ADAIR COUNTY WOMEN’S COMMITTEE,
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF DEFENSE
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION FORMS, 1917
Musdp Collection W1
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When the United States finally entered World
War I in 1917, the young men of the country enlisted in the armed forces, the
older men made speeches and sold War Bonds and the women made arrangements to do
their part “for the war effort” as well.
Saturday, July 28, 1917, designated as “Patriotic Day” by Missouri
Governor Frederick D. Gardener, was selected as official
registration day for Missouri women “who desire to help win the war” to sign up
for war work. In Adair County, the
Sojourner’s Club and the ladies of the Normal School faculty organized the
campaign under the sponsorship and direction of the Women’s Committee of the
National Council of Defense, Missouri Division.
They began registration at the Normal School on Friday the 27th in order
to catch the students while they were on campus for class.
Kirksville ladies registered at booths set up all over town on the 28th
and work in the rest of the county began the following Monday.
Registration was strictly voluntary and any
woman 16 years of age or older was eligible. Completion of the form carried no
legal obligation; it merely provided the Council of Defense with a roster of
those willing to help out if a need arose. Newspaper accounts report about 600
registrations at the Normal School and another 300 in town; 325 of these cards
were later obtained by Professor E.M. Violette for the Normal School’s History
Museum collection.
The registration card calls for personal
information: Name; address, telephone, age, marital status, race, dependents;
country of birth, citizenship status; current occupation, employer, references;
level of education attained, length of time & place attended & specialized
training. Each registrant was also
asked to indicate what type of services she was offering to the war effort
(volunteer, work for wages or work for expenses), for how long, whether or not
she would be willing to be sent elsewhere if needed, areas in which she had
experience or training and training she would like to be given.
| (1) Registrants were residents of Kirksville and Caucasians unless otherwise stated. |
| (2) Women who did not work outside the home used various terms such as housekeeper, homemaker, housewife, etc. to describe their occupation. We have tried to be consistent here, using the term “homemaker” when it is obvious that the registrant meant she taking care of her own home and family and “housekeeper” when she was being paid for that type of work in someone else’s home. |
| (3) An asterisk [*] indicates employed teachers who were also Normal School students at the time of registration (1917 summer session) |
| (4) Some registrants used their husband’s name or initials rather than their own given name (ie., Mrs John D. Doe or Mrs J.D. Doe rather than Jane Doe), as was the “proper” style of the day. |
| (5) Quite a few registrants read “Country of Birth” as “County of Birth” and completed that blank accordingly; a few were even more specific, so more information may be available on the cards than is readily apparent. |
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| W1:1 |
Background Information (photocopies) |
|
◙ Clarke, Ida Clyde. American Women and the World
War. New York: D Appleton
and Company, 1918. Form samples and explanation of the Missouri program,
pages 48-51and 300-304 ◙ Clippings from The Kirksville Daily Express re the Adair County registration (6), July 13-30, 1917 |
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| W1:2 | Registration Cards |
| “A” | |
|
Margaret Ainslie, 36, widow; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Muriel Allen, 19, single; student Marvel F Ames, 20, single; student, State Normal School Ina Ethyl Angus, 29, single; bookkeeper, Journal of Osteopathy, American School of Osteopathy Ella Archer, 71, married Myra G Arnold, 36, married |
|
| “B” | |
|
SeDora Antoinette Babbitt, 19, single; student,
State Normal School |
|
|
“C” |
|
|
Etta Caldwell, single; runs boarding house |
|
| “D” | |
|
Cora F Dabney, 36, married; homemaker |
|
| “E” | |
|
India Edler, 37, married; nurse, Drs Grim & Grim |
|
| “F” | |
|
Mary E Farren, 63, widow; student, American School
of Osteopathy |
|
| “G” | |
| Jennie G Gardner, 52, married;
