USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > History of the town of Rockingham, Vermont, including the villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1907-1957 with family genealogies > Part 18
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The LEND-A-HAND PAST CHIEFS' CLUB was formed in November, 1922, with eleven members formed for the purpose of helping others. At present there are 27 Past Chiefs with seven charter members as follows: Edith Bailey, Inez Wheeler, Alice Isham, Bessie Chandler, Cora Newcomb and Sarah Wiggins. Present officers are President, Hazel Russell; Vice President, Helen Bemis; Secretary, Christabel Pennock; Treas- urer, Bessie Chandler; Chaplain, Thelma Woodbury.
PYTHIAN SISTERS, Hope Temple No. 6, was instituted in 1903 in the I.O.O.F. hall, the charter written by a Brother Knight of Pythias, William Rafter. At that time 22 ladies and 10 Knights became the first members of the Rathbone Sisters as they were formerly called. This lodge was officially recognized in 1906 as an auxiliary. The meeting place has been moved several times and some records have been lost but it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1953 with the only living charter member present, Mary Richardson. Membership to- day is 68 sisters and 10 brothers and it is the only Temple in the southern part of Vermont. The Order of Pythian Sisters in the United States has the distinction of donating more money
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to the Polio Fund than any other organization. Present officers are Past Chief, Ann Morse; Most Excellent Chief, Christabel Pennock; Excellent Senior, Marion Sabins; Excellent Junior, Ethel Buckman; Manager, Mildred Wood; Secretary, Thelma Woodbury; Treasurer, Helen Cowing; Protector, Ad Farns- worth; Guard, Mildred Cowing and Pianist, Helen Bemis.
The GREAT FALLS POST AUXILIARY NO. 3 of Guards- men, was organized March 31, 1948 in the Odd Fellows Hall to help the needy, to sponsor projects for the betterment of the Post and Auxiliary and to guard the peace and security of the nation. A major project is aid to the handicapped. Mem- bership is limited to mothers, sisters, wives, widows and daugh- ters, aged 16 or older, related or married to the person qualified for membership in the Legion of Guardsmen. There were 21 charter members and the first President was Mrs. Florence Hodgkins; First Vice President, Mrs. Bonnie Benson; Second Vice President, Mrs. Anna Morse; Secretary, Mrs. Annie Good- rich; Treasurer, Mrs. Frances Golec; Chaplain, Mrs Edna Farrell. Present officers are President, Audrey McCauley ; Senior Vice President, Margaret Coates; Junior Vice President, Mary Bashaw; Secretary, Ruth Fairbanks; Treasurer, Mary Nichols; Chaplain, Ella Lasonde.
The NATIONAL EMBLEM CLUB, formed in 1948 with 20 charter members, has a membership of over 25,000, known as the Elks' Ladies' Clubs. It is open to mothers, wives, sisters, daughters or widows of Elks, a non-political and non-sectarian organization and neither politics nor religion are ever discussed in this club. The local club works under the Supreme Emblem Club and there are 266 subordinate clubs in the United States, Canal Zone and Guam, each with its own charter. Scholar- ships of $200 are available to sons or daughters of Emblem Club members who can meet requirements. Present officers are President, Mrs. Stella Richardson; Vice President, Mrs. Rose Cloutier; Junior Past President, Miss Anna Jankiewicz; Re- cording Secretary, Mrs. Dorothy O'Hearne; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. Ann Martin; Financial Secretary, Mrs. Ida Goutas; Treasurer, Mrs. Dorothy Snyder. Past presidents were Julia Costin, 1948-1949; Ann Martin, 1949-1950; Marga- ret Monahan, 1950-1951; Georgia Moreau, 1951-1952; Dorothy O'Hearne, 1952-1953.
