AMERICAN RED CROSS - CRAIG BRANCH OF THE

BURT COUNTY CHAPTER

  CRAIG branch of the Burt County Chapter, American Red Cross, was organized May 28, 1917. The officers of the Burt County Chapter were present and assisted in organizing the branch chapter. The following officers were elected: Mrs. E. J. Martin, chairman; Miss Ella Minier, secretary; A. L. McPherson, treasurer; also the following vice chairmen: Mrs. R. H. Thurber, Mrs. John Garner, J. D. Gordon, Mrs. H. Cooper and Mrs. E. T. Underwood.

  Committees for carrying on different lines of work were appointed by the executive committee as follows: Committee on membership, Mrs. J. T. Garner, Mrs. H. Cooper, David Thurber, Dr. Thompson, Will Minier, Mrs. J. D. Gordon, Alice Freeman and C. M. Thompson. This committee served until the Christmas Membership Drive, December, 1917, having secured a membership of 400.

  Committee on finance: J. D. Gordon, E. J. Martin, A. L. McPherson, Nan Minier, Adda Thompson, Sade Gates.

  Committee on supplies: Mrs. R. H. Thurber, Mrs. Will Minier, Mrs. J. M. Bovee, Mrs. A. A. Danielson and Mrs. E. M. Thurber. This committee served until May, 1918 when supplies were purchased from the Central Division.

  Committee on inspection of sewing: Mrs. Jas. Freeman, Mrs. J. M. Bovee and Mrs. J. L. Friis.

  Committee for cutting garments: Mrs. John Speilman, Mrs. T. A. Minier, Mrs. S. J. Gates. This committee served until September, 1918, when garments were sent already cut out. The last three months these ladies were assisted by Miss Matt McDonald and Mrs. R. F. Whitney.

  Committee for knitting: Mrs. R. H. Thurber, Mrs. Edna Clark and Mrs. G. W. Pool.

  The first work of the Craig branch was the making of hospital garments. Beginning the first week in June, 1917, the ladies met twice a week at the rooms arranged for the work. During the winter having no suitable place for sewing, Mrs. E. M. Thurber kindly offered the use of her home until spring. With the help of the different auxiliaries, the chairmen' were: Mrs. John Jensen, Summitt, Mrs. Jane Titus "Do Your Bit Club." Mrs. Alfred Benson and Mrs. Tom Nelson. 1434 hospital garments and 152 refugee garments were made. The ladies having never failed to meet their assigned quotas.

  Knitting was begun in September, 1917. The ladies were very faithful in this line of work, always more than filling their quota, having made a total of 1,214 knitted articles. We had three ladies past eighty-five years of age who did a great deal of this work. They were Mrs. Lydia Jones, Mrs. P. S. Gibbs and Mrs. Joe Davis.

  Our champion knitter is Mrs. R. H. Thurber. Mrs. John Bain has the record for turning out the most sweaters in four weeks time, having made six.

  Our branch has never been without sufficient funds to carry on the work. The first money raised by the finance committee was obtained by having a Red Cross stand at the Chautauqua grounds. This netted $213.00, next a box social, the proceeds from which were $210. A goose donated by Tom Nelson was sold on the street at Dutch auction bringing a total of $267.25.

  March 23, 1918 an auction sale of articles donated by persons throughout our district was held. The sale with a shipment of hogs and donations of money

amounted to more than $10,000. In August, 1918, P. E. Cerutte donated to the Red Cross a mule from his farm in Arkansas. Auctioneers Askwig and Slack gave their services and sold him for $1,625.00. Pershing's birthday the ladies from Summitt had a quilt sold at auction, which brought over $300. These donations from different individuals at their public sales and country school districts kept our finances in splendid condition. Total receipts by the Craig branch of the Burt County Chapter, American Red Cross, was $16,037.76.

