American Red Cross

Harrison County Chapter includes all Harrison County, consisting of sixteen branches and seventeen auxiliaries. Following is a list of the branches with their auxiliary, chairmen of each and date of organization:

Akron, W. E. Riley, November, 1917, secretary, Miss Amy Bishop.

Andover Auxiliary, Mrs. Mattie Hill, May 9, 1918.

Cainsville, Forest Lawhead, Ed Girdner, July 8, 1917; secretary treasurer, Mrs. Florence Oxford.

Mount Moriah, Mrs. Kate Sellers, W. P. Chambers, September 8, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. Cora Price, Mrs. Bruna Taylor.

Eagleville, G. D. Cramer, July 14, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. J. C. Barber. Auxiliary, Hobbs Chapel, Hesse Edwards, July 2, 1918. Auxiliary, Otterbien, Mrs. C. V. Anderson, July 11, 1918.

Blythedale, G. C. Zingerle, Mrs. Ralph Scott and Mrs. Carrie Officer, July 15, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. L. G. Sullivan. Auxiliary, Donaby, Mrs. Mat Mullins, August 15, 1918.

Ridgeway, W. A. Miner, O. P. Bennett, February 5, 1918. Secretary, S. G. Stanley, Miss Hammitt, Mrs. Lloyd Spragg.

New Hampton, W. A. Denny, October 30, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. H. B. Henton. Auxiliaries, Commercial Club, S. W. W. Club, W. C. T. U., Round Table Club, October 30, 1918.

Martinsville, Mrs. J. W. Rice, August 23, 1917. Secretary, Miss Lucile Baldwin. Washington Township, C. M. Potoot, July 23, 1917. Secretary, J. R. Carter. Auxiliary, Wesley Chapel, Maud Carter. Muddy Valley. Mount Olive, January 16, 1918.

Matkins, T. J. Kelley, August 24, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. W. L. Musick.

Pawnee, Mrs. B. C. White, November 29, 1917. Secretary, Ada Jones.

Gilman City, T. A. Norris, July 8, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. Beulah T. Williams.

Melbourne, T. A. Brown, March 24, 1918. A. V. Spillman, secretary.

Blue Ridge, Mrs. Lura Higgins, Charles Cole, March 21, 1918. Secretary, Mrs. Loie Brandom, Mrs. Deila Field.

Hatfield, Alex Thompson, July 2, 1917. Secretary, Mrs. A. C. Nelson.

Brooklyn, Mrs. John Barnett, July 12, 1918. Secretary, Mrs. J. C. Todd.

Harrison County Chapter Auxiliaries at Bethany, P. E. D., Nelle K. Sutton, November 19, 1917; Bethany Knitting Club, Mrs. C. A. Sherer, August 17, 1917; Coterie Club, Mrs. L. G. Prentiss, December 21, 1917; Oak Leaf Club, Mrs. S. M. Hillyard, August 7, 1918; Mitchelville Aid, Mrs. Frank Burris, May 2, 1918; Gardner Club, Miss Eliza Neff, August, 1918.

Historical Committee, Mrs. E. W. Prentiss, Mrs. J. E. Noll, Doctor Francis, E. R. Burgess, Mrs. T. E. Stone, Mrs. F. L. Sawyers. The week of June 17-23, 1917, was the week set aside for the first war fund drive for the Red Cross. There being no organization in Harrison County, a meeting was called at the home of F. T. Harvey. Several persons responded to this call, and F. T. Harvey was elected temporary chairman and V. E. Yates temporary secretary. A petition signed by all present was sent to the Southwestern Division of the American Red Cross at Saint Louis, asking permission to organize a permanent Red Cross Chapter in Harrison County. The request was granted and a meeting was called at Odd Fellows Hall June 27, 1917, when a permanent chapter of the American Red Cross was perfected in Harrison County.

The following officers were elected for the year of 1917: V. E. Yates, chairman; William A. Miner, vice-chairman; Mrs. W. P. Bryant, secretary; Mrs. T. E. Stone, treasurer. Plans were at once formed to conduct a county campaign, to secure funds for the American Red Cross. This resulted in a sum being raised of nearly $4,000.00. Also sixteen branches and seventeen auxiliaries were organized in a few months.