homemaker Minnie Gates, 20, single; waitress, Straw Rooming House Elnora Gentry, 66, married; homemaker Blanche Geoghegan, 19, single; telephone operator, Southwestern Bell Meta Gill, 29, single; librarian, State Normal School Frankie Glaves, 25, single; at home Essie Goodwin, 16, single; at home Etta Gorrell, 50, married; runs boarding house Leonah Grassle, 19, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Alta Green, 25, single; at home Gineva I Green, 53, married Talitha Jennie Green, 46, single; Latin teacher, State Normal School Ottie Minerva Greiner, single; teacher, Kansas City, MO Schools Bertha Griffin, 38, married; runs rooming house E Alta Grim, 41, married; housewife Sarah Gunnels, 37, single; student, State Normal School |
|
| “H” | |
|
Lenna B Hall, 21, single; teacher, Kirksville
Schools* |
|
| “I” | |
| Anne Wans Ims, married; homemaker | |
| “J” | |
| Amanda F Jacobs, widow Cora James, 50, married; homemaker Emma Marie Johnson, 26, single; student, State Normal School Winnie Johnston, 24, single; dressmaker & telephone operator D.E. Jones, 37, single; saleswoman, T.W. Garland, St Louis, MO Annie Wallace Jones, 48, married; homemaker Vera Jones, 25, single; student nurse, American School of Osteopathy |
|
| “K” | |
| Annie Louise Kirkham, 35, single;
Training School Supervisor, State Normal School Eldina Kropf, 29, single; teacher, unemployed* |
|
| “L” | |
| Sarah Laird, 22, single; teacher, Knox
City, Mo High School Helen Landes, 22, single; Office Manager, Journal Printing Co Clara Landwig, 31, single; shoe fitter, International Shoe Co Dorothea Langlitz, single; osteopath, Private Practice Margaret Lawson, 20, single; teacher, Holts Summit, MO Rural Schools* Maude Lilley, 22, single; teacher, Orient, IA Schools* Ruth Lilley, 20, single; student, State Normal School Lenore Lindsey, 24, married; teacher, Ft Madison, IA Schools* Mollie M Lindsey, married Mary E Link, 60, married Lottie K Liter, 23, single; stenographer & bookkeeper, S.A.D. Murphy Real Estate Elizabeth Lloyd, 36, married; homemaker Nannie E Lloyd, 45, widow; merchant, proprietor Lloyd’s Grocery Elizabeth F Loder, 44, widow; practical nurse; self-employed Josephine Losey, 21, single; student, State Normal School Violet Opel Lumley, 23, married; leather worker; International Shoe Co Abbie Grace Lyle, 29, single; teacher, State Normal School |
|
| “Mc” | |
|
LaMaebel McCracken, Galt, MO; 22, single |
|
| “M” | |
| Alice D Mann, 30, single; teacher,
State Normal School Jenette Marrow, 30, single; housekeeper, Dr H.M. Still Theodora O Mathiasen, 29, single; student, American School of Osteopathy Anna Melvin, Lancaster, MO; 19, single; teacher, Tipp School, Lancaster, MO* Virginia Merrin, 60, married; homemaker Anna M Meyer, 30; homemaker Rachael Miley, 23, married; homemaker Mrs L.M. Miller, 56, married; homemaker Mrs R.M. Miller, 40, married; homemaker Ola E Miller, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Bertha Leslie Mills, 25, married Louise Mills, 50, married Zella Milstead, 48, married; homemaker Fannie Minick, 30, single; factory worker, International Shoe Company Iva Gola Minor, 20, single; student, State Normal School Mary Gladys Mitchell, 25, single; teacher, Palmyra, MO Schools* Miriam R Mitchell, single; dairyman, State of Missouri Dairy Department Ethel Mitzemberg, 23, single; teacher, Adair Co Rural Schools* Lela Mitzimberg, 19, single; teacher Lillian B Montgomery, 28, single; teacher, unemployed* Nell Montgomery, 23, single; stenographer, J.W. Hatcher Real Estate Vinnie Montgomery, 20, single; student, State Normal School Zelma Moore, 27, married; housewife Pearl M Morris, 27, single; Deputy Circuit Court Clerk, County of Adair Clara R Musson, 47, single; Methodist Deaconess, Deaconess Orphanage, Lake Bluff, IL Margaret E Musson, 73, married; homemaker |
|
| “N” | |
| Gertrude Nagel, 23, single; student
teacher, State Normal School Bessie May Naylor, 27, single; Head of Food Dept, State Normal School Maud Newton, 37, married; Clerk of Probate Court, County of Adair Frances Nichols, 21, single; stenographer, M.J. Nichols Loan & Abstract Co Lucile Nickell, 18, single; student, State Normal School Sarah Norris, 45, married; homemaker Frances Christine Novinger, Novinger, MO; 20, single; student, State Normal School Belle Nowels, 28, single; student, State Normal School Mildred Nulton, 19, single; teacher, Edina, MO High School* |
|
| “O” | |
| Minnie E Osenbaugh, 50, married;