  Thos. A. Minier was appointed captain of the first War Drive, June 18, 1917, with C. P. Friis, Chas. Cram, A. L. McPherson and R. H. Thurber as assistants. Our territory which consists of school districts 21, 49, 68, 57, 62, 60, 66, 54, 27, 26, 15, 61 and 22 was divided among these workers, and our quota of $1,500 was easily over subscribed, they having raised $2,940. For the Second War Drive in 1918, Mr. Minier was again appointed as chairman. A meeting of the directors of the school districts was called, and it was decided to appropriate $3,140 from the local treasury.

  Miss Mable Bovee was appointed chairman of a committee on military and civilian relief.

  The people have responded generously to every appeal. For the first Christmas membership drive, captains were appointed, and they succeeded in getting more than 80 per cent membership. Since the last Christmas roll call, our branch has been 100 per cent in membership, having enrolled 971 annual members, 145 magazine members and 510 members of the Junior Red Cross.

  Three large shipments of clothing for the Belgian relief have been shipped from here. During the epidemic of Spanish influenza the Red Cross paid for the service of two nurses.

  The surgical dressing department of the Craig branch is deserving special mention. It was organized in the fall of 1917, with Mrs. Herbert Cooper as chairman, Miss Hilga Nelson, of Tekamah, was secured for a short time as special instructor. The class increased to a membership of 30, which was divided into four classes under Miss Ceva Erickson, Mrs. Ed. Snow, Miss Matt McDonald and Mrs. John Jargenson. Under the efficient management 10,892 articles were manufactured and sent to headquarters. None of them were returned for remaking. Their quotas were always in full and on time, in every instance. The patriotism and untiring energy of the Craig branch of the Red Cross could not be surpassed anywhere. The success is largely due to the faithful and efficient service rendered by the officials, and the hearty co-operation of the community.

CRAIG BRANCH RED CROSS OFFICIALS

DECATUR BRANCH OF THE BURT COUNTY CHAPTER

OF AMERICAN RED CROSS

  THE organization of Decatur branch on June 15, 1917, was the result of a visit 1 by Mrs. E. C. Houston of Tekamah, chairman of the Burt County Chapter, and Mrs. George McGuire, county secretary, they were accompanied by Herbert Rhoades, E. J. Gano and E. C. Houston, members of the executive committee. A meeting being called for that purpose in the M. E. church. E. A. Hanson was elected chairman; Mrs. J. G. Ashley, secretary; Mrs. E. J. Griffin, treasurer; and Mrs. W. J. Stephenson, chairman of the committee on supplies.

  The charter members were Miss Lottie Hamilton, Mrs. E. D. Hamilton, Mrs. E. J. Griffin, Mrs. E. A. Hanson, Mrs. J. B. Whittier, Mrs. E. A. Sears, Mrs. L. D. Lambert, Mrs. W. R. Eagleton, Miss Olive Lambert, Miss Hessie Best, Mrs. A. J. Miller, Mrs. R. Hossley, Miss Irene Horsley, Mrs. A. E. Moyer, Mrs. S. T. Young, Dr. J. B. Whittier, H. Olbrey, Lee Despaine, James Lambert, Rev. Chas. Calkins and Rev. A. M. Bracewell.

  The following chairmen of committees were appointed: Ray Grosvenor on finance, M. Skalovsky on membership, H. D. Byram on civilian relief, W. R. Eagleton on military, Mrs. G. H. Busse on Junior Red Cross, Mrs. E. D. Canfield on surgical dressing and Mrs. F. F. Parker, director of knitting.

  The first war drive was immediately started, G. H. Busse, W. R. Eagleton, Geo. Thoma, T. R. Ashley and Ray Grosvenor made a canvass of the Decatur district outside the city, and Mrs. Canfield, Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Whittier, Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Ashley and Miss Calnon made the canvass inside the corporate limits for subscriptions.

  The Women's Relief Corps, with Mrs. S. T. Young as president, gave a benefit dinner June 5, 1917, that being first registration day, raising $54 for the Red Cross as a foundation fund and first donation. At a meeting June 20th, to consider methods of canvass, with only 14 members present, $925 was subscribed. When the membership dues and "war fund" donations poured in, the amount was raised to a grand total of $5,340.65, that was "over the top" more than double the amount of quota, which was $2,400, making the over-subscription $2890. In the meantime the supply department was not idle; through the courtesy of Eagleton Bros. a large room in their business house was placed at the service of the organization for a work room; material and sewing machines were soon installed and work began. Before a headquarters was established in Nebraska, supplies were ordered from Denver. The work room was kept open every afternoon except Sunday, that was continued all through the summer of 1917, but in late fall and winter, Mondays and Saturdays were omitted.

