Hospital Garments and Supplies Committee 1919
In June 1917, Florence J. Stanley Eckstein held the first workshop for the Miami County Chapter of the American Red Cross. She was described as a woman of unusual business ability and integrity, and a former teller and confidential clerk at the bank. Her knowledge of people throughout the county was extensive. She organized auxiliaries in all of the townships, with some areas having two or three groups. Then she organized auxiliaries in the city of Peru. Two branches were established with the entire county working under the jurisdiction of the Peru shop. The main chapter of the Red Cross was located in Peru, but there were branches in Converse, Bunker Hill, Macy, Denver, Chili, Mexico and Peoria. The county branches received the material pre-cut out and ready to sew. They then returned the finished garment. All materials were purchased in Peru. A room donated by the Wilkinson brothers, located on West Sixth Street was used for the making of hospital supplies, while a room donated in Peru Mercantile Company was used for making the surgical supplies. For a while the domestic science department of the high school was used. Fox brothers assisted with cutting the garments, completing the work free of charge in their factory. Florence J. Stanley Eckstein was the general supervisor of the work in the county. Mrs William Gustin was in charge of the surgical dressing department. While there will be a separate article addressing the work of the Surgical Dressing Committee, it should be noted here that after October of 1918 when Florence Eckstein “went South” the department leadership was assumed by committee members: Mrs. J. O. Cole, Mrs. Elton Shively, and Mrs. Felix Levy. When the Surgical Dressing Work Room closed Mrs Gustin assumed the sole leadership of the Hospital Garment and Supplies committee and remained in charge until the closing of the shop. It is unknown what was meant in the report when it says Florence J. Stanley Eckstein “went South”. Perhaps she traveled to a southern region of the country to help with the flu epidemic that would have been raging in October of 1918, but any possibility of the meaning of “went south” is conjecture. Let us take a look at who Florence J. Stanley Eckstein was.
Florence’s parents, John and Mary Stanley can be found in 1870 living in Maine but by February of 1873, when Florence was born, they were living in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1880 the family was living in Peru, Indiana and John was working in the railroad shop. Her father died in 1885 and was buried in Peru. Florence fell in love with a New York-born son of German immigrants named Charles P. Eckstein and the couple was married in 1893. Charles held several positions of employment between 1895 and 1912. He was a clerk, laborer, clothing salesman, life insurance salesman, feed stable worker and became owner C. P. Eckstein and Company and South Peru Feed Mill before returning to selling insurance. Florence worked as a stenographer and later a teller. Florence’s mother lived with the couple until her death and then Florence’s aunt Elizabeth lived with them. Florence retired from her job as a teller at the First National Bank by 1920 and Florence, Charles and Elizabeth moved to Wallick Road. Between 1919 and 1927 Charles worked as a salesman at Murden Ford. Tragedy struck Florence’s life in 1937 when Charles died of esophageal cancer. Ten years later, being an avid member of the Peru Baptist church, Florence moved into the Baptist Home in Maywood, Illinois which is a suburb of Chicago. In 1945 on a Sunday morning, Florence passed away at Manteno, Illinois. Her body was returned to Peru, Indiana for burial at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Florence was 44 when she stepped up to the plate to get the women’s work of the Miami County Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross off to an organized start. The final committee report of the Hospital Garment and Supplies committee stated a number listed for hospital garments as 9780 items and a number listed for hospital supplies as 9768 items. In fact, in August of 1917, a mere 60 days after the first workshop opened, The Peru Journal reported that the first shipment was sent from Miami County to Fort Wayne and consisted of 1089 articles. All the garments passed inspection and were considered by the Fort Wayne Regional Office to be of high quality. The following list of items shipped from Miami County to Fort Wayne provides an understanding of the
type of items the local women were making.
Hospital Supplies included:
Surgeons’ gowns 41
Surgeons’ helmets 41
Surgeons’ caps 11
Operating leggings 40 pr
Bathrobes 13
Bed Shirts 94
Bed Sox 76 pr
Pajamas 24 suits
Nightingales 86
Hot water bottle covers 41
Tray covers 20
Wash Rags 123
Booties for refugee babies 50 pr
Surgical Supplies:
9 in X 9 in compresses 18 dozen
4 in X 4 in compresses 12 dozen
3 yard roll bandages 4 dozen
Sponges 21
Fracture pillows 14
The newspaper also reported that the work had been delayed because of the inability to get the Red Cross trademark that must be sewn into all garments. In February of 1919, The Red Cross Magazine published an answer to a query about why it was necessary to sew the tiny Red Cross Label into the many garments that were made, taking up time and money that could be put to better use. Their response was that it was to show the people in foreign lands that America cared. And that it was to give comfort to our troops that what they were given was Made In America. The response compared it to a greeting card that is enclosed with a gift. So the women waited on the tag that was required to be meticulously stitched into each and every piece.
The final committee report from the local Red Cross Chapter of the war work listed the women who participated often by their husband’s first name preceded by Mrs. and followed by the surname of the husband. Where possible the list has been altered to use the given and the maiden name of the individual proceeding the married surname.
The following women are listed as committee members for the Hospital Garment and Supplies Committee:
Bessie Labonte Cole
Harriett Annie Porter Charters
Ottelia Cohn Wertheim
Mrs. Charles Seaman
Olive Hay Staley Reitzel
Georgia C. Retige Griswold
Minnie J. Shively Sollett
Delia Correll VanGilder
Mettie A Fernshell
Ada Maria Dodds Stutesman
Kate Cole Porter
Laura Wilson Bertram
Ida M. Zimmerman Charters
Ever M. Reed Shively
Amelia Francis Carter Helm Click on image for larger view
Matilda Christina Troster Betzner
Belle Coucher
Ida Belle La Boiteaux Hippensteel
Mable D. Enrul Seibert
Sarah Baer Levy
Jeanne V. Kantzer Miller
Catherine Black Saine
Nina Locke Bauer
LuLu Levi
Edith May Baggs Rhodes
Jennie McKinstry Pyle
These women are listed under this committee and it is stated that they served throughout the county:
Lottie Petty Fisher
Della O. Lawrence Griffith
Eulalia Dell Eurit Farrar
Minnie Harris
Bertha May Phillips Sullivan
Angie Phelps
Ruby Agnes May Lash Rendel
Martha McDowell Reese
Hermione Alice Whittenberger Wilson
Naomi Waite
Ida M. Hill Stewart
Louise Crockett
Effie Reynolds Click on image for larger view
Alta Wildman Dukes
Nellie Miller Dukes
Essie Reynolds
Sarah Effie Chapin Kindig
Alta May Russell Phelps
Effie L. Butt Daniels
Written, researched and submitted by Mary Rohrer Dexter