George Washington Dudney (1948)

LAKE, TRIMBLE, OLBERT, SCHWALIE, CRAIG, ATKINS, LARSON

Posted By: Jan Rambow (email)
Date: 8/27/2006 at 21:42:14

St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, 5 February 1948

One of the townsite's colorful characters, George W. Dudney, passed away Jan. 28 at his home on West Elm street. He was the victim of a heart seizure.

Before moving to St. Marys about a quarter-century ago, Mr. Dudney served on various occasions as foreman of both the Adams and Sells ranches near Maple Hill, where he first found employment in 1911.

Of early American stock and a stout-hearted Democrat with Tennessee antecedents, George Washington Dudney was 80 years old when he answered the final summons.

George's parents were Tennesseans. So were his grandparents. They settled along the eastern coast in colonial days.

Southern parentage gave him a Democratic background that he treasured for a lifetime. The possessor of a handlebar mustache, he would tug at it fiercely as he swore how he had kept the faith. The old timer had a sense of humor and it was as infectious as his views were tolerant.

The octegenarian was the father of nine children. He is survived by his widow, six children, twelve grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.

He had sons in both World Wars and four grandsons in World War II. The GI grandsons were Glenn and Ronald Trimble, John Olbert, and Roman Schwalie, Jr. Glenn died in Europe during World War II. One son named Glenn, a soldier in the states, died during the first war. Two other sons, Sid and Ray, served in World War II.

Mr. Dudney was born August 21,1867 in Winterset,Iowa where his father, Abraham, had come from Tennessee. He was married at Winterset to Agnes Lake on Feb. 19, 1894.

Their golden wedding jubilee was celebrated in St. Marys in February of 1944

The six children surviving him are Mrs. Faye Trimble, Mrs. Geraldine Schwalie, and Mrs. Mildred Craig of Topeka: Mrs. Irene Atkins of Salt Lake City, Ray Dudney of Long Beach and Sidney of San Francisco. Three children preceded him in death: Glenn Dudney, Edith Larson and Hazel Olbert.

Rev. J.H. Thornberry, Methodist pastor, conducted the last rites at the Verscheldon Funeral Chapel Saturday afternoon. Interment was in Valley View cemetery.

Pall bearers were Don Short, Joe Woody, Claude Ulrich, C.M. Yocum, Will Yocum and Lee Woody.