AMITY REBEKAH LODGE NO. 7 was formed in 1882 and was for many years the largest in District No. 12. It grew rapidly after 1900 until well into the '30's when most of the present regalia was acquired. Many neighboring lodges were visited, often with horse and buggy or by train. In 1907 at the Odd Fellows' Field Day in Brattleboro, Rebekah Lodges were asked to put on drills for which Gerry Walker of Bellows Falls drilled a team of 12 ladies from Amity Lodge, tying for the prize with Dennis Lodge of Brattleboro. Under Beulah
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Dean, Noble Grand in 1915, the Lodge exemplified the degree at Grand Lodge Session in Brattleboro at the invitation of the Rebekah Assembly of Vermont. In 1919 there were 46 new members initiated by Inez Wheeler, Noble Grand. In 1940- 1941, Luella Campbell, Noble Grand, initiated 78 new members. Among members who served as District Deputy Presidents were Estelle Wilbur, Sylvia Walker, Josie Pierce, Helena A. Moore, Elsie Ober, Beulah Dean and Jennie DeMuzio. In 1950 Gerry Walker served his 35th year as Grand Scribe of the Grand Encampment. Sylvia Walker was elected President of Rebekah Assembly of Vermont in 1928, the first time a member of the local lodge has held that office. Belle Jenkins and Emma L. Rice, oldest living members, had belonged to Amity Lodge for 57 years in 1950. These have both passed away since. The Lodge assisted in dedicating the new Odd Fellows Hall in 1938 and it has been a member of the community for 75 years. Dur- ing two wars it had members in the service. W. W. I saw Lillian Ward and Grace Jenkins serving as nurses, the former dying a victim of the flu epidemic in Army camps. In W.W.II Jean MacPherson and Nellie Davis served in the Women's Army Corps, Miss Davis for two years in Germany. Also in the service were Nelson Halladay, Albert Bushey, Clifford Brown and Maurice Williams.
THE CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS of America was organ- ized in August, 1931 with 58 charter members and became officially the Court of St. Charles, No. 1185. The original group grew to 224 with their chief activities social service, help- ing needy families including the aged, children and shut-ins. Local charity work is their chief objective with aid provided for State Social Service and Catholic Charities. Their motto is Unity and Charity. One worthy project of this group was its influence in closing all local places of business for three hours on Good Friday. Catholic Daughters list on their records dur- ing W.W.II, such achievements as First Aid, Home Nursing, Observation Posts, Canteen, Surgical Dressings, Sewing, Control Centers and Blood Donors; donations to the Red Cross and USO and bonds purchased. The club keeps Catholic books and magazines in the library and in 1939 they sponsored six troops of Junior Catholic Daughters with six councillors whose main object is also Social Service. Meetings were held in the Woman's Club rooms until 1949 when the Knights of Colum- bus allowed them the use of their rooms. The State Court of C.D.A. held its annual convention in Bellows Falls in 1937 and also in 1952. Following are the Grand Regents, Mrs. Elizabeth McDonald, 1931-1933; Mrs. Nona Kiniry, 1933-1934; Mrs. Marion Reardon, 1934-1936; Mrs. Elizabeth McDonald, 1936- 1938; Mrs. Agnes Fitzgerald, 1938-1940; Mrs. Julia O'Connor, 1940-1942; Mrs. Ruth Collins, 1942-1943; Mrs. Helen Keefe, 1943-1945; Mrs. Elizabeth Slattery, 1945-1947; Miss Marjorie.
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McCarthy, 1947-1949; Mrs. Louise Harty, 1949-1951; Miss Kay Hennessey, 1951-1952; Miss Anna Mae Kelly, 1952-1953.
The AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, Unit No. 37, was organized December 14, 1920 by 16 women who met at the home of Mrs. Bessie Chandler. The first regular meeting was held January 5, 1921 in the Knights of Pythias Hall with Mrs. Anna Shaw elected President. On September 24, 1923, lack of interest in the organization forced its dissolution but the following March state department officers came to Bellows Falls to reorganize the unit and form a new Chapter at a meet- ing held in the Armory. Regular meetings were then held once more in such places as the Armory, Forrester's Hall, Dr. Leroy Knight's office and later in the Legion rooms in the old Times block. Since 1927, meetings were held in the Legion rooms in the Town Hall building until the new Legion home was opened in 1955. Mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of members of the Legion or of those who died in the service in line of duty, are eligible besides any woman who herself has been in the service of her country. The chief aim of the Auxiliary is the rehabilitation of disabled veterans and their families through the Child Welfare program which is aided by an annual rummage sale. Money is raised each year by the Poppy Drive and in 1921 Poppy pins were sold on Memorial Day to help French war widows. Poppy Day was sponsored by the Legion until 1928 when the Auxiliary took it over. The Auxiliary takens part in all local worthy drives for Americanism and community service is part of its program. Since Girls' State was started in 1941 at Vermont Junior College in Montpelier, Pierce-Lawton Post has urged local organizations to sponsor one girl each year for this weekly conclave in which they are schooled for the practical application of government procedures, enabling them to become better civic leaders. The Auxiliary also presents, under its project of Americanism, a medal for good citizenship to the outstanding student graduating each year from high school. Flags are distributed to stimulate patriotism.
During W.W.II the Auxiliary did its full share of Red Cross and Civilian Defense work. It also held open house in the Legion rooms each Saturday night for soldiers and their friends from nearby camps and provided gifts for the recreation room at the camp. It helped state and national programs to help disabled and hospitalized veterans with clubmobiles, training cars for amputees, greenhouses at army hospitals, portable movie ceiling projectors and other things. It sponsors a Christ- mas Gift Shop at the White River Hospital. Each year it pays tribute to the Gold Star Mothers of the community with a tea or dinner. Three members of the local group have been State Officers, Mrs. Bessie Bodine, Department President, 1944- 1945; Margaret Linstrom, Department Vice President from the Fourth District, 1927-1928 and Mrs. William Dean, Fifth
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District President, 1940-1941. Membership in the Auxiliary in 1950 numbered 165. Present officers are President, Mary Harwood; Vice President, Mrs. Barbara Riendeau; Second Vice President, Mrs. Dorothy O'Hearne; Historian, Mrs. Mar- jorie Lemnah; Chaplain, Mrs. Pauline McPhee; Secretary, Mrs. Marion Shattuck; Treasurer, Mrs. Marion McArdle; Sergeant-at-arms, Mrs. Mary Lawlor.
THE CHORAL UNION was a music loving group of men and women-the women predominating- which functioned for more than 30 years. Starting out in 1900 with Nelson Coffin as Director, it was discontinued in 1928 from lack of interest but sprang to life again in 1932 with 25 old and new members. Mrs. Edith McCullough was the new Director and Mrs. W. C. Belknap, President, followed by Mrs. Ernest Dean and Miss Dorothy Sparrow. It put on one or two concerts each year often in neighboring towns and worked in conjunction with the State Woman's Club choruses. It closed its books in 1938.
THE BELLOWS FALLS ROCK AND MINERAL CLUB was organized April 27, 1945 for the increase and diffusion of mineralogical knowledge. The first meetings were held in the science laboratory in the high school until 1949 when they were held in the homes of the members. A study of rocks and min- erals is led by members many of whom purchase lapidary equip- ment for making pendants, earrings, etc. as well as silver craft. Field trips are taken during warm weather and often combined with other clubs such as Springfield, Rutland and Boston. Exhibits have been held at the Rutland Fair, at jewelry stores and at the high school. This group also cleaned and classified about 100 specimens belonging to the Rockingham Library in 1949. Several distinguished speakers have appeared before the club including Dr. Pough, curator of the Department of Mineralogy and Geology of the American Museum of Natural History; Mr. Edward Conrad and Mr. Paul Robinson of the Western Electric Research Department. Club members have given talks to the high school, teachers, clubs and elementary children in Bellows Falls and other towns. One member of the local club, Harry Burton, by experimenting with minerals, made and patented a silver cleaner and white shoe cleaner now being successfully marketed in Concord, N. H. by Crest Labora- tories. Among specimens found within 55 miles of Bellows Falls are beryl and tourmaline in Acworth, N. H .; calcite crys- tals in Amsden, Vt .; garnets in Erving, Mass .; pink quartz in Gilsum, N. H., gold in Plymouth, jasper in Rutland and copper in Thetford. Officers are President, Frederick Nies, Jr., 1948- 1950; Edward R. Pierce, 1950-1951 and Frederick Nies, Jr., 1951-1954.
