On the walls or in the windows of many buisness places and homes in Erie may be found posters containing a large picture of the American Flag with this admonition underneath it "GiveIt Your Best!"
MANY WAR STAMPS SOLD
The boys of the manual training department supervised by their instructor, Morton Koser, are making game boards, lap boards, cribbage boards, writing boards, lamps, bed rests and ashtrays for their Red Cross work. Last spring Mr. Koser and his boys made a large number of airplane models in response to a request from the government, and they are also working on this project again this year. The high school has honored the 85 members of the school who are in their country's service with an honor roll about 75 by 45 inches in size. The service plaque, made of wood has been painted white with a red border. The blue stars are about three inches in size and underneath each is the name of the one in service. A gold star is abot the name of Gale Schreinter who has given his life for his country. The honor roll was dedicated this month.
The Erie elementary school also has a 100 percent Junior Red Cross enrollment and the several rooms are making scrap books to send to South America as a part of their work. Last year the four upper grades purchased and sold war stamps amounting to $500. This year these grades made personal solicitation in all the homes in the scrap drive which took place in the fall. The pupils of the high school assisted in the collection by driving the pickup trucks, the use of which was donated by the business men of the town. The amount received for the sale of the scrap was donated to the USO work. The amount received for the rest of the scrap, which still remains on the lot near the business district where it was unloaded, will be used for the same purpose. The committee in charge was Paul Carlson, Arden Reisenbigler, and E.G. Pelletier and they were assisted by the principals of the Erie Community high and elementary schools, P.H. DiVail and Charles W. Robbe.
WOMEN IN WAR WORK
SEWING REPORT
Red Cross home nursing courses the past year had a large enrollment. Some from Spring Hill had a perfect attendance record. The instructor was Mrs. Lester Rose of Erie. The Erie Woman's club has also been active. The club members not only assisted in the sewing as did the members of the other organizations, but provided the material and made 10 children's dresses. Mrs. WIll Hogarth, the president, who is serving as comfort kit chairman had arranged with some of the organizations to make and fill25 of these kits. The defense chairman of the local club, Mrs. Payne Thompson arranged with six organizations of the town to provide cake or cookies for the USO center at Savanna for six nights and with two other organizations to serve a buffet supper on a Sunday evening. Over 200 soldiers were served the supper and five residents from the town conveyed the food there and assisted in serving it. For nearly three years the Erie Woman's club has sponsored a library and since tlast june a war information center with the assistance of the works projects administration. On Jan. 30 the financial assistance of the WPA was withdrawn and the Erie Junior Woman's club became co-sponsors with the Senior club on Feb. 1 in assuming with them the financial responsiblity of the library.
LEGION TAKES A PART
The Erie Masonic lodge is contributing liberally in the five Masonic service centers in the state. The first week in Feb. a service flag was put up in the Masonic hall with eight stars. The honor roll contains these members; Chester W. Burns who at the time of his induction into the service was serving as worshipful master; Kenneth James, walter Maranville, Raymond D. Martin, Robert Matthews, Raymond Saddoris, Solomon Shaheen adn Raymond Wood.
The Eastern Star chapter in Erie had an alghan as a Red Cross project and various members have crocheted yarn in bright colors to make this article for convalescent soldiers in the hospitals. The members also assist int he Red Cross projects.
During the year 1942 the Erie post office has sold war stamps amounting to $5,171.50 and war bonds were $60, 328.75. The seniors of the Erie Community high school started November 15, to sell war bonds and stamps and by Feb. 1 the purchase price of these amounted to $764.60. The class of 1942 presented the school a $100 war bond as one of its gifts. The high school has a 100 percent enrollment in the Junior Red Cross. The manual training and home economics departments have both been busy doing Junior Red Cross work. The home economics girls under teh direction of their instructor, Miss Ida Margaret McNutt hae as their Red Cross project 15 pairs of bedroom slippers for hospital use, 15 pair of slippers of the mule type, six bed jackets for women and six bed jackets for men for hospital use, and six card table covers. The pupils supplied the material for the slippers.
The women of the town and communitya s usual, have been doing their part in defense work, not only recently but long before the Pearl Harbor tragedy. The sewing and knitting groups of the Red Cross have accomplished a great deal of work int he past few years and the surgical dressing unit this winter has completed a 2500 quota of the two by two sponges. The work was so well accomplished that the chairman was informed at headquarters that there was not one "throw out" in the whole number. Their next quota was 1800 of the four by eight dressings. This was completed in February. Mrs. ANdrew Frels is chairman adn MRs. E.S. Arnett co-chairman of the surgical dressing unit.
