Roy Reed Unit 252, American Legion Auxiliary in Winside will turn 100 years young on Oct. 30.
The auxiliary will celebrate on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Winside Legion Post Home from 2 to 4 p.m., with a brief program at 2:45 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by the generous donation of homemade ice cream from the Winside Sons of the American Legion and birthday cake from The American Legion, Winside.
"We hope you will mark your calendar and join us on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Winside Legion Post," Neel said.
The event is open to everyone. A courtesy gift of a centennial ink pen will be given as everyone signs in. You sign in and you take the pen home.
Going through the multitude of records of the Unit, the auxiliary has been able to provide a bit of history. The auxiliary will have subsequent articles through October 2025.
To begin, it should be noted that there must be an active American Legion Post and the Post is instrumental in asking that an Auxiliary be established. Every effort has been made to present this article as originally written.
“The Winside American Legion Post 252 was named for Roy Reed. Roy Charles Reed was born near Winside on May 3, 1895. Previous to his induction, he was a successful school teacher. Mr. Reed was inducted in the Army at Wayne Nebraska on September 1917 and was attached to Company I, 355th Infantry. He served overseas from June 4, 1918 until he was wounded. He saw action at St. Miheil and the Argonne Muse. Mr. Reed wounded in action Nov. 7, 1918 and died in a hospital in France on Dec. 31, 1918. He had obtained the rank of Corporal on Oct. 17, 1917, and the rank of Sergeant on Nov. 10, 1917."
His body was brought back and buried in the Elmwood Cemetery at Carroll with graveside services. A memorial service was held in the Winside Methodist Church sponsored by the W.S.T.C. some time later. (Note: Unable to determine what WSTC stands for.)
Mr. Roy Reed was survived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Reed, and six sisters, Mrs. Ed Damme, Mrs. Cora Brodd, Mrs. H.S. Moses, Mrs. Irving Moses, Mrs. Ben Lewis, and Mrs. Jack Sweigard.”
A brief history of the first 25 years of Roy Reed Unit 252, was signed off by Unit Historian Frances J. Wylie and Unit President Mrs. Chester B. Wylie, and states:
“The American Legion Auxiliary Unit of the Roy Reed Post No. 252 of Winside, Nebraska was organized to assist the Legion in its work of rehabilitating disabled veterans by sending comfort kits of food and clothing and otherwise helping wherever necessary. Holding their first meeting June 25, 1925, with 37 Charter members to begin this great task.
“During their first year they sponsored a show to raise funds for rehabilitation work and starting making comfort kits and filling them for Veterans in the National Military Home at Leavenworth, Kansas and the Veteran’s Hospital at Hot Springs, South Dakota. Assisted the Legion with the Memorial Day program and sold poppies for the first time. (Note: today we distribute the Memorial Poppy today, accepting donations, but we do not sell the Poppy.)
“Since then, this has become a yearly custom and has grown into a very pretty and interesting program. Our work has grown with the years as we have given Christmas baskets, food, clothing and shoes to needy families in Winside; some of them Veteran families and some not. Collected bedding and clothing for the Winnebago Tornado Victims and helped the Legion in sponsoring 2 baseball games using the money to aid Veterans in the Tornado district. Old Settlers Picnic Day we had a stand and gave the Legion a third of our proceeds for their help in getting it up and clearing away afterwards. We purchased a locker, oil stove and dishes for the Legion Hall and donated towels for the kitchen.
“One year we distributed flag codes to the school and business places in Winside. Collected bedding and clothing for those in the Mississippi flood area. Received our first Hospital assignments for Leavenworth and Hot Springs. Furnished 7 washcloths, 4 card table covers, 2 laundry bags, 5 utility bags, 7 hot water bottle covers, and 7 pillow covers. Another time we furnished 4 card tables, 4 decks of cards and 7 bedside bags.
“After the Veteran’s Hospital at Lincoln was opened we made and sent a comforter and $5 cash to help with supplies, $2 for a party for the veterans, also toys for the Gift Shop from which the men in the hospital over Christmas could select gifts for their families at home after which the visiting aides would wrap and mail them in time for Christmas. This is still one of our annual activities as are the tarlatan men (Note: doll) and handkerchiefs sent as gifts for the patients who must spend Christmas at the hospital. (Note: Tarlatan is a plain weave muslin-ish sort of fabric made of not-very twisted yarns, and in the 1930s was mostly being used for costuming and other pretty disposable sorts of things. Tarlatan is a stiff, open-weave cotton fabric that is heavily starched. Unit members made these dolls for years as Christmas gifts veterans could select for family members.)
“At the time the Republican River flooded the southern part of Nebraska, we sent money to help. Also, food and clothing to the drought-stricken area and to the Red Cross for the Ohio Valley Flood relief. Several years we sent a potted plant to our Gold Star mother, who had become an invalid. Next it was smile books and Easter gifts for disabled nurses who had served in the war. (Note: in another area of the history these books are described as joke books and were made for several years.)
