Dreyfus Obed Winter, known as “D.O.”, was born in Moncks Corner in 1899. He was the son of David McKewn and Sarah Bessie Law Winter, both also born in Berkeley County; after David’s death, Sarah Dessie married L.P. Walling and ran a hotel in town for a number of years.
Winter registered for the draft in Moncks Corner on September 6, 1918. He was a student at the University of South Carolina at the time of registration. He was inducted into the Army less than one month later. Winter was a member of the SATC, or the Student Army Training Corps. This meant that he underwent military training while continuing to be an enrolled student. The training period was short-lived for Winter; World War I ended in November 1918, and he was honorably discharged from the Army as a private in December of the same year. He registered for the draft again in 1942 but saw no further military service.
Photo provided by Bill Skinner.
After the War, Winter pursued the medical field. By 1930, he and his wife were living in Sumter, where he listed his occupation on the census as “physician.” In 1974, three years before his death, Dr. Winter received a “meritorious award” from the Medical University of South Carolina for 50 years of service. The Winters had one child, a daughter Esther (1931-2013).
Dr. Winter passed away in Sumter in 1977 and is buried in Sumter Cemetery.