Legion Ladies Aux. turns 75

Ken Johnston
Editor

For 75 years the Rainy River Legion Ladies Auxiliary have been provided service to those in need both overseas and locally.
The service club was founded in 1927 by nine charter members. Heading up the ladies was Cecilia Evans, Elizabeth Conway, Lillian Nora Hughes, Agnes Baldwin, Lillian Ware, Helen Hillyard, Emily Race, Rosanne Bourre and Elizabeth Baldwin. Current Past President, Peggy Livingston, said that it kind of faltered until 1938. Then it began to run full steam ahead.
The main mission of the club was to help the armed forces overseas during World War II. They sent care packages that included candy, raisins, and plenty of knitted socks, sweaters, mittens, “and toques for the navy boys,” said Livingston.
Fund raising also took place and money was sent to central points like Winnipeg where items like cigarettes were purchased and shipped to the troops.
With the passing of the war the auxiliary shifted its efforts to helping veterans and also to assisting some of the war brides adjust to their new lives in Canada.
As the decades passed, the auxiliary has continued to raise money to help veterans and their families. “In each of the past two years we donated $5,000 to the Legion men,” said current Aux. President Verna Barsy.
Both Livingston and Barsy said that one of the biggest highlights over the years was the move into the new Legion. “We used to have to go over and bail all the water out of the basement and scrub the floor before we could serve a meal,” said Livingston.
“It was also very crowded and small over there,” said Barsy.
Catering is their main means of fundraising but they do host cards on Monday nights and a weekly meat draw.
While their numbers have fallen from about 80 after the war, their membership has remained fairly constant at about 60.
While the chartered date was April 10, 1927, plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary are in the works for this fall. They hope to have a banquet and celebrate the birthday then. However they are also planning to enter a special float in the annual Railroad Daze parade July 20th.