“Another year we sponsored a poppy poster contest in the Winside High and Hoskins schools, giving $0.75 as first prizes and $0.50 as seconds. Helped in making a quilt which was presented to our National President. (Note: quilt making was a popular activity for the Unit once the business meeting concluded; members stayed and made quilts. This was a fundraising mean for the Unit treasury.)
“In 1940, each Unit reaching its quota of Membership sent a candle to Lincoln to be placed on the Department’s twenty-first birthday cake. Winside went over the top that year and so had a candle on the cake. Am sorry to report that ten years latter on our own silver anniversary we are short 3 members and so our ship has foundered on the shoals in sight of port in 1950. It is really a shame that of all women in the community who are, either, mothers, wives, sisters or daughters of vets, who are Legionnaires, that we could not persuade just three more to join us and so float us into the Port of Quota. I wonder if they ever stop to think that one day it may be one of their men who will be receiving the benefits of the Veteran’s Hospital at Lincoln and we will be helping to make his days less trying and the time pass more quickly till he can return home.
“In 1941, we sponsored our first Girl’s Stater with the assistance of other women’s organization in Winside Community. We gave $25 to help purchase the curtain for the Auditorium. The Little Red Schoolhouse Fund was started to create a scholarship for assisting veterans’ children in completing their education; especially those training for nurses.
“In 1944, the Winside Tribune published the change in the Flag Salute of placing the right hand over the heart instead of to the right temple as had been the custom formerly. This new custom had been recommended by Congress and sent out to the Legion to be changed more rapidly.
“Made 3 bath robes and sterilizing wrappers for the Hospital. Gave $5 and collected $34 more from other organization to go into a county fund for purchasing a small gift to those leaving for the draft center. This didn’t work out too well so Wayne Prorated the balance of the fund back to each Unit according to the original amount given. The other organizations being willing Winside used the returned money to help sponsor 2 bingo parties at the Veteran’s Hospital
“We want to call your attention again to the Poppy Day sales as it is hard to realize just what this means to the boys who make them. If they didn’t have this activity they would just lie there day after day with nothing to do but worry. Making the poppies they earn something to send home and it gives them a feeling of being useful and helping with their family’s support. And often this is just the lift that puts them over the hump and on the way to recovery and home. By our help in purchasing these poppies each year we are doing a greater good than we know.
“Other projects are collecting waste fat, Red Cross Sewing, Carpet Rags sewed and sent to Soldier’s & Sailor’s Home at Grand Island. Selling plastic bags and vanilla, contributing to Polio, Cancer, Red Cross, Christmas Seals, and other welfare work. We gave the book, ‘Who Walk Alone” to the Winside Library, bought grave markers for our deceased members. Bought and resold rugs from Grand Island. The last large project was a card party from which we cleared $70 to give in help in purchase bleachers for the auditorium. Won 2 second and 1 first prize at different times when floats were entered in Old Settler’s Picnic Parades. Serving lunches and keeping a check stand at Legion dances, banquets, benefit card parties, etc., are some of our money earning projects to help keep our treasury full and is all part of our history. We have our county meeting here every third year and attend at Carroll and Wayne other years. (Note: check stands were at the Legion dances where hats and coats were placed during the dances. Another fundraising mean of the Unit.)
“Today we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary and have six of our Charter Members with us. Five of these are eligible for 25-year pins and 3 are gold star sisters of Roy Reed for whom our Post is named. All in all, I think we have had a very busy and happy fellowship together during these 25 years. Some moving away and others coming in to replace them. In fact, one year the President and Vice President both moved away and the sergeant at arms was named to fill both offices for the remainder of the year. The worst drought year some of the members not being able to pay their dues, the members voted to pay everyone’s dues so as those who couldn’t pay would not feel embarrassed by having the Auxiliary pay for them. Then a Benefit was sponsored and the treasury was replenished with everyone working for it and happy to be busy.”
The original annual dues for Unit 252 were $1.25 per member until 1932 when the dues were $0.92and in 1939 they were $1 and there is no record of change in the first 25 years. There were 37 chartered members in 1925 and in 1950 there were 50 members. First record of the Unit purchasing the Memorial Poppy is in 1926 and is a current practice today. The Unit first poppy wreaths were created in 1927 to decorate Veterans’ graves on Memorial Day. The Unit first sponsored the Girl Scouts in 1932. The Unit and Legion planted trees on the school grounds in 1940. The first Girls State Citizen sponsored by the Unit and several community organizations was in 1941. In 1948 the Unit voted to provide a bronze grave marker for those members in good standing at time of death; meaning their annual dues were paid. In 1944 the Unit held an ice cream social during the annual Old Settlers with proceeds used to purchase cigarettes for those in military service. In 1949 the Unit became involved in the County Government program with The Legion and continues today.
It is noted that during the first 25 years the Unit was diligent in making annual monetary donations to many welfare programs including, but not limited to, the Red Cross, Polio and Cancer Centers, Veterans hospitals first at Leavenworth Kansas and Hot Springs South Dakota, then in later years at Grand Island and Lincoln tornado/flood relief programs and more.
