Dudley Levis: Recognising the Ring of Truth

Dudley poring through his letters and pictures as he takes a trip down memory lane.

Among the first to respond to the message of truth in the post-war years in Dublin and having lived through the violent conflict in Ireland known as “The Troubles,” Dudley Levis is now a much loved resident of Jah-Jireh. He fondly recalls his journey in the truth, his cherished memories with his beloved wife Elsie and his life now in Jah-Jireh.

Early Years Amidst Religious Turmoil

Bantry, Ireland

Dudley Levis was born in 1923 in Bantry in the Irish Republic. His family belonged to the Church of Ireland and his father ran a pharmacy in the town. Dudley recalls his earliest memories of the quaint little seaside town of Bantry with only one policeman where everyone knew everyone. As in the rest of Ireland, religion was an integral part of the fabric of Bantry and two churches, The Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church, held pride of place. As time went by, the friendly atmosphere of the little town changed as nationalistic spirit and conflicts between the Protestants and the Catholics grew. Following a boycott of the local Protestant population endorsed by the Catholic church, Dudley’s father decided it was time for the family to move, and so it came to be that Dudley relocated to Dublin, where the most exciting and rewarding chapter in his life would unfold.

Finding the Truth

The knock on his door was by a special pioneer couple Edwin and Emmie Ridgewell who had moved to Dublin from the North of Ireland. Dudley, who was at home resting from a bout of the Mumps, listened in as the Ridgewells spoke to his mum. That was how his study was started from what he calls the Jehonadab book, the 3rd Volume in the Vindication series.

“I could hear the ring of the truth in the fulfillment of the Lord’s prayer,” he says. “Being a Protestant, I was always taught I would go to heaven, but I was never sure of a heavenly hope. Another reason I realised that this was the truth was the clarity on the Trinity doctrine. Recognizing that God had a name Jehovah and wished to be called as such was also an important turning point.”

The journey to accepting the truth wasn’t easy. He was looked upon as a traitor for leaving the Protestant church and he faced ridicule from many, but the encouragement of brothers like Ridgewell strengthened him and helped him overcome these challenges.

The Magnificent 7 and The One

Amidst the growing and ever prevalent tension and religious conflict, Dudley continued to serve Jehovah faithfully. In 1949, Dudley’s life would take yet another interesting turn. Seven missionaries were assigned to Dublin that year to assist with the preaching in Ireland. Among them were Mildred Willet who later married Brother John Barr and Elsie Lott, who would find a special place in Dudley’s life.

Elsie was among the missionaries who arrived from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in 1949 and played a part in speeding up the work in Dublin.

In the 1988 Yearbook, Elsie expresses her thoughts on the conditions in Ireland.

“Before we left Gilead,” she said, “Brother Franz told us that next to India he considered Ireland to be the most difficult assignment in the world. Because of the attitude of the Catholic Church, he felt that it was the toughest Catholic area in the world.” “But,” she continued, “we felt, also, that the people had been battered by political and religious forces, so we were just concerned for the people because the people themselves, underneath all the hostility, were very nice.”

Dudley recalls how the “Magnificent 7” as they were fondly called would ride out every day fully charged with literature on their bicycles. Despite facing several challenges, which included mob attacks and fierce opposition, the Magnificent 7 persevered.

Dudley’s brother Robert ran a bicycle repair shop and the missionaries would come in for repairs. Dudley would also take some of them to the meetings and back. A special friendship blossomed and soon Elsie Lott became Elsie Levis, Dudley’s beloved wife. They lived in Dublin for a while, opening up their home to many pioneers and taking an active part in the ministry.

Dudley and Elsie Levis opened up their home in Dublin to pioneers who were helping with the ministry there.

Welcomed Into The Jah-Jireh Family

After many years of caring for elderly relatives in Manchester, Dudley and Elsie came to Jah-Jireh in 2011, where they spent many happy years together until Elsie died in June 2019 at the age of 101. Dudley continues his faithful service despite his age, encouraging others and becoming an integral part of the Jah-Jireh Leyland home.

“I’m happy staying in a very happy and spiritual home,” says Dudley. “The entire staff are most encouraging and helpful. Although we are isolated, there is plenty of activity available. Having the meetings on TV and Zoom and jw.org is just a very great blessing.” He immensely enjoys the activities arranged and has an active share. “Saturday night is music night. As many as possible come and enjoy the program – music, light supper and wine. I enjoy that very much!”

A man who cherishes his memories and looks forward to the future with hope, here is Dudley as he shares a few words with us:

It is truly encouraging for us at Jah-Jireh to work closely with brothers and sisters like Dudley who have decades of faithful service behind them and many more ahead. Listening to the challenges that they had to overcome, seeing their love for Jehovah and their indomitable spirit as they continue serving Him despite limitations of age and health is truly rewarding. We wanted to share this joy and encouragement with you too, through this series of life stories of our dear residents. We hope you enjoy them.