THE SALVATION ARMY took up quarters in Bellows Falls in 1916 but lack of co-operation it is said and some rowdy- ism, made them reluctant to remain. But they returned in
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1921 for a short time. Today there is no local group but mem- bers of the famous Army of Evangeline Booth are still seen collecting funds for their many worthy projects.
THE PARENT-TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION was first organized in January, 1939 with 101 paid members, meeting in the high school building. President was Mrs. C. C. Shaw; First Vice President, Prentiss Haines; Second Vice President, Mrs. A. A. Parker; Secretary, Mrs. Robert Douglas; Treasurer, Mrs. Maria Lamlein. This included both high school and elementary schools but lasted only a few years and since then, there has been none connected with the high school. In 1949 the parents of the Wells St. school organized as a Parents' Club with Mrs. Arthur Edwards as the first President and met regularly at the school building for social evenings and money was raised for school projects. This, however, never became officially a P.T.A. group. However the P.T.A. or Parent Teachers' Assn. was formed at the Atkinson St. School in 1952 and at the George St. school the next year. When the new ele- mentary school was opened in 1954, the P.T.A. covered all grades in this school. Present President is Gordon Lillie. The Saxtons River P.T.A. has been very active for more than 15 years with today's President, Mrs. William Frey; Vice President, Fred Brown and Secretary, Mrs. Roy Minich.
THE SONS OF UNION VETERANS AUXILIARY is dedicated to love of country and was organized July 26, 1916 with 34 charter members. Two charter members, Florence Holt and Blanche Snow (Tarbell) are still members of the order which includes wives, sisters, daughters, adopted daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters, nieces and great- nieces of deceased or honorably discharged solders, sailors or marines who served in the Union Army or navy during the Cicil War or wives, mothers or widows of Sons of Veterans in good standing now or at time of death, Americans or naturalized citizens. First officers were President, Adenia Davenport; Vice President, Lettie Bingham; Treasurer, Nell Morrison; Secretary, Maude Perry. Present officers President, Neva Tarbell; Sec- retary and Treasurer, Blanche Tarbell.
THE FALL MOUNTAIN GRANGE of Bellows Falls has 230 members but only 61 persons met to form that first Grange No. 297 on March 1, 1902 in Odd Fellows Hall. The first officers were Master, M. M. Whitney; Overseer, J. S. Knowlton; Lecturer, Mrs. Mary Blakely; Steward, Robert Foster; Assistant Steward, George A. Halladay; Chaplain, Mrs .. C. A. Fuller; Treasurer, M. H. Ray; Secretary, Mrs. J. L. Bush; Gatekeeper, C. A. Fuller; Ceres, Mrs. J. A. Thwing; Pomona, Mrs. M. H. Ray; Flora, Mrs. Robert Foster; Lady Assistant Steward, Miss May E. Farnsworth. The latter be- came Mrs. George Halladay who, with Miss Ethel Mack, compose the only living charter members today. Fall Moun-
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tain Grange has had 29 masters during its 53 years of existence whose terms ranged from three months to nine years. All meetings were held in Odd Fellows Hall until January 1, 1911 when they moved into the G.A.R. Hall, also known as Forresters' Hall on the third floor of the Opera House. At the time of the 1925 fire which destroyed much of their property, they were reputed to have the best equipment for degree work of any Grange in southern Vermont. They met in the Knights of Pythias Hall in what is now the Faught block until they moved to the Community House in Gageville, January 1, 1931. When the Grange bought the Methodist Church in Bellows Falls February 16, 1942 they found a permanent home. On V.E. Day, May 8, 1945, they burned the mortgage on their new home wth 450 people in attendance and James C. Farmer, Lecturer of the National Grange, as speaker. Much credit is due the