The first war fund drive was conducted in July. Amount raised, $4,000.00. The first Red Cross membership drive was conducted in December, 1917. Chairman, John Ross. Members secured, 6,420. The second war fund drive was conducted in May, 1918. Chairman, W. C. Cole. Amount raised, $18,965.23. The second membership drive was conducted in December, 1918. Chairman, John Ross. Members secured, 14,612. Third membership drive was conducted in December, 1919. Chairman, John Ross. Members secured, 100. Fourth membership drive conducted in December, 1929. Chairman, W. E. Todd. Members secured, 699.

Besides our membership and war fund drives, money was raised by donation, sales and entertainments. The fifth membership drive is now on at the time this is being written with Garland Wilson as chairman.

Officers of the Harrison County Chapter

Chairman, V. E. Yates.
Vice-chairman, W. A. Miner, serving until March, 1919, succeeded by John Ross.
Secretary, Mrs. W. P. Bryant, serving until April, 1918, succeeded by Mrs. J. E. Noll.
Treasurer, Mrs. T. E. Stone.
Chairman of Woman's Work, Mrs. E. W. Prentiss.
Chairman of Surgical Dressings, Dr. Frances E. R. Burgess.
Chairman of Knitting, Mrs. Charles Sherer.
Chairman of Hospital Garments, Mrs. Hila Walker. Assistants, Mrs. C. V. Henderson, Mrs. George Neff.
Chairman of Home Service, Mrs. Charles Bridges, succeeded by Mrs. F. L. Sawyers.
Chairman of Nursing, Mrs. L. G. Prentiss, succeeded Dr. Frances E. R. Burgess.
Chairman of Junior Red Cross, Nelle K. Sutton, succeeded by E. Newton Carter.
Chairman of Conservation, Mrs. William Rolkeke.
Chairman of Publicity, Mrs. E. W. Prentiss, succeeded by Mrs. J. E. Noll and V. E. Yates.
Chairman of Canteen, T. E. Stone.
Chairman of Civilian Relief, Mrs. L. Layman, succeeded by William Roleke.

Life Membership

A number of Harrison County citizens hold life membership in the Red Cross, but the record containing a part of these has been misplaced and a full roster cannot be given. Among them are:

Physician in service in World War
Dr. J. J. Chipp, New Hampton

Dentists
V. V. Hinkle, Ridgeway
J. W. Chiles, Ridgeway C. B.
Treasure, Ridgeway
M. J. Quinlan, Oilman City

Veterinarians
Doctor Bolin, Ridgeway
Dr. O. W. Kirby, Ridgeway
Dr. Lloyd Ury, Ridgeway

Nurses
Miss Theo Bennet, Ridgeway
Miss Ruth Bennet, Ridgeway
Miss Lou Hudson, Gilman City

Christmas Parcel Committee, 1918

The Christmas Parcel Committee, which had charge of all packages sent overseas for Christmas in 1918, consisted of Mrs. C. B. Henderson, chairman; Mrs. F. M. Frisby, Mrs. F. L. Sawyers, Mrs. James Walker, Mrs. James Hampton, Mrs. E. S. Hubbard and Miss Zola Myers. This was a very important committee and was domiciled in the directors' room of the First National Bank. They gave unsparingly of their time to assist those who wanted to send Christmas parcels to their loved ones serving at the front. A very accurate record was kept of these parcels, to whom and by whom sent, but that record is not available, probably having been taken by the chairman when she moved from Harrison County.

Home Service Section

In the early days of the World War the American Red Cross under its congressional charter and by the confidence reposed in it by the American people was charged with the task of safeguarding the welfare of the homes of our fighting men, and when the war broke out it was apparent to everyone that no one could fight well if he was worrying about his dependents at home.