Mrs. Oscar Olson, local Red Cross sewing chairman submits the following fine report of the sewing accomplished by Erie and vicinity: 40 men's and boy's shirts; 136 women's and girl's dresses; 125 bedshirts; 30 operating gowns, 436 squares; 6 children's coats and 6 bonnets; 48 layettes; 16 bab-carriage blankets; 12 comfort kits making a total of 1287 pieces. Mrs. Charles Earl, knitting chairman, up until the close of 1942 reports that 162 sweaters, 3 pair of socks and 1 pair of wristlets were knitted up until that time. Mrs. George Riordon and Mrs. P.H. DiVail assumed the co-chairmanship of the knitting the first of the year had 9 turtleneck sweaters and 2 helmets being made up to Feb. 1.
The members of the American Legion and the auxiliary have taken an active part in the defense program. The Legion has assumed the responsibility of the civilian defense program and the present commander, Lawrence Perkins is co-ordinator. A black out was held during the late summer which went over 100 percent. Fred Finnicum is air raid warden and Earl Border air raid observer. The block captains are all named and everything is all in readiness for a black out at any time. The county co-ordinator, Clyde Burns, chairman of the board of supervisors, is a resident of the town. The Legion members were in charge of the war bond drive in Erie with Frank Sweatt, wo was commander at that time adn Edgar Florence Sr. as co-chairman. The LEgion also sponsored the old records drive and shipped out 600 pounds of records. This organization was in charge of the selective service registration here. The Legion auxiliary in addition to assisting the Legion has provided material for and made a number of kits for the soldiers and taken part in all Red Cross activities.
Morrison Bond Reaches $1,797.741 Mark
Two Success Scrap Drives
Red Cross Work
During 1942 a prodigous amount of knitting was accomplished by women of WHiteside County including 1223 sweaters, 38 playsuits, 178 pairs of socks, 135 pairs of wristlets, 35 beanie, 6 helmets, 30 knee bands, 15 pairs of sea boot stockings, and many scarfs. One hundred pounsa of yarnis now in production and knitting chairman Mrs. C. W. Fitzgerald hopes to have it ready by March 1.
Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor is in charge of home nursing for the Whiteside chapter of the Red Cross. In Morrison 104 home nursing certificates have been issued and at the present time two classes in the junior courses are being given by Mrs. Boyd Kimmel adn mrs. Robert Van Osdol. Other instructors have been Mrs. Charles Lazio and Mrs. Pauline Burnett. Both Mrs. Kimmel and Mrs. Van Osdol have taught adult classes as wella s junior classes.
Morrison, although it is not in a vital defense area, has thrown itself wholeheartedly into the war effort. Morrison factories are working on defense work, and Morrison citizens are bending every effort to fight the war on the home front. As the people have seen more and more boys leave town these past 12 months, to take their places in the one of the many branches of the service scattered from the Arctic to below the equator, the desire to do something has been replaced by the grim determination to leave nothing undone that the home fron can do. Prior to Pearl Harbor, only $11,808.75 in defense bonds had been sold through the Smith Trust and Savings Bank in Morrison. In the months since that December 7 and up to Feb. 1, 1943, citizens of Morrison and the surrounding area have spent $343,491 with a maturity value of $429, 363.75. The bank itself has purchased $1,356,600. Throught he post office in the past 12 months $97,650 have been purchased.
Two success scrap drives have been held; THe first one August 27 brought in 45 tons of scrap. The second on Armistice day, was sponsored by both the Rotary and Lions clubs and Morrison schools, cooperated fully, with each class laboring mightily to oudo the other in the amount of scrap turned in. A check for $424.78 from the sale of the scrap was turned over to the USO county chairman Frank Shuman by the Wa Tan Ye club which served as bookkeeper for the drive.
The Whiteside county chapter of the Red Cross has done outstanding work. Dr. H.J. Rendall, is chairman and has a smooth running organization, women of the area giving a ready response when called upon. Mrs. Nellie A. Stapleton is production volunteer chairman and devotes a great share of her time to Red Cross work now, as she did in World War I. The sewing department has made up about 25,000 yards of material into operating gowns, hospital bed gowns, shirts, womens' and girls' dressed, shirts, mens adn boys shirts, pajamas for children and hospital patients, womens slips and blouses, snow suits, and layetts. 160 layettes each made up of 43 pieces have been shipped. Both cotton and woolen material have been used for dresses. Mrs. William Rose of Morrison has cut everyone of the 25,000 yards and has cut so economically that she has gotten several hundred extra garments from the alloted yardage.
