The Women's Relief Corp - Farmer, Ohio

An auxillary unit to the G.A.R., the Women's Relief Corp ladies had a purpose - to keep alive the memory of their soldiers.  Chartered in 1883, their motto, "Fraternity, Charity, Loyalty," was sometimes engraved on the bar of their pins.
(This was also the motto of the G.A.R.)

  In this photo, the motto is represented by the three women in the center of the Maltese Cross which hung below the connecting red, white and blue.

The Maltese Cross also served as a grave marker, placed at the tombstone of the WRC members.




















Farmer had a very active Women's Relief Corp.  In the photo below, note that each woman wore the WRC pin.  They were seated on a rug (probably to keep their dresses clean), with two flags behind them.  One was the U.S. flag and the other could not be determined. The photo below was undated, but some women were identified.

This unit was attached to the Lew Bowker G.A.R. post in Farmer. Ohio.

Back Row, L to R: Mary Ann Wasnich Fickle, Mrs. John Donley, ?  , Sister to Mr. Fritz, Elizabeth Sweet, ? , ? , Alice Wilder, Mrs. Hastings

Front Row, L to R:  ?  ,  Mrs. Yeagley, Mrs. Calvin Rogers,  ?  , ?  , Mrs. Kittredge, Mrs. Rice, Mina Allen

If you recognize an ancestor and could help with identification, please comment!

Gibb's Sunshine Band

During the late 1920's and into 1930, Farmer, Ohio, had the Gibb's Sunshine Band.   It was a popular band, called on throughout the surrounding area for entertainment - the Stryker Homecoming, Memorial Day services, Marysdale Church chicken supper, Blakeslee Homecoming and Fourth of July celebrations, to name some.

The Defiance Crescent News of June 5, 1928 named the members of the band at the time, (here in alphabetical order):

Emelia Beerbower
Esther Beerbower
Carl Billow
Mona Blair

Opal Blosser
Richard Blosser
Lamarr Connelly
Lavon Connelly
Doris Goller
Audree Hatfield
Russel Hehr
Frances Heisler
Russell Heisler
Margaret Lee
Kenneth Lee
Edmund Lord
Joe Mason
Lowell Mason
Naomi Mason
Oren Mason
Stanley Mason
Hugh Ridenour
Layel Ridenour
Eloise Rinkle
Walter Schwartzbek
Claude Shettle
Lucille Stuckman
Alma Vollmer
Wilma Vollmer


The members were from the rural areas around Farmer and the Edgerton area.

On May 13, 1929, the Crescent News reported:
"Professor Gibbs and his Sunshine Band of 18 young people have new blue uniforms trimmed in gold braid.  They will play for Memorial Day and have several invitations for the summer.

Possible Gibbs Sunshine Band uniform - (Rice family)