Roland fought in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge in the Korean Conflict. His wife received his last letter one day before he died.
Roland Andrew Wakenight
Born: 29 MAY 1928 in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois
Father: Harry Norman Wakenight (1873 to 1929)
Mother: Ethel Bell Andrew (1904 to 1975)
Spouse: Pearl A Kendall (1932 to 2020)
Married: 23 SEP 1950 in Mount Morris, Ogle County, Illinois
Children: None
Died: 26 OCT 1951 in Korea
Burial: Washington Grove Cemetery, Chana, Ogle County, Illinois
Obituary:
Timeline:
1929 Death of father, Harry
1930 Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois
1940 Nachusa, Ogle County, Illinois
1950 Marriage to Pearl
1951 Death and burial
Occupation: printer’s laborer
Records:
1920 and 1930 US Census Records
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
Dixon Evening Telegraph (Dixon, Illinois)
Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957
U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Variations of Surname: None
In September 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime selective service draft in U.S. history. In 1946, Roland filled out and returned the following draft registration card:
Roland was not inducted into the US Army until 1 NOV 1950. This was two months after he married Pearl. Here is a copy of the wedding announcement in the Dixon Evening Telegraph:
Roland was sent to Korea in June of 1951. He fought in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge and was killed in action on 26 OCT 1951. Pearl told the reporter of the newspaper that she did not receive Roland’s letter until one day before his death. Roland’s body was returned to San Francisco on 13 JAN 1952.
From ABMC.gov (the American Battle Monuments Commission) website, I discovered that Roland received the following medals, posthumously:
Spouse:
Pearl A Kendall:
Pearl was born on 23 JUN 1932 in Leaf River, Ogle County, Illinois. She died on 9 APR 2020 in Santa Barbara County, California.
Pearl’s father was Leland Kendall. He was born on 13 JUL 1900 in Leaf River, Ogle County, Illinois. He died in1977 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.
Pearl’s mother was Caroline A Kappenman. She was born on 23 SEP 1903 in Leaf River, Ogle County, Illinois. She died on 28 FEB 1987 in Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois.
Pearl had four sisters, all born in Leaf River, Ogle County, Illinois:
Arlene Kendall (1923)
Vera Kendall (1926)
Verla Kendall (1930)
June Kendall (1938)
After Roland’s death, Pearl married Lynn B Cuddy on 20 DEC 1952 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. Six children were born to this marriage:
Cynthia L Cuddy (1953)
William P Cuddy (1955)
Robert B Cuddy (1956)
Jeffrey E L Cuddy (1958)
Suzanne Cuddy (1960)
Lori A Cuddy (1963)
Lynn B Cuddy was born on 27 DEC 1933 in Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee. He died on 30 JUN 2013 in Davis, Stephenson County, Illinois.
Pearl’s Obituary:
Santa Barbara Independent, April 27, 2020:
Pearl A Cuddy
Date of Birth: June 23, 1932
Date of Death: April 9, 2020
City of Death: Santa Barbara“Pearl A. Cuddy, 87, passed away peacefully at home Thursday, April 9th, 2020, in Santa Barbara, California. A long-time resident of Davis Illinois, she was born June 23rd, 1932 in Leaf River, Illinois, the daughter of Leland Kendel and Caroline (Kappenman) Kendel. Married on December 20th, 1952 to Lynn Cuddy in Atlanta, Georgia, they were happily married 60 years before Lynn passed in 2013.
Pearl was a 1950 graduate of Mt. Morris IL High School and served in the U.S. Women’s Army Corps. She had two careers; the first in the printing field for over twenty years, where she and Lynn worked together. After retiring, Pearl missed being busy and returned to work in the Dakota School District cafeteria, until the age of 80. Never one to be idle, she was a volunteer with the Rockford Rescue Mission, the Faith Community Church Food Pantry, and with Hospice. Pearl was a former member of Faith Community Church, Davis, IL, and Woodside General Baptist Church, Rockford, IL. She was also a lifetime associate member of Blue Star Mothers of America.
