Charlotte Winters

Charlotte Louise Berry Winters (November 10, 1897 - March 27, 2007) was, at age 109, the last surviving female American veteran of The First World War.

Biography

A United States Navy honor guard bears the casket of Charlotte Winters, March 30, 2007

She was born Charlotte Louise Berry in Washington, D.C. to Mackell and Louise Bild Berry. When the Navy opened support roles to women, Charlotte and her sister, Sophie, joined in 1917. She served from 1917 to 1919 at the Naval Gun Factory in the Washington Navy Yard as a clerk. By December 1918, more than 11,000 women had enlisted and were serving in support positions. In 1919, most of the Yeoman (F) were released from the service. At that time she had attained the rank of Yeoman (F) Second Class in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Winters was able to return to the same position as a civil servant. Winters served as a secretary, and retired in 1953.

Winters helped to found the National Yeoman (F) Association in 1926 and served as its eighth commander in 1940 and 1941. She was active in the American Legion for 88 years.

She died, aged 109, in Boonsboro, Maryland and was buried with full military honors at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living World War I veteran in the USA, leaving only two living World War I female veterans left in the world, then-108-year-old Gladys Powers and 107-year-old Ivy Campany, who served for the United Kingdom.

See also

	Biography portal
	United States Navy portal
	World War I portal

• Yeoman (F)
• Women In Military Service For America Memorial
• Veterans of the First World War who died in 2007
• Marie Odee Johnson
• Loretta Perfectus Walsh

References

• Portrait Exhibit Puts Face on First World War
• Last Known Yeoman (F) Laid To Rest (Charlotte Louise Berry Winters) 30 March 2007.
• The End of an Era: The Last Surviving World War I Woman Veteran Dies. Article from the Women In Military Service For America Memorial.
• New York Times Obituary
• USA Today obituary
• SFGate obituary
• Baltimore Sun obituary
• Associated Press article
• "Charlotte Winters". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18655362. Retrieved 2008-01-24. 
• Female WWI Vet Celebrates 109th Birthday

Persondata
Name	Winters, Charlotte
Alternative names
Short description	United States Navy sailor
Date of birth	November 10, 1897
Place of birth	Washington, D. C.
Date of death	March 27, 2007
Place of death	Boonsboro, Md