Ladies' Aid, Mrs. Lena Hall, President, for the payment of the mortgage as these women held a succession of card parties, suppers and bazaars. The church building was remodeled into quarters suitable for the Grange including a stage in the audi- torium, removal of the pews and renovating of the kitchen, most of the labor performed by the members. In 1930, Vermont has 150 Granges with 14,300 members and owned 44 halls. When the question of hard roads in the state was becoming a vital issue, the Grange stood up insistently for the new roads for which it saw a future need. The Grange sponsors an active Home and Community Welfare Committee and a Community Service Committee sponsored by the Sears, Roebuck Founda- tion. In 1944, the Grange voted to sponsor the Juvenile Grange which has been active ever since. Present officers are Master, Earle M. Cowing; Overseer, Barbara Wilcox; Lecturer, Theresa Cowing; Steward, Edythe Silver; Assistant Steward, Lois Wood; Chaplain, Helen Keefe; Treasurer, George Taylor; Secretary, Mildred Wood; Gatekeeper, Marjorie Lemnah; Ceres, Mary Blood; Pomona, Ellen LaFreniere; Flora, Marion Hurlburt; Lady Assistant Steward, Rose Marie Marino; Pianist, Emma Marino.
THE BELLOWS FALLS WOMAN'S CLUB. It was many years ago that Miss Mary Divoll of Rockingham said that "the Woman's Club has blazed the way in almost every forward movement." And from its origin in 1901, with no definite meeting place and only 111 members, to the present thriving club with more than 250 members, history shows that the Woman's Club has not only backed but indeed "blazed the trail" for projects which today are the backbone of the community.
It was a man who suggested that a club of ladies be formed in Bellows Falls, the Rev. Albert Hammett of the Universalist Church and on September 13, 1901, a group of interested women met at the home of Mrs. Clark Chase, now the Bellows Falls
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Inn, to consider this idea. It must have been a unanimous vote for they at once drew up a program featuring lecture and study courses stressing art, music, science and current events with meetings, for the first three years, held in the homes of the members. The objects of this new club were to be "mental and social culture, the promoting of educational, literary and benevolent objects for the purpose of encouraging a generous public spirit in the community." In general, these subjects are still the basis of club projects today. That first committee appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws consisted of Mrs. A. N. Swain, Mrs. F. G. Flint, Mrs. J. H. Reid, Mrs. Albert Hammett and Mrs. W. F. Hazelton. In spite of the enthusiasm, however, no one really believed that the club would last more than a few years. The first officers were President, Mrs. Jose- phine Arms; First Vice President, Mrs. Albert Hammett; Second Vice President, Mrs. George Welch; Secretary, Mrs. Edward Kirland; Treasurer, Mrs. J. C. Day. Directors were Mrs. George Babitt, Mrs. W. F. Hazelton, Mrs. H. E. Mitchell, Mrs. W. W. Sawyer, Mrs. S. M. Folsom and Mrs. John Reid.
The club started right in to uplift the culture of the town with a public lecture in the Opera House by Jacob Riis and an exhibition of 250 famous pictures held in the high school, the proceeds from this going to buy sepia prints to hang in school- rooms of the town. For many years the Winged Victory and The Reading from Homer, decorated the walls of the high school and everyone knew them intimately. The club did not hesitate to stoop from the sublime to the less-sublime as it worked to uphold civic interest such as raising funds for the Twin State Baseball League. Along this same line, it intended its children to have a playground and so insistent was it that the village was finally persuaded to purchase the' land formerly known as William's Orchard. It was improved by the club which also paid for the first instructor, Penelope Macleod and it opened it with a pageant in 1914 participated in by young and old.
