Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home Residents (1887-1916)
A huge “Thank You” goes to Laurel Treat for making these records available! Only Illinois residents could order free copies of these records and since I was in California, I needed to find someone to help me, and Laurel kindly volunteered. It took many months and many letters to request all of these records and then forward them to me. I hope you will find this information useful.
“In 1885 the General Assembly created the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home at Quincy to provide subsistence and a home for honorably discharged and disabled veterans of the Mexican and Civil Wars. In succeeding years Illinois veterans of all wars and veterans’ wives, mothers, and daughters became eligible for admission. In 1973 the General Assembly changed the home’s name to the Illinois Veterans’ Home. Since 1976 the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has administered the home.
Listed, below, are the residents from DeWitt County. I will be adding the records in alphabetical order, but if you would like to request a record, just let me know and I will scan it for you right away. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the pages.
Records of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home Residents (1887-1916)
The Decatur Review
October 31, 1913, Friday
NO MORE WOMEN IN SOLDIERS' HOME.
The Soldiers' Home at Quincy, under Colonel John Andrew as superintendent, has become so attractive, according to an article in the Quincy Herald, that it is almost full to overflowing. The state admits the wives of veterans and when a veteran dies at the home, his wife is permitted to stay on, but widows are not admitted. He has opened five cottages in addition to the large buildings built for women, to accommodate veterans and their wives and still is unable to provide for more. No more women can be admitted on account of lack of accommodations. There are 1,500 people in the home, 200 more than were there last year and 235 are women. Old soldiers are arriving in large numbers every day and soon there will not be sufficient room to accommodate more.