These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
May 19, 2024
In 1941, the war in Europe was raging on, and people here were doing everything they could
think of to help raise funds and send relief supplies to people across the ocean, so many of them
being left homeless and destitute.
In March, this article was in the Roseau Times-Region:
“At Warroad, a unit has been started to receive “Bundles for Britain.” Mrs. J. H. Raynor writes of
the movement: “What is needed is good used clothing, that you can do without and blankets,
sweaters, caps, hoods and mittens. Discarded clothing in your attic may protect several
homeless men and women. The need for children’s clothing is even greater, and your children’s
outgrown clothing will be useful. There are great needs. Cots for children are needed in damp,
cold air raid shelters, and donations to help buy equipment for blasted hospital replacements.
Please come on, carry on and do your share.”
As a part of the program the Warroad Unit, of which Mrs. George Marvin and Mrs. George
Vasbinder are in charge, has set Friday, tomorrow, as “Bundles for Britain Day” at Warroad. Two
shows, “Daughters Courageous,” will be shown, starting at 1 p.m. and the admission will be a
bundle of clothing for the cause. Sandwiches, cake and coffee, for which 15 cents will be
charged, will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Old Bank Building at Warroad.”
Another article said this:
“Red Cross Sewing Needs More Help. Mrs. T. E. O’Rourke, county chairman of the Red Cross
Refugee work, has announced that material has arrived for women’s and children’s dresses and
that more women are needed for sewing the garments.
Also anyone having patterns to lend in sizes 46 to 52 for women’s dresses and sizes 2 to 10 in
girls’ dresses, please notify Mrs. R. E. Klinger, local sewing chairman.
Mrs. H. J. Bowles, knitting chairman, requests the return of all knitting needles not in use. Yarn
has been received for 112 men’s women’s and children’s sweaters and work has already been
started on this second allotment. Yarn for eighty sweaters has been given out, but more knitters
are needed.
All the time and labor in this Red Cross work by the chairman as well as by the other workers are
donated.
Pamphlets have been placed in the Public Library to explain the work of the Red Cross along this
line, and questions concerning the work will be answered there.”
Visits from Navy Recruiting Officers were advertised regularly as they tried to build up a force of
capable workers for possible deployments. One article in March 20, 1941, Roseau Times-Region
described an upcoming visit:
“A Navy recruiting party from Grand Forks will visit Roseau on Thursday, April 3, and will
interview all young men desiring to enlist in the United States Navy. The recruiting party will be at
the Lodge Hall building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the above date.
The Navy today offers young men between the ages of 17 and 31 many advantages, a few of
these being a free educational system, steady employment, good pay, re-enlistment bonus,
opportunity to learn a trade, good wholesome food, athletics, free amusements, vacations with
pay, free medical attention, and last but not least, a pension after twenty years service.
All accepted applicants will, within a few days, be furnished government transportation from
Grand Forks to Minneapolis for their final examinations and enlistments, subsequent to their
being sent to the Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois, for their six weeks military
training before being assigned to one of the various trade schools maintained by the Navy or to
one of the units of the United States Fleet.”
In that same paper, Minnesota Governor Stassen was urging registration of Defense workers.
Here’s that article:
“Under the leadership of Governor Stassen, the public employment service in Minnesota, this
week was being coordinated with a nationwide effort to register defense workers during a thirty-
day period, starting March 15. Details were announced in Washington, Friday, by Paul V. McNutt,
Federal Security Administrator.
Offices of the Division of Employment and Security, of which Victor Christgau is director, are now
receiving the registrations of unemployed workers who are available for work or training in
defense jobs, and of every person with an urgently needed skill that is not being used at his
present job.
The full time office of the Division in this area is located in Thief River Falls, at 115-123 Third St.
S., in charge of C. J. Sjolander.
The governor’s action supplements a recent letter by William S. Knudsen, director of OPM, which
urged all holders of defense contracts to use the state’s employment offices to meet their labor
needs Contractors were also urged to refrain from recruiting workers outside their localities
without first checking with the employment offices.
“Mr. Knudsen’s letter,” the governor said, “imposes on the Minnesota Division, an obligation to
obtain a complete registration of all available workers, especially those who are skilled or semi-
skilled in defense job categories. It is requested, therefore, that all such Minnesota workers
register their qualifications at the nearest office of the Division, so they may be notified when and
if they are needed.””
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(www.roseauonline.com) for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.