Dorchester Illustration World War One Service Member biography: Carl Herman Weisse
At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring servicemen in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit that highlights these men and their service to our country.
Our next biography features: Carl Herman Weisse.
Written by Donna Albino.
Carl Herman Weisse was born on June 8, 1895 in Boston. His parents, Leopold Weisse and Ellen (Murdock) Weisse, lived on Bearse Avenue in the Lower Mills neighborhood of Dorchester. The city directory did not list a house number, but according to the 1900 census, the family was renting their home at 15 Bearse Avenue in Dorchester, and Carl then had a younger brother named Leo. Carl’s father, Leopold, worked as a machinist.
By 1910, the family moved a few houses away to 43 Bearse Avenue. Leopold was working as an engineer for a regulator company, and there were several more boys in the family: Frederick, Francis, Walter, and Paul. Carl enjoyed the game of golf, and played for Dorchester High in 1911.
Disaster struck in 1916. In May, Carl’s younger brother, Walter, fell from the Lower Mills Bridge trying to fetch a half dollar that he had lost in the Neponset River. His young friends ran for help, but Walter drowned before adults could get to the scene. He was only 9 years old.
On March 29, 1917 Carl joined the war effort with the National Naval Volunteers, a reserve military organization for reservists, retirees, and volunteers. Carl served on the USS Kearsarge, a United States Navy ship used for coastal defense. During the Great War, the USS Kearsarge was used to train Armed Guard crews and naval engineers during cruises along the Atlantic seaboard. On August 18, 1918, Kearsarge rescued 26 survivors of the Norwegian barque Nordhav, which had been sunk by U-117, a submarine in the German Navy, and brought them to Boston. Carl continued to serve with the National Naval Volunteers after the war, until at least 1924.
In the 1920 census, Carl was living with his parents and brothers at 41 Bearse Avenue in Dorchester. Carl was working as a bank clerk, his father Leopold was working as a master mechanic in a machine shop, his brother Leo was a typist in an insurance office, and his brother Frederick was a typist in a manufacturing office.
On October 5, 1921, Carl married Margaret Camp in Washington, D.C. They moved to Milton and began their family. By 1930, they had five children: Carl, Jr. (age 7), Robert (age 6), twins Martin and Marie (age 4), and Laurence (age 1). Carl was working as a postal clerk. In 1940, their lives were much the same; they were still living in Milton with their children and Carl was still working as a postal clerk.
In 1942, Carl registered for the WWII draft. His draft card revealed he was six feet tall, 185 pounds, with blue eyes, gray hair and a dark complexion. Carl and his family lived in Milton for the rest of his life. In 1962, his wife Margaret was killed in a car crash in Braintree. Their daughter, Marie, was in the car with her, and was severely injured with two broken hips. Carl passed away the following year on December 19, 1963. His obituary revealed he had been a member of the Boston and Saco Valley Mineral Clubs. His son, Carl, Jr., had followed in his footsteps; he served with the Navy in WWII, and also enjoyed playing golf.
Sources:
Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Ancestry.com. District of Columbia, Marriage Records, 1810-1953 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.
Year: 1900; Census Place: Boston Ward 24, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 1528; FHL microfilm: 1240687
Year: 1910; Census Place: Boston Ward 24, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_624; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 1631; FHL microfilm: 1374637
Year: 1920; Census Place: Boston Ward 21, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T625_739; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 525
Year: 1930; Census Place: Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 0067; FHL microfilm: 2340670
Year: 1940; Census Place: Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts; Roll: m-t0627-01628; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 11-138
The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of Massachusetts; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M2090
Wikipedia, Naval Militia
Wikipedia, USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 06 Jul 1911, Thu Page 7
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 21 May 1916, Sun Page 13
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 23 Jul 1960, Sat Page 14
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 31 Oct 1962, Wed Page 25
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 20 Dec 1963, Fri Page 28
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 21 Dec 1963, Sat Page 28
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 23 Dec 1963, Mon Page 6
Ancestry.com, Sokolowski Family Tree by sololowd