The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-07
WOMANS RELIEF CPRPS
Special Services Held by the Order
Yesterday

After the regular meeting Of ". r. c.
No. 20 yesterday, memorial services were
hel dover the late Anna Wittemeyer, past
national president, IN a very creditable
and befitting manner. The beautiful trib-
/ ute written by Mrs. Emma La Paz, as
also the brief biography ana life by Mrs.
Helena 5. Mason, are worthy Of much
favorable mention The program was
as follows:
Opening by corps, Rock of Ages"
Tribute, by Mrs Emma La Pa,
Solo. by Lena Knoblauch. zone Sweet
" Solemn Thought
Prayer, by Rev. Bruce Griffith.
Biography, by Mrs. Helena S. Mason.
Remarks by Mesdames Merchant and
Lightner.
Beautiful verses OF Scripture were read
by the president, chaplain and senior
vice. followed by a verse in chorus by
corps
Hymn, by corps, Nearer My God to
Thee
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
Mrs. President, comrades and members
Of No. 40: This special service has been
set apart by our president in which to
pay a tribute to our past national presi-
dent. Mrs. Anna Wittemeyer, one of those
grandest of women and army nurses. IN
her death this grand organization Of ours
has sustained a severe loss. She was one
Of our brightest lights, and I feel my
utter inability to express or portray to
you all that she was 70 our order. Anna
Wittem4yer died February 70 1860 a her
home near Pottstown, Pa. aged y years
She was born of Scotch-Irish revolution
airy parentage at Sandy Springs, Ohio.
Married andr emoved to Keokuk, Iowa,
where she opened a free school for the
children Of that town. She was. from the
first. prominent in literary. church and
temperance work. At the outbreak Of the
rebellion she Helped 20 organize a sol
dier's aid society, and then went to the
front as a nurse and manager Of hospit-
ais She collected and distributed about
$4,000 worth Of supplies during the war.
After the war she went into home mis-
stonary and temperance work and was
the first president of the ". c. T. L. in
which position she continued for five
years She entered the woman's Relief
Corps L its formation, and from that day
until her death was prominent IN its
work. she was elected president ma
tionaD of the ". r. c. in 1859. She inau-
gurated and carried forward 10 success
movement for Pennsylvania home for
soIdiers's mothers, widows and orphans.
She also inaUgurated he movement for
q National Woman's Relief Cor1s home
which was established at Madison. Ohio.
and at the time OF her death she was
chairman OF the board OF directors Of this
~
hundred and seveuty-one Of the old army
nurses have secured pensions. She was
also chairman OF the committee appointed
By the national president TO consider the
proposition OF the Department Of Georgia
Of the Grand Army Of the Republic that
the Womans Relief Corps accept from
the AndeTsouviIIe prison property this his
toric spot made sacred ~ the untold az
oniess % thousands % Union prisoners
who preferred suffering and death rather
than betray their country O. dishonsr her
flag. To show Won this noble xoman's
loyalty 70 cur soldiers ard comrades
VIII give YOU a fev brief extracts OF her
report 10 the convention
'Flrst--We are accepting sacred trust
and /. would seem sacriIeEious 20 allow
this sacred soil. Baptized and hauowed
by the blood and tears % patriotic Union
soldiers ever % be used Tor 8 commo1
purpose
Second - The English government .
guards with rsve-en- care the Black
Hole CT Calcutta. where a sex mission +
aries and .helr families suffered and Siei .
il 2 horrible manner during he SsPay {
war. Shan We not with more rsvsraa-
care guard the sacred ground az which
80 many thousands died Or eur aas and .
the PRINCIPLES L syur5olizss9
'-Third--yVe. must no. fo-zeS that This
place has also Been made dsualy szcre5 .
by a divine miracle II the darkest days
Of AnG=rz71vIIe prison Hfs. when -ez
were qertsh5nS fro1 thirst because their
supply of water had beer beS7ulsd. ard
we're trying q dig vals with thesr
ha,-jis and BITS o. tn ard 5o1es ~sth0zzt
success. deep pts thar ss.l -e-na1n one
. tiern. t1srty-fsve- fs~t deep. a sS,'ex CT