World War I veteran's ashes find final rest in Ulster County

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The ashes of a World War I veteran were laid to rest with full honors in New Paltz on Thursday morning after the remains went unclaimed for over six decades. The ceremony, which was held at the Ulster County Veterans Cemetery, may not have taken place were it not for the meticulous efforts of one volunteer in Kingston.

Back in 2023, Wiltwyck Cemetery in Kingston received an urn from Lasher Funeral Home in Woodstock which contained the ashes of John Lodge Stoneman. The remains had gone unclaimed for 61 years, and Wiltwyck Cemetery took the urn into their care with the goal of ensuring an honorable resting place for Stoneman.

Over the next year, Kathy Wade, a volunteer at Wiltwyck, took it upon herself to dedicate numerous hours toward researching Stoneman's life. Her diligence resulted in the discovery that Stoneman had served in the United States Armed Forces over 100 years before his remains arrived in Kingston.

Wade uncovered that Stoneman was born in Detroit in 1895 and would go on to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1917 at the age of 22. After being honorably discharged a few years later, he settled with his wife post-war in West Hurley before his passing in 1962. He was 67 years old.

Thanks to Wade's research, Stoneman's life and military service were honored on November 7 in a ceremony at the Ulster County Veterans Cemetery at New Paltz Rural Cemetery on Plains Road. The commemoration was presented in a collaboration between the Wiltwyck Cemetery, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the Ulster County Veteran Services Agency, the Patriot Guard, the New Paltz Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Rosendale/Tillson American Legion.