Wes Stone held a strong commitment to helping others and giving homeless people a place to stay.
After a fire broke out at his home in the Merriam Park area on Sunday morning, the 72-year-old man from St. Paul perished. Two boarders who were at his residence were able to flee; neighbors also said that a woman and her small boy lived there but weren’t there when the fire broke out.
According to Jeremiah Gibbons, a longtime family friend and neighbor, “Wes truly taught me the importance of loving your neighbor as you love yourself.” Everyone was treated by him as though they were his dearest friends.
According to Ferdinand Peters, another old acquaintance, Stone was adored by his neighbors in the 1800 block of Carroll Avenue and “by all those who knew him.” He had a warm and loving spirit. He didn’t care as much about himself as he did about other people.
Over the years, Stone helped a lot of individuals evade homelessness, according to Peters. He remarked, “He was the kind of person who would do things softly.” He just carried out his duties; he didn’t require others’ approval. He was simply a good person.
Stone loved to laugh, played the flute, spoke French, and read voraciously, according to Julie Dincau, who first met Stone in 2001 at a poetry reading.
She said that history was actually Stone’s genuine love. He spent several years working as a part-time interpreter at the Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul and the Henry Sibley Historic Site in Mendota Heights.
She added that in order to understand about the history of the locations, he “studied every aspect and done everything he could possibly do.” “For instance, Wes conducted extensive study on a well-known artwork depicting the Native Americans who were hung in Mankato. He would study and research every paper available about Mendota Heights or the Sibley House.
According to his twin brother Walter Stone, Stone’s visits of the locations were a master lesson in historical study. He explained that when he conducted a tour, “he wasn’t just reciting it from rote memory.” “Because he understood so much more, he could customize his speeches to the specific group or answer any off-the-wall questions that anyone in the audience might have.”
For instance, Wes Stone created a program for kids in 1997 based on Joseph Nicollet’s early studies of the stars. His brother stated that Wes has always enjoyed maps.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine what caused the fire, which is thought to have originated in the kitchen. Sir Two Sox, a 26-year-old cat owned by one of Stone’s boarders, perished in the fire, according to Gibbons.
A vigil is being planned by neighbors for Thursday night. According to Andrea Plautz, who lives only a few doors down from Stone’s house, they are also trying to gather money and supplies for his boarders, who are presently receiving assistance from the Red Cross and living in a hotel in Roseville.
Plautz said that “these folks have had such a great shock.” It’s really intimidating. But when someone in this community is in need, we all come together and genuinely support one another. This area is one that I adore. It has my back no matter what.
Stone would have done precisely what she said: assist those who require assistance. He was an extremely compassionate man who had a big heart.
Welsa Stone, a resident of St. Paul, is Stone’s sole heir.
The St. Paul-based Crescent Tide Cremation Services has made the necessary arrangements.
