The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-06-20
UNDER MRS. THOS. p. HOWARD
EVERY UNIT HELPS BRIGHTEN
LIVES OF SICK COMRADES

AS Service to the Disabled Veter-
ans and their Families" has ever been
the watchword of the American Le-
gion Auxiliary in Minnesota the
members of the organization have
carried out this program we'll. I'm
der Mrs. Thomas P. Howard, state
rehabilitation chairman the work of
visiting and assisting the men in the
hospitals and looking after the needs
of their families is carried out every
day. The men in the hospitals are
visited, they are supplied with bath
robes, pajamas, slippers, thermos bot
ties, bed coats, heating pads, and
where there is no compensation, ev-
en- clothing of all sorts is provided.
No matter in what part of the state
the hospital is located, the same SER
vice is given by Auxiliary women.
On all holidays the men are given
special treats by the Auxiliary visit
ors: ice cream and Easter lilies ap-
peared on their trays on Easter day;
on Armistice day each man gets red
carnation; in some of the hospitals
the birthdays of the men are remem-
bered by party given once a month,
at which the men whose birthdays fall
IN that month are the honor guests.
At Christmas each man is remember
ed with a specially designated fold
er containing a new crisp one dollar
bill. 1t took just 1900 of these to
remember all the men in Minnesota
hospitals and all Minnesota men in
hospitals in other states. Baby
Grand pianos have been presented to
the veterans hospitals in st. Cloud
and No. LOG at Fort Smelling.
1t would take pages to enumerate
all the works accomplished, but the
greatest of all is the unflagging in
terest of the women of the Auxiliary
and the regular visits of the hospital
visitors. In each town where we are
organized-now almost 400 in Mime
sota-the unit in that town carries on
the work among families in that vi
cinity who are in need, and the units
contribute generously to the depart
ment funds from which the depart
ment chairman are able to take care
of all calls for help. Emergency loans
are made to veterans in case of ill
ness or death.
During 1927 our hospital visitors
reported 20,783 visits made to the
hospitals; these take in the hospitals
in st. Paul, Minneapolis, Rochester,
Duluth, Walker, st. Peter, Glen Lake,
and Fergus Falls. From the state
welfare fund (which is called the
Helen Hughes Hielscher fund in hon.
or of the first department president)
over $4,000 was expected for loans,
hospital supplies (bath robes, etc.
and welfare relief.
At the time of the flood in 1927 in
the southern part of our country, the
Minnesota units contributed we'll ov-
er $4,000 for the relief of the stricken
communities, which money was dis
bursed by the Auxiliary women in the
southern states who gave up their
entire time to the relief work at hand.
The Minneapolis visiting committee
consists of Mrs. T. E. Francis, supply
chairman; Mrs. L. w. Emerson, en-
tertainment chairman; Mrs. F. L..
Bush, Mrs. Peter Flood, Mrs. L. H.
Abbey, Mrs. Jas. j. Roy, Mrs. Thos.
Howard, Mrs. Elmer Engberg, Mrs.
Robert Saxton, Mrs. c. M. Kirkpat-
rick, Mrs. w. H. Miller, Mrs. C. o.
Denies, Mrs. G. F. Ginbach.
Mrs. d. E. Prev is chairman of the
visiting committee at st. Peter where
65 ex-service men are hospitalized.
Mrs. Nina Wistrand of Excelsior is
chairman of visiting committee at
Glen Lake, where 10 ex-service men
are hospitalized; also a number of
children of ex-service men, whom the