barber. I found another inconsistency here though, because in the 1910 census, his mother’s birth place is Wisconsin, but in this one, her birth place is Ireland! (Find a Grave says Wisconsin.)
The 1940 census still shows Charles and Fay and their daughter living in Sioux City, but at the time of his death on March 13, 1976, they are living in Los Angeles, CA. In the application for his headstone, there is another inconsistency. It says he is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in L.A., but according to Find a Grave, he is buried in the Osmond City Cemetery. I decided to make the trip out to the cemetery to see for myself, and sure enough, Charles and Fay are buried there.
Stasia and Minnie, as I said before, are buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, while two other babies, Emma and Louis, are buried at St. Ludger’s in Creighton.
I’m not sure why they were buried there, but there are other Dedlow relatives buried there as well as in Plainview cemeteries.
There were many puzzles to work out while researching Charles Dedlow’s life, but as one of the American Legion Post 326 veterans, he deserves to be honored. He is buried at the city cemetery, ¾ of the way up the hill on the right side of the main drive, and a few headstones in.
