Weeks, Charles

Description

Charles Miller Weeks was born on December 23, 1891, in Rye, New York, the son of Charles Seaman Weeks Jr. and Emeline “Emma” Miller. A native of Rye, he grew up in a working-class household and spent the majority of his early life within the community, residing on Railroad Avenue. By 1910, he was employed as a plumber, reflecting the skilled trades that supported the growth of suburban towns like Rye in the early twentieth century.

His life before the war was rooted in family, work, and local ties. The death of his father in 1912 placed additional responsibility on him at a relatively young age, and by the mid-1910s he was firmly established in both his trade and the Rye community.

World War I Service

On December 11, 1917, Weeks enlisted in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps at Fort Slocum, New York, entering service during the height of American mobilization for World War I. He was assigned to logistical and supply operations, first at Camp Joseph E. Johnston in Jacksonville, Florida, and later at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, both major training and supply centers supporting the Army’s wartime expansion.

Weeks was promoted to Sergeant on September 16, 1918, reflecting both competence and leadership within his unit. His duties in the Quartermaster Corps would have involved the management and distribution of essential supplies, equipment, and provisions necessary to sustain troops preparing for overseas deployment.

Although his service extended through March 1919, there is no record of overseas deployment or combat engagement. His contribution remained within the vital logistical framework that supported the Army’s operational readiness during the war.

Although detailed military records are limited, his service is formally recognized on the Rye, New York World War I Memorial plaques.

Life After Service

Shortly before entering military service, Weeks married Margaret Eleanor Brown in December 1917, beginning a young family during a time of national upheaval. Their daughter, Eliza McLaughlin Weeks, was born in 1918 while he was still in service.

Following his discharge, Weeks returned to Rye and resumed his life as a plumber, rejoining his community and trade. However, his postwar life was tragically brief. In early 1920, he fell ill during the widespread influenza epidemic, which developed into pneumonia. Despite medical care, he died on February 4, 1920, at the age of twenty-eight.

His death left behind a young widow and child, and was widely felt within the Rye and Port Chester communities, where he was known for his character and community involvement, including membership in local fraternal and trade organizations. He was buried in Rye, the town where he had been born, lived, and served.