homemaker Mrs Andrew Otterson, 46, married; homemaker Margaret Otterson, 19, single; student Dollie B Owens, 21, single; at home Frances Owings, 21, single; student, State Normal School |
|
| “P” | |
| Chloe S Patterson, 54, married;
homemaker Lena Estelle Patterson, single; teacher, State Normal School Deane Perley, 24, single; teacher, Shelbyville, MO High School* Inez Perley, 22, single; teacher, Green City, MO Schools* Esther Irene Perry, 21[27?], single; housekeeper Margaret Perry, 20, single; teacher, Tulsa, OK Schools* Elizabeth Peterson, 46, married; housewife Lena F Peterson, 17, single; student Mrs F.M. Phipps, [no address given]; married; homemaker Neilson Pierce, 28, single; bookkeeper & stenographer, J.E. Goodwin Drygoods Anna E Piersee, 21, married; homemaker Margaret Frances Pool, 27, single; bookkeeper, Auto Sales Co Mary Elma Poole, 28, single; secretary, State Normal School* Delle Post, 31, single; teacher, Mason City, IA Schools* Elsie M Post, 27, single; teacher, Kirkwood, MO Schools Frances Potter, 26, single; teacher, Shelbyville, MO Schools Della Powell, Brashear, MO; 18, single; student, State Normal School Edith I Prindle, 37, single; homemaker Isabella A.H. Prindle, 67, widow; homemaker Goldie Prosser, 19, single; student, State Normal School Ertiel Constance Putney, 33, married; homemaker |
|
| “Q” | |
| E Carmelita Quinn, 24, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* | |
|
“R” |
|
| Mary Ramsey, Springfield, MO; 22,
single; student nurse, American School of
Osteopathy Mrs G.W. Rathbun, 68, married; homemaker Sarah Elizabeth Redmon, 24, single; cashier Esther Adeline Reed, Macon, MO; 22, single; teacher, Macon Schools* Dora Lee Reynolds, 33, single; student, State Normal School Ruth Reynolds, 24, single; student, State Normal School A Frances Rice, 20, single; student, State Normal School Catherine Rice, 21, single; student, State Normal School Mattie A Richards, (Negro), 28, married Minnie Richardson, 40+, single; teacher, unemployed* Mrs Walter W Richeson, 31, married; homemaker Mildred Rieger, 20, single; student Grace C Robinson, 40, married; homemaker Mrs Hunter Robinson, 40, married; homemaker Fannie E Robison, 59, widow; seamstress, self-employed Jessie Rogers, 21, single; student, State Normal School Rosamond Root, 30, single; teacher, State Normal School Bertha E Roseberry, 29, single; teacher, Novinger, MO Rural School* Ethel M Roseberry, 29, single; teacher, Edina, MO Schools* Victoria Roseberry, 26, single; at home Lois Ross, Novinger, MO; 18, single; student, State Normal School Florence Rothschild, 21, single |
|
| “S” | |
|
Bess M Sands, 42, married; housewife |
|
|
“T” |
|
| Leanna Terry, 23, single; teacher,
Vici, OK Schools* Ermine Thompson, 18, single; student, State Normal School Ora Troutman, 36, single; music teacher, self-employed Mrs B.D. Turman, 25, married |
|
| “U-V” | |
| Gertrude Camillia Vandolah, 21,
single; student, State Normal School Lucille Marie VanPelt, 26, single; teacher, Brunswick, MO High School* Hallie Hall Violette, 37, married; housewife |
|
| “W” | |
| Elizabeth E Ward, 59, married;
homemaker Glena Watkins, 24, single; bookkeeper & office asst, Mills & Garges Clothing Co Beulah Watson, 23, married; homemaker Jennie Watson, 54, married; homemaker Mrs Glen C Weatherby, 38, married Stella H Weaver, 45, married; housewife Marguerite Wells, 19, single; student, State Normal School Nelle Wells, 28, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Phradie Wells, 24, single; teacher, State Normal School Mrs R.B. Wells, 46, married; homemaker Ruby Wells, 20, single; teacher, Ewing, MO Schools* Zelma Mae Wells, 22, single; teacher, Gibbs, MO Rural Schools* Lucille Meredith White, 21, single; milliner, Grace Smoyer Millinery Louise A Willard, 24, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Lulu Williams, 19, single; student, State Normal School Hazel Wilson, 22, single; teacher, Kirksville Schools* Lenola M Wilson, 34, married; homemaker Bessie Powell Winn, 28, married; homemaker Eva Winslow, 19, single; teacher, Mulberry School, Adair Co Ida Sarah Winslow, 51, married; homemaker Shirley G Wise, 28, married; housewife Ola Wolf, 38, married Sadia M Wood, 41, widow; homemaker Grace Irene Woods, 29, single; student, State Normal School Mae Woosley, Lawrence, KS; 27, single; student nurse, American School of Osteopathy |
|
| “X-Z” | |
| Elizabeth Zeigel, 37, married; homemaker | |
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