Prophetstown has contributed largely in the war effort during the past year in purchasing war bonds, making large contribution to various organizations in the armed forces, scrap drives and other efforts towards the war aid. A total of $239, 825 was purchased in war bonds during the past year from the Farmer's National bank and the post office, but this is not the total amount purchased by Prophetstown persons. A large number of Prophetstown people are employed in defense plants in other cities, and the amount of war bonds they have purchased is not included in the total sum mentioned. Prophetstown also contributed $1,315 to the USO during the past year.
ECLIPSE ON WAR WORK
RED CROSS ACTIVITIES
HIGH SCHOOL VICTORY CORPS
LIBRARY WAR WORK
BOOSTER CLUB
OCD ON JOB
The Eclipse Lawn Mower company is doing 100 per cent defense work and practically 100 per cent of the employes are purchasing war bonds. The company received a victory flag for having more than 90 per cent of employes purchasing war bonds and was also presented an ordnance banner for meritorious production. The banner was presented at a fitting ceremony at the company plant last October (1942).
The Prophetstown chapter of the Red Cross of which Mrs. Dorothy Adams is chairman is to be commendd for the work done the past year. A home nursing class was organized with the following nurses in charge: Mrs. Leroy Gibson, Miss Harriett Lyon, MRs. B.M. Baldwin, MRs. Spencer Johnson adn Miss Lillian Cleaveland. There were 43 women who wrote examinations and received certificates for the course. Forty-One men and women also completed a first aid course which was conducted by Russell Gentry of Lee Center, State Highway Officer, assisted by Lawrence Kiner. Officer Gentry also conducted an advanced first aid course which was completed by eight local persons. Mrs. Ada Pritchard and Mrs. M.J. Walker attended schools of instruction and are in charge of the surgical dressing department of the Red Cross chapter. About 30 ladies registered in this department, which began on October 1, 1942 and up to January 25 1943 they had made 8,875 surgical dressings. The ladies meet two afternoons each week in rooms provided by the Red Cross. The chapter has made 338 articles during the past year, which include 70 dresses, 25 men's shirts, 75 kits for overseas, 24 sweaters, 50 blouses, 30 slips, 14 hospital gowns, 14 operating gowns, 12 card table covers and 24 hot bottle covers. They also filled 119 boxes, which were sent to men in the armed forces for Christmas. Sewing for the Red Cross was done by members of the various women's clubs in the city and county, also by other women's organizations. Mrs. K.N. Fenn is in charge of the home service department of the Red Cross, and takes care of all correspondence through the National Red Cross for local men in the service, whose families are unable to contact.
The Prophetstown high school organized a Victory Corps during the past year under the supervision of W.M. Layman, high school principal. The officers are: President, Roland Kerr; vice president, Louis Groharing; secretary and treasurer, Jane Schryver. Their work is divided into land, sea and air, also civics or any division for which their work in high school qualifies them. The idea is to take subjects to qualify themselves for these fields. The members assisted in registering persons for gas rationing and are willing to assist any local organization in war work. A committee of the corps writes letters each month to all ex-high school boys in the service. C.B. Mummart, superintendent of schools, has introduced a pre-flight aeronautics course at the high school. The agriculture department of the high school, under the direction of M.L. Lindsay has sponsored four courses in the rural war production program, with ane stimated participation of 125 farmers. These courses dealt with increasing port production, beef production adn the upkeeping and operation of farm machinery.
The Henry C. Adams Memorial library, under the supervision of the librarian, Miss mary Frary, conducted a victory book campaign last year and a large number of books and magazines were sent to camps of men int eh armed forces. A second victory book campaign began on January 18, 1943 and will continue until March 1. The second campaign was a collection for books only.
The Booster club erected an honor roll for Prophetstown men serving in the armed forces. Up to January 25, 1943, 157 men from Prophetstown and surrounding communities had entered the service. The names o the men in the service were placed on the honor roll, which was mounted on the monument at the junction of Washington and Third streets. Two drives for the purchasing of war bonds was also conducted uring the past year, which were very successful.
In regard to civilian defense, a test blackout was held in Prophetstown on the night of August 12, 1942. The blackout, which lasted 30 minutes, was 100 per cent perfect. Mayor Kenneth Miller, chairman of the local defense council appointed committees, which consisted of air raid wardens and assistants for each district in the city, special police and auxilary firemen. The first air corps assisted in the test blackout, with headquarters in the office of Louis Roth. The firemen also answered several calls and extinguished several small fires kindled for the purpose.
