Historic Hood River
WRC
8-19-2020
Notes
The Women’s Relief Corps was the womens auxilliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a Civil War veterans’ organization. This meeting was at the home of Fred and Johanna Dethman. Herb Scobee provided names of those present, though the spellings are suspect: Iva Scobee, Jennie Bentley, Mrs. Comstock, Mrs. Cornelious, Mrs. Marks, Mrs. Welch, Christy Raney, Mrs. Graff, Mrs. Donnerberg, Mrs. Dethman, and Mrs. Smith. The order is unclear, though Mrs. Dethman is apparently on the extreme right (seated) and Christy Raney is in the middle (seated).
Anyone have a guess about the date?
Charlott
My guess is that this is in the very late 40's or early 50's. Mrs. Johanna Dethman is definitely the lady sitting on the far right.
The woman on the far left, standing, second from the end holding the little purse wearing glasses is Grace Belle (Mitchell) Goin. She was born in Lincoln, Iowa in 1889 and died in Hood River in 1978. She was married to Ira Goin and had three children, Theodore “Ted”, Frances Gertrude and Robert “Bob”
William. Her grandfather Rev. Jerome Mitchell had served in the
Civil War.
I do know that this organization was very involved and busy in Hood River. They did a lot of work on the state level.
The object of the “corp” was to help preserve, research, document records of the soldiers (veterans). They also helped in assisting veterans of all wars and help widows and their children when and where ever needed.
L.E.
I bet there are some good pie bakers in that group.
Judy
LOVE the hats!! 💕
cg
When we came to Hood River right after WWII and I started the second grade at Coe Primary, Mrs. Cornelius was the principal but I can't recognize her. I had missed the first grade and she made me read to her to determine my placement. Seemed a formidable character but was probably very nice.
Bill Seaton
These dresses look like the type my Grandma wore in the late 1949's. So I am doing to go along with the dates Charlott says.
Kevin
Although the GAR went extinct when its last member died in 1956, the WRC continues: https://womansreliefcorps.org
L.E.
Not that this has much to do with the photo, but I think Mrs. Donnerberg was a sister to Fred Dethman.