HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA AND ITS PEOPLE

Grant L Shumway, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

The Western Publishing & Engraving Company

Lincoln, Nebraska

1921



Chapter IX Deuel County’s War Record



WORLD WAR ACTIVITIES

Volunteers:

June 5, 1917, three hundred and forty-four Deuel county boys registered for
service in the various branches of the army and navy, which with those who
had previously come before the county clerk, made approximately four
hundred for the first registration day. On June 19, following, the Deuel
County Red Cross Society was organized with the following officers: Mrs.
Ruth Vandiver, Chairman; Mrs. Ethel Pfeiffer, Secretary; Miss Ada Wolf,
Treasurer; Mrs. Olive Bedford and Mrs. John Cave were nominated a Committee
to solicit members. Red Cross Tag Day netted four hundred and ninety four
dollars and some cents, which with previous collections amounted to seven
hundred and twenty five dollars. The executives and committee met at the
home of Mrs. M.C. Heming to plan their additional work on June 30. There
were by that time a hundred and fifty active members in the organization,
but they set the goal at a thousand members.

At the election held in August, 1917, John Wertz was elected Chairman, with
Mrs. Ed C. Wolf, Vice Chairman; Mrs. H.C. Peterson, Treasurer; Mrs. L.O.
Pfeiffer, Secretary, and Mrs. R.B. Williams, Assistant Secretary. Among the
future activities planned, was a Christmas dinner for the boys in service
in 1917, and on April 12, 1918, nine hundred and twenty one dollars was
realized from a Red Cross auction. The drive of May, 1918, went five
hundred dollars over the allotment for Deuel county, as the quota was
twenty five hundred dollars and the Red Cross drive netted three thousand
dollars.

A Junior Red Cross was organized in June, 1918, with Mrs. Dr. Lynch as its
head executive. The Y.M.C.A. also became active and the drive of November,
1917, went fifty per cent over the quota for Deuel county.

Among the "four minute men", speakers for the Liberty Bond drives and other
war movements were Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Busse, Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Betts, Mrs.
Retta Brown, and other prominent people who took and active part in the
prosecution of the work for the government during the war. An organization
was also effected in Deuel county for the enrollment of student nurses.
Captain L.O. Pfeiffer and Lieutenants Libby and McConaughey made a vital
institution out of the Home Guards, who did good work. In February, 1918,
the guards were organized with seventy members and finally the number
increased to more than a hundred, with the following list of officers
besides the captain and lieutenants: H.D. Betts, first sergeant; J.W. Knox,
K.W. Wildman, H.B. Lincoln, and F.E. Weldon plain sergeants; F.L. Smith,
quartermaster; T.M. John color bearer; G.G. Laselle, L.A. Bersee, O.O.
McPheeters, Arthur Reibe, A.W. Robbins, J.R. Hill, Fred Sudman and J.M.
Miller, corporals.