Probably the greatest monument to the club is the present modern hospital, the result of indignant women fifty years ago who saw sickness and accidents and who instigated the first small hospital and the Visiting Nurse, once called the District Nurse. Club women could not sit by and see other women die in child birth because there was neither nurse nor hospital available. Because one person in town gave unstintingly of her time among the poor and ill, whose ire amounted to top heat at the lack of facilities, that the Woman's Club rose up and "did something" about it. In January, 1904, a committee was formed consisting of Mrs. John Flint, whose home she later gave for a hospital, Mrs. Angie Vaughn and Mrs. Alice Barker who secured a nurse from the Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Miss Amy Frizzell. Fresh from graduation, she took the job on a four month trial and remained for five years until she
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married Herman J. Searles. However, she never lost her active interest in the club and the work of the visiting nurse and became club president in 1920. She passed away in July, 1958.
In an article which Mrs. Searles wrote for the TIMES of 1920, she said "I remember my first day's work and how used up I was because of its strenuous nature and the committee's consternation because they has taxed me beyond my strength." There was a lot of opposition to the new nurse and the com- mittee, fearing that the nurse would not be kept busy, lined up cases for her. They never had to hunt up any more cases. When the doctors and people realized the value of the work, they were never able to keep up with it. The good natured red-haired nurse in her funny little flat straw hat, her long double-breasted coat and her queer old bag, as someone quipped, her "captivating" uniform soon grew to be a beloved sight in town and out of town as she became a "visiting" nurse and covered adjacent areas. Today the nurse is a "visiting" nurse but works only in Rockingham.
But there was still no hsopital in town and the nurse had more than she could do so they hired two nurses, one for night work as the Metropolitan Insurance Co, work has also been taken on. In 1907 Miss Frizzell made 2,287 calls, 209 emer- gency and night calls, 58 obstetrical cases and 60 operations, all without benefit of hospital. In February, 1909 Miss Frizzell became Mrs. Searles and Miss Clara Robinson took up the work but in four months the club was looking for another nurse as she, too, "fell a victim to Cupid's darts." Mrs. Searles, how- ever, became chairman of the Visiting Nurse Service and on the Board of the Directors of the Hospital Assn. in 1912. The Nurse was still a club project and she still is and those women furnished bedding and gowns to needy patients as well as gar- ments from which evolved the rummage sales held annually for many years by the club. Six more nurses were employed, Alice Thorpe, Edith Randall, Margaret Robertson, Emma Long, Grace Jenkins and Mrs. Marion Sabins, before Grace Moore, a graduate of the Rockingham Hospital, took the posi- tion in 1919 and held it for 27 years until her death in December, 1946. At that time Pearl Thomas, the present incumbent, took over. Miss Moore served the community long and faithfully and was beloved by rich and poor. At her death, she left funds for the purchase of a wheel chair for patients.
In the beginning, the Woman's Club paid the entire ex- penses of the visiting nurse with such entertainments as Mrs. Jarley's Waxworks to raise money. By 1911 subscriptions from the I.P. Mills raised most of the money so that the club funds only needed to be drawn to the amount of $200 a year. In 1922 the town voted to help with $500 a year or $1,000 for two nurses. In 1950 the club paid $1,670.80 and the town $1,000 for one nurse. In 1954 it paid $2,600. In 1920 the Red
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Cross Chapter presented the first car to the nurse who now provides her own with the club paying for mileage, insurance and upkeep. Today the club pays the difference between ex- penses and town payment on salary. In 1954 the club only had to pay $750, showing the regard in which this work is held today. The work has changed over the years from the days, fifty years ago, when the home was where all illnesses were cared for, to the era when practically everything but chronic cases go to the hospital. And yet the nurse is as busy as ever. In 1953 Miss Thomas made 1,169 visits with 897 home nursing cases, 641 paid calls and 256 free calls. It is still sponsored by the Woman's Club and there is still a Visiting Nurse Committee in the club yearbook, at present chairmaned by Mrs. Jay Graves. 10
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