The Home Service Section of the American Red Cross was organized for the purpose of reducing such worry to the minimum. It was the business of Home Service Sections to take the places of soldiers and sailors in their homes as far as possible, giving moral, financial or other assistance when needed. The Home Service Section of the Harrison County Chapter of the American Red Cross was organized June 27, 1917, with Mrs. Charles Bridges as chairman. As the demands for work of this kind were so few at that time no other representative was appointed. During the war Harrison County sent 820 persons into service. These and their dependents constituted the field of work of the Harrison County Chapter. Most of these families were entirely able to care for their own needs. The Home Service Section rendered assistance of various kinds to 225 families.

Financial aid was given 115 families, partly as loans, partly as gifts. Funds for this work were provided by the Harrison County Chapter. In October, 1920, Mrs. F. L. Sawyers became chairman, and today more than three years after the armistice, and contrary to expectation, the army of disabled men is constantly increasing and the Red Cross obligation to them is growing in proportion. After demobilization American Red Cross responsibility for supplementing governmental provisions looking to the safe re-establishment and self-support of the ex-service man was not abated.

Production Department

When the government called upon the women of America to help with the war work, thousands of Harrison County women responded promptly, and were organized into a, loyal and enthusiastic body of Red Cross war workers. Mrs. E. W. Prentiss was elected Director of Women's Work.

The Production Department was the first section of the Red Cross to begin work and was, perhaps, the most active of the departments of the Red Cross Chapter during the war.

There were four divisions of work in this department: surgical dressings, hospital garments, knitting and refugee relief.

The surgical dressings division was supervised by Dr. Frances Burgess. Most of the branches assisted with this work which continued from September, 1917, until the official closing of the war work. The output from this division was 122,227 surgical dressings.

Hospital garments were made under the supervision of Mrs. John G. Walker, beginning in September, 1917, and continuing until July, 1919. The women of America by that time had all of the warehouses belonging to the Red Cross in America and in France filled with a reserve stock of hospital supplies, garments and dressings. The output from this division was 69,451 hospital garments.

Red Cross Public Health Nurse

The public health nursing work in Harrison County was begun by Mrs. Fannie Cole Prentiss. In July, 1921, Mrs. Prentiss was succeeded by Miss Genevieve Bazan. Classes and demonstrations in home hygiene and care of the sick were conducted during the remainder of the summer, the nurse getting acquainted and familiarizing herself with the various communities in the country, and making plans for the school nursing work, which is the principal work done by the Red Cross nurse during the school year.

The nurses' office, which is located over the Harrison County Bank, Bethany, Missouri, is open to anyone wanting information on health, or assistance, on one entire day of each week.

School nursing, which consists of examining school children, visiting the parents to get their co-operation in remedying the defects, through their private physicians, investigating the school buildings as to sanitary conditions, health work in the school, occupy the nurse's time.

In Harrison County, there are ninety rural and ten city schools, and in all, over 5,000 school children. Every effort is made, in planning the work, to reach all schools in the county, not only examining the children, but giving them some health instruction, which they are urged to follow.

Plans to have milk furnished to underweight children are being carried out in all schools, both city and rural. Wherever possible physicians and dentists are giving their time and services in helping with the examinations in the schools.

Some tuberculosis work has been done, and many families have been given relief through the nursing service.

Junior Red Cross

The Junior Red Cross was organized on quite an extensive scale during the school year 1920-21. About three thousand of Harrison County's boys and girls took the Junior pledge, which is as follows: "I pledge myself to honor and serve the flag of my country, and to work, save and give, in order that the Red Cross, the emblem of humanity, sacrifice and service may bring relief and happiness to suffering people throughout the world." In order to help secure a school nurse for the county and furnish transportation for her, each member contributed twenty-five cents membership fee. This fee was not required but was a voluntary gift on the part of the Juniors. The money thus secured was used to purchase a Ford coupe, which is labeled on each side: "This car donated by Junior Red Cross." This act of the Juniors makes it possible for the nurse to visit all parts of the county and is directly in line of the Junior's watchword, "Service."

The officers and members of the school committee were as follows:

Officers: E. Newton Carter, Chairman; Mrs. William Roleke, Secretary-Treasurer.

School Committee

 Harrison County| AHGP Missouri

Source: History of Harrison County, Missouri, by Geo. W. Wanamaker, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, 1921