Lester Rushmore Van Dyke had said, 'His Dad would dig clams, shuck them and peddle them to wealthy Long Islanders. After his death, a neighbor wrote to his son: I so well remember your father as a boy that lived in Brookville. He came with his Dad selling horseradish. His father would grate it and sell it to the eager housewife by the glass. He was such a pretty boy and how my Mom loved him. He was a good hardworking boy. I'm writing to tell you what a nice chap he was. Lester was thought to be a Master Craftsman by Walter Fuller from Boston. When quite young, he went to NC or VA and helped build a mansion. His three sons all became highly respected contractors. His first wife became ill after child birth and spent many years in a hospital. He died from emphaphsyma in a VA hospital in New York City.²

     Lester Rushmore Van Dyke, son of Stephen R. Van Dyke and Selina Seaman, was born on 5 September 1897, at Canarsie, Kings, New York.^3,4,5

     Due to a need for men to serve during World War I, the United States instituted a draft. The first registration was for men between the ages of 21 and 31. As a result, this first registration included men born between June 5, 1886 and June 5, 1896. As World War I continued to escalate, the United States instituted a second draft registration. The second registration was for men who had turned 21 since June 5, 1917, so it added men born between June 5, 1896 and June 5, 1897. Two months later, a supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918 for men who had become 21 years of age since June 5, 1918, adding the names of men who were born between June 5, 1897 and August 24, 1897. With no end in sight for World War I, the United States instituted it's third and final registration. It included all men who were between the ages of 18 and 21, and 31 to 45 years of age. This added younger men than the previous registrations, those who were born between September 12, 1897 and September 12, 1900; and added an older group of men, born between September 12, 1873 and September 12, 1888. Lester filled out a draft card for World War I on 12 September 1918 (at age 21), while living at Bayville, Nassau, New York. He was employed as as a carpenter and described as height, tall and lean build with brown eyes and dark brown hair..⁶

     Lester married Gertrude Catherine Walling, daughter of Nathaniel D. Walling and Gertrude Tappen, on 21 August 1920, at Nassau, New York.⁷

     Lester Rushmore Van Dyke was in Military Service on 4 May 1943 on the U. S. S. Chaumont.

'When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Chaumont was on one of her regular voyages from Hawaii to Manila. She was diverted to Darwin, Australia, and then sent back to the West Coast. After two runs to Pearl Harbor, the now elderly transport was assigned to service between Seattle and Alaska, bringing men and supplies to assist in the defense of the Aleutians. Selected in March 1943 for conversion to a hospital ship, Chaumont was decommissioned in August at Seattle. She returned to active service in March 1944 as Samaritan (AH-10) and retained that name and designation until she was sold for scrapping in early 1948.' (DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER.)⁸

     Lester married Thelma Nichols after September 1958.

     Lester died on 7 September 1959, at New York, at age 62. Lester was a 'CCM US NAVY World War II.^9,10 ' He was buried at Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale, Nassau, New York.¹¹

     Lindsey Van Dyke, daughter of Walter Carl Van Dyke and Doreen Elizabeth Maniachi, was born at New York.¹

     Loren Wayne Van Dyke, son of Dorsey Clinton Van Dyke and Jennie Ware, was born on 28 June 1902 at Greenup, Cumberland, Illinois.

     Loren married Hazel Victoria McCord, daughter of Charles Cornelius McCord and Adeline Verinda Neal, circa 1925.²

     Loren died on 21 August 1975, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, at age 73,³ and was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Danville, Vermillion, Illinois.³

     Louise Van Dyke, daughter of Paul Shepherd Van Dyke and Louise Carlton Estes, was born circa 1928 at Mississippi.¹