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Pictures: Carl Busching; Tom Hegarty
THE AMERICAN LEGION
HEGARTY-BUSCHING POST #348
The American Legion, Hegarty-Busching Post #348 received its charter on January 5, 1920. The following 15 men signed the charter: Larry Felson, Lester Paist, Ralph Wilson, Morton D. Hart, Albert Fey, Albert Haesemeyer, Lee E. Crelly, Earl R. Caldwell, Hiram Welliver, Robert M. Brown, Roland Spear, James Burgess, Hans Seivers, Gilbert Lance and Herbert Meyers.
The Post was named for Tom Hegarty and Carl F. Busching, the two men who gave their lives while serving their country in World War I. Tom Hegarty, son of S. G. and Sarah Hegarty, left for service on September 22, 1917. He died on December 1917 at Camp Deming, New Mexico, of pneumonia following influenza. He was twenty-five years old. Carl F. Busching, son of William and Sophia Busching, was inducted at Camp Dodge, with 183 other Cedar County boys, on July 27, 1918. After taking his basic training at Camp Pike, Arkansas, he went overseas in September. He took sick on the boat and died October 1, 1918 at Brest, France. He was twenty-three years old. His body was sent home the following spring for burial. Both he and Tom Hegarty are buried in the Stanwood cemetery.
World War II took the lives of Louis Lehrman, Richard Fenton, Dale Murfield, and William Tenley. Kenneth Burgess gave his life in the Korean War.
The Hegarty-Busching has served continuously since its organization. At first the meetings were held in the Woodman Hall, above Emma Grell’s home which stood north across the street from the present Stanwood Lumber Company. Other meeting places it has used are the room above Ropa’s store, the McKerron building, which stood where the post office is now located, the old printing office which stood west of Jack Hank’s business, and the building in which the library is located now. The Memorial Building has been the meeting place of the Post ever since it was completed.
During its 50 years of service to the Stanwood community the Post has carried on a variety of projects. In 1922 the . . .
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. . . members presented a “Pageant of Progress” and held a dance with two orchestras, in a bowery built for the purpose. Movies were presented during the summer of 1925, and in1926, the play, “And Home Came Ted,” was given.
In 1930 the Legion ordered a memorial gun (75mm) and placed it on the school grounds in 1934. During World War II this gun was removed and donated for scrap metal, but the cement base continued to stand as a mute memorial for many years. A bingo stand at the Horse Show was a Legion project started in 1934. In 1943 the Post erected a service board east of Ropa’s store, listing the names of all the men of this area who were in their country’s services. At this time the Post sent the Stanwood Herald to the men in service and did so again in 1950.
For many years the Legion held an annual dance. Members worked on fund drives