She loved to garden, cook, and bake. She loved having family dinners and having her grandchildren stop by. She often baked cookies to give to the neighbors and their children. Pearl was a gentle person, sweet-natured, known for her kind eyes and smile. She will be greatly missed, but her wish was to be reunited with her husband, Lynn, and we know she has finally had that wish granted. Her children and grandchildren feel fortunate to have been loved by her all their lives and could not have asked for a better example in a mother and grandmother, nor in our father (Papa).
Pearl is survived by her son, William (Nelsy) of Honduras, and her three daughters, Cynthia Maney (Edward) of Shalimar, Florida, Suzanne (Steven Schwartz) of Santa Barbara, California, and Lori Schult (Jeffrey), of Davis, Illinois, her 26 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Predeceased by her husband, Lynn, two sons, Robert and Jeffrey, her parents, and four sisters, Arlene, Verla, Vera, and June.
A celebration of her life will take place later in Davis, Illinois. Memorials instead of flowers to the food pantry of choice. The family would like to thank VNA Hospice of Santa Barbara, and Pearl’s dedicated and kind caregivers, Liliana and Yesenia. Her children arise and call her blessed. Prov.31:28”
Lynn’s Obituary:
Rockford Register Star, July 2, 2013:
“Lynn B. Cuddy Jr., 79, of Davis passed away Sunday, June 30, 2013, surrounded by his family at his home, after a long illness.
Born December 27, 1933, in Elizabethton, TN, he was the son of Lynn and Lucille (Jones) Cuddy. His father died when Lynn was an infant. Lynn’s mother later married William B. Hampton, considered to be a great father and role model to Lynn. He lived there until he enlisted in the United States Army. He served in the Korean Conflict as an infantryman and then was stationed at Ft. McPherson, GA, where he met and married his wife, Pearl.
Lynn was a member of the Durand American Legion Post 676 and an associate member of Northwest Florida Blue Star Mothers. He was proud to have his sons and grandsons follow his footsteps by serving in the Armed Forces. After Lynn’s discharge, they moved and settled in Mt. Morris, where they raised their six children.
Lynn was employed at Kable Printing Company. While residing in Mt. Morris, Lynn led a country-western band, “Lynn Cuddy and the Buccaneers”. The band performed in local establishments for many years. Lynn’s love of country music touched the lives of many in the community.
In 1973, they moved to Davis. He became employed at Thrift Remsen Printing in Rockford and would remain there until his retirement in 1994. He worked in the printing industry for 48 consecutive years.
Lynn and Pearl became members of Faith Community Church in Davis. The Jubilee Quartet was formed and Lynn was the group’s bass singer and storyteller. The group traveled across the country and sang in various churches. Lynn loved the Lord, loved to sing and play his guitar and gave his Christian testimony whenever given the opportunity.
He took flying lessons and soloed. He was a golfer, loved to fish and camp, and enjoyed the Tennessee mountains whenever he could. He loved and enjoyed his children and was looking forward to what God had in store for them, not for him but for his family.
He is survived by the love of his life, Pearl; his children, Cynthia (Edward) Maney of Shalimar, FL, William (Nelsy) Cuddy of Davis, Robert (Lisa) Cuddy of Gastonia, N.C., Suzanne Cuddy of Santa Barbara, CA, and Lori (Jeff) Schult of Davis; brother, John Patrick Hampton of Roan Mountain, TN; 26 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death were his parents; stepfather; brother, Timothy; and son, Jeff.
Lynn was a loving husband, father, grandfather, friend, and servant.
Visitation will be 9 until 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at the Faith Community Church of Davis. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. at the church, with Pastor Bob Kolb and Pastor Dennis Buss officiating. Burial will be at the Davis Cemetery. Instead of flowers, a memorial has been established in his name. Daughenbaugh Funeral Home, Dakota is assisting the family.
He will live forever in our hearts and live eternally with God. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15″
Notes:
For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”
Creating Your Family Tree
Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:
Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for births, marriages, and deaths.
Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.
Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.
When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.
If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.
There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!
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