William Lewis Westmoreland (1893 - 1953)

Born 22 Oct 1893 in Demorest, Habersham, Georgia, USA

Ancestors

Died 9 Dec 1953 at age 60 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert Foster [send private message]

Biography

William Lewis Westmoreland was born on October 22nd, 1893 near Demorest, Habersham County, Georgia. He was the youngest child of Philip Westmoreland and Prudence Dodd. William's father died when he was 10 years old and his mother died when he was 12. He went to live with his aunt and uncle, Sarah and John Mills for four years, then with his sister and brother in-law, Lula and Arthur Mote. When of age to be on his own he moved to Virginia where he worked at the Dupont factory.

He spent 12 months in the U.S. Army during World War I, and was deployed to France in Company A, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division, AEF. In one battle he was hit by machinegun fire in the right arm and nearly bled to death.

After the war he moved to Chicago to be near his sister Leila. He became a car mechanic and later opened his own shop. He married a sweet Italian girl named Mary "Mae" Citera. He hosted the visits of many Westmoreland relatives from Georgia who came to visit the big windy city, took care of a sick nephew from Georgia, and went back to visit family in Georgia twice. He fondly recalled the stories his Grandpa Lewis Griffith Westmoreland told him as a child.

He suddenly became ill at work on Tuesday, Dec 8th, 1953, was taken to the hospital, and died the next morning at 6am.

The stories of his kindness to family members are still remembered and retold to this day.

Biography written by Robert T. Foster

Sources

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M3JS-ZCK : accessed 28 January 2018), Lewis Westmorland in household of Westmorland, Militia District 752, Center Hill Mount Airy town, Habersham, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 66, sheet 3A, family 44, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,202.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/ML2H-H5V : accessed 28 January 2018), Louis Westmoreland in household of Arthur Mote, Demorest, Habersham, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 76, sheet 6B, family 34, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 195; FHL microfilm 1,374,208.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ77-BK9 : accessed 28 January 2018), Louis Westmoreland in household of Jack Blank, Chicago Ward 28, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States; citing ED 1740, sheet 5B, line 60, family 125, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 344; FHL microfilm 1,820,344.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XSP4-H58 : accessed 28 January 2018), William H Westmoreland, Chicago (Districts 1001-1250), Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1242, sheet 10A, line 15, family 191, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 469; FHL microfilm 2,340,204.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KW1R-C2V : accessed 28 January 2018), William Westmoreland, Ward 36, Chicago, Chicago City, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103-2255, sheet 4A, line 33, family 77, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 994.

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K6Z4-FSS : 12 December 2014), William Lewis Westmoreland, 1917-1918; citing Prince George County, Virginia, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,985,049.

• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V1KV-6D5 : 7 April 2016), William Lewis Westmoreland, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q23W-M64X : 20 May 2016), William Westmoreland, 09 Dec 1953; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm.

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QK12-CDJX : 15 December 2015), William Lewis Westmoreland, 1953; Burial, Hillside, Cook, Illinois, United States of America, Mount Carmel Cemetery; citing record ID 146859171, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 January 2018), memorial page for William Lewis Westmoreland (22 Oct 1893–9 Dec 1953), Find A Grave Memorial no. 146859171, citing Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Cook County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Robert Foster (contributor 48481223).