Person:Roy Wardwell (5)

The Vermont Standard, January, 1969: Fireman Gets Call To Report Fire To His Own Home: What do you do when you are on night duty at the fire house and a call comes in that your house is on fire? That's what happened to Roy Wardwell, of Woodstock, about 2:30 a.m. Monday. He was on night duty at the Woodstock fire house when a call comes in. It was his mother Mrs.Ernest Wardwell, reporting that his house was on fire. Mr. Wardwell said he took a couple of long breaths as the significance of the call sank in. Chief Erick Paige who also gets the calls at his home said that after a short period of silence, the house man worked like a true fireman. He sounded the whistle to call firemen and then stayed at his post until he was relieved. Then he rode with the rest of the firemen on the truck to his burning home on Atwood Avenue. His daughter Mary, age 15, awakened about 2:30 a.m. to discover the fire. She awakened the other six children and ran downstairs to awaken her mother. Heat was such that the phone could not be used, so Mrs. Wardwell ran to the home of the Ernest Wardwells to have them call. In the meanwhile, the children all reached safety outside the burning structure. Roy Wardwell said that two downstairs rooms were gutted and upstairs rooms charred in some places. There also was much water and smoke damage. He believes the fire was started from a color TV in the living room. Most of the furniture and family possessions were destroyed. The loss is partially covered by insurance. The family plans to start repairing the home as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Firemen's Relief Association and individual firemen have made cash contributions to the Wardwells. They also have started a campaign to collect money donations as well as clothing for the family. Money and clothing may be left at Sterlings Pharmacy, The Woodstock Pharmacy or W.H. Shurtleff Store.

"Roy Ernest Wardwell Woodstock - Roy Ernest Wardwell, 55, of Woodstock, died Monday morning at the Ruland Regional Medical Center. He was born Jan. 14, 1930, the son of Ernest and Verna (Jillson) Wardwell. He graduated from Woodstock High School in 1948. He was in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as a gunner's mate second class. On Oct. 21, 1951, he married Barbara Canty. He worked as a carpenter for the Woodstock Village Police Dept., was a dispatcher for the Woodstock Communication Dept. and drove trucks for Raymond Bailey for 20 years. He was a captain in the Woodstock Fire Dept., of which he was a member for 34 years. He was a member of the Vermont State Firefighters Assoc. and was a Vermont State Training Officer of five years. He belonged to the Woodstock VFW Post 786 and the BPOE 1541 of Hartford. He was a baseball coach for the American Legion team in Woodstock and was a baseball official. He is survived by his wife and parents of Woodstock; two sons, Roy M. Wardwell and Ray Wardwell of Woodstock, five daughters: Abigail Johnson, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Nancy Hilliker of White River, Jct., Mary LaVanway, Linda Warwell and Jean Wardwell, all of Woodstock; one brother, Edward Wardwell of Woodstock, nine grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and cousins. A funeral service will be held Thursday in the Woodstock Congregational Church at 11 a.m. The Rev. David Johnson will officiate, and burial will be in the Prosper Cemetery in the spring. A firemen's service and an Elks' service was held Wednesday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Woodstock Firemen's Relief Assoc., in care of Rodney Leonard at the Woodstock Fire. Dept. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Cabot Funeral Home." -Newspaper Obituary, paper unknown, February 1985.

1. ↑ Social Security Death Index.
2. ↑ Social Security Death Index.