Woman's Relief Corps Records, 1885-1944
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Henry Lincoln Woman's Relief Corps No. 92, Department of Ohio, was organized in August 1885 with assistance from the Wellington Woman's Relief Corps. The Woman's Relief Corps was a national group auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and the local group was an auxiliary to the GAR's Henry Lincoln Post. Like the GAR, the Woman's Relief Corps was organized along military lines and used military terminology. Members of the corps provided aid to veterans, their widows, and other members of their families. Boxes of clothing, food, and reading matter were sent to the Soldiers and Sailors Home in Sandusky, Ohio. Aid went to the sick; clothing, food, fuel (loads of wood), and money to the needy; comfort to the afflicted and lonely; and burial expenses to the deceased. Flowers were sent to the ill or the grieving. In addition, the corps furnished American flags to local public buildings (including schools) and parks. Members of the relief corps themselves also were aided. One early entry indicates help had been given to send three children from the "slums" to an orphan's home at Xenia, Ohio.
To fund their relief work, the women raised money and collected goods in a variety of ways. They hosted socials, sponsored concerts, and other events. The corps also sponsored observances of patriotic occasions. The corps combined Christianity with a strong sense of patriotism - meetings began with the Lord's Prayer and ended with a salute to the American flag. Voting by members present at the meetings determined the admittance of new members and the recipients of relief aid. Dues were one of the sources of funds that supported the works of the corps. Notable presidents of the local corps include: Alice Holton (1919, 1920, 1926, 1927); Lydiah Pfaff (1925); Lillian Belinke (1943, 1944); and Lillian Rudekoff (1943, 1944). The corps followed directives set down by the National Woman's Relief Corps in regard to methods of handling finances and of keeping financial records. The last recorded local corps meeting was November 21, 1944, at which time the number of members present was eighteen.
Author: Kira Robertson Administrative Information
Central to the records are nine journals, 1887-1944, which contain minutes of meetings and annual reports. The journal covering the first two years is missing, and thus documentation explaining the precise purpose and scope of the group is lacking. Most of the other records are financial, including ledgers, 1885-1924 (3 vols.), and cashbooks, 1892-1928 (4 vols.), detailing how moneys were received and expended. Included in these files are the names of the many members and persons served. A printed, spiral-bound booklet titled "The American Guidebook," which was sold to raise funds during World War II, contains a "Roll of Honors section that lists the names of over 700 Oberlinians in military service as of November 9,1944.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I. Financial Records, 1885-1928 (7 volumes)
This series contains ledgers and cashbooks that document the fiscal activity of the Woman's Relief Corps.
Series II. Minutes of Meetings and Membership, 1887-1944 (9 volumes and 1 folder)
Documentation concerning the membership and the meetings of the Woman's Relief Corps is contained in this series. In addition, the American Guidebook and information on the National Woman's Relief Corps are included.
INVENTORY
Series I. Financial Records, 1885-1928 (7 volumes)
Box 1 (oversize)
Cash book, 1892-1899
Cash book, 1912-1918
Box 3
Cash book, 1918-1924
Box 1 (cont.)
Cash book, 1925-1928
Ledger, 1885-1890
Ledger, 1892-1899
Ledger, 1907-1924
Series II. Minutes of Meetings and Membership, 1887-1944 (9 volumes and 1 folder)
Box 3 (cont.)
Journal, 1887-1893
Box 2 (oversize)
Journal, 1893-1900
Box 3 (cont.)
Journal, 1903-1907
Box 2 (cont.)
Journal, 1907-1911
Journal, 1917-1922
Journal, 1922-1927
Journal, 1927-1931
Journal, 1936-1939
Journal, 1939-1944
Miscellaneous folder (Items were originally in the journals.)
The American Guidebook, n.d., including a "Roll of Honors" section that lists
the names of over 700 Oberlinians in military service as of
November 9, 1944
Circular Letter No. 1, issued by the Office of National Patriotic Instructor,
addressed to Corps and Department Patriotic Instructors,
November 5, 1921
General Orders No. 2, issued by the National Woman's Relief Corps,
October 27, 1944
General Orders No. 3, issued by the National Woman's Relief Corps,
November 3, 1944
Letter to Corps from a Mrs. Parsons, November 30, 1944
Newspaper Articles (2 copies): "Birthday for Relief Corps", original included
with journal entry of April 17, 1925; "Relief Corps Held Large
Celebration," original included with journal entry of February 18, 1927
"Report of Corps Treasurer", December 5, 1944
"Woman's Relief Corps", article from Harper's Encyclopedia of United States
History, Vol. X, 1905