  A number of the sewing groups are entitled to honorable mention for their faithful and efficient service: Mrs. H. D. Byram, Mrs. S. S. Farrens, Mrs. Jas. Lambert, Mrs. L. D. Lambert, Mrs. J. G. Ashley, Mrs. Chas. Ashley, Mrs. Acheson, Mrs. Best, Mrs. E. Rohde, Mrs. Barlow, Mrs. A. K. Sears, Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. G. R. Maryott, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Dimmick, Mrs. J. T. Choice, Mrs. Young and several others. Mrs. W. J. Stevenson was a busy woman, she did most of the cutting as well as being general supervisor and inspector; seams were sewed, ripped, sewed and sometimes ripped again to get them to pass muster with the inspection department. Sometimes pockets inadvertently placed on the back of the shirt were removed and put in proper place, button holes on the wrong side were removed to the right side, although the popularity of the inspector had to suffer at times, only one lot of garments were returned for alteration.

  Auxiliary branches were organized in the country school districts, Mrs. J. E. Connally at the head of one, Mrs. J. M. Conneally another, Mrs. Herman Moler another, and Mrs. A. J. Brinley another. Good work was done in each of these. Socks, sweaters, mufflers and wristlets given under the nimble fingers of the knitting group, who put in many long hours to provide comfort and warmth for the boys so bravely enduring hardships for the sake of America and the home folks.

  Mrs. F. F. Parker, supervisor of knitting, patiently removed heels and toes to fit specifications, not to say feet, abstracting knots left by unwary knitters. She won her laurels in receiving commendation for all our knitting from the inspection department.

  In December, 1917, Mrs. Canfield went to Tekamah for a course in surgical dressing. On its completion she returned and organized two classes, one for aflernoon, the other for evening, the enrollment was large, the work was under way every afternoon and evening all winter. There was a class of Junior Red Cross girls under the direction of Miss Olive Lambert, a number of them became proficient with the gauze and cotton, quite a number of the little workers were doing knitting also.

  In March, 1918, the Women's Relief Corps again planned a benefit for the Red Cross, inviting other organizations to assist in giving a dinner and Red Cross auction sale. Col. Thompson, of Lyons, was engaged to conduct the sale. Under the direction of E. A. Hanson, chairman of the Red Cross, the men again fell in line and canvassed this territory for donations. Messrs. Parker, Guild, Willey, Parsons and Ben Evans with many others were active in soliciting, almost every farmer, and some who were not farmers gave a hog. The result being 168 were donated, they were shipped by boat to Omaha, where they sold for $6,125.90. The other things donated were auctioned off at the sale, April 3, 1918. Most things sold far above real value, a few things like the following will illustrate: a pair of hens given by Mrs. Albert Castor were dressed in the national colors by Mrs. Parker, sold at Dutch auction for $199.50; two eggs layed by these hens brought $9.50; the squeal of a pig sold for $3.50; the crow of a rooster $3.00; a Red Cross quilt made by the pupils of Miss Hessie Best sold for $520, and a silk quilt made by High School pupils brought over $400. Eighteen quilts made and donated by the Women's Relief Corps brought almost $1,000; a pair of ducks sold for $79. The total proceeds from the auction sale was $4,863.57, and the net receipts from the Women's Relief Corps dinner was $180.65. The event went on record as Decatur's day of liberality, everyone seemed to vie with every one in the game of giving. E. A. Hanson gave all his energy making the affair the success it was, the strenuous effort undoubtedly contributed to his untimely demise.

  The total contributions of the Decatur Branch of the Burt County Chapter of the American Red Cross was $16,547.88.

DECATUR BRANCH AMERICAN RED CROSS OFFICIALS