After the War - Dahringer & Besley
After receiving confirmation early in 1919 that Homer was dead, the Dahringer family no longer had to speculate if he was still alive. Al Mackey, a friend of Dahringer, sent a letter to his family in August of 1919 informing them that he had visited the grave of Dahringer in France.
By the end of 1919, the American Legion in Waukegan honored Dahringer by naming their post after him, American Legion Homer Dahringer Post 281. The Dahringer family thanked the Legion for this honor on Homer’s behalf.
Dahringer’s body was sent to the United States during the summer of 1921. The Waukegan Daily Gazette detailed the ceremony honoring Dahringer. The Dahringer family held private services at home, and then public services at the First Methodist Church. He was remembered as someone who would do everything for his home and flag, even in the face of death.
Dahringer is buried at Pine View Memorial Park in Beach Park, Illinois.
Following the war, Ruth grieved the loss of Homer, with whom she was engaged to marry. In anticipation of local prohibition in Waukegan, the Besley Brewery was sold in 1912. Following this change for the family, Ruth worked as a private tutor and ran a nursery school in the family home.
In 1968, Ruth co-founded the Waukegan Historical Society to preserve and promote the City’s history.
The Besley family home was occupied by the family until Ruth, at the age of 86, moved away in 1977 after selling the home. That year, Ruth finally married and moved to Memphis, Tennessee to live with her new husband, Raymond T. Reilly, another member of the 1908 Waukegan High School graduating class. Ruth met with Raymond after many years while he was visiting Waukegan.
Ruth would pass away on February 1, 1990 in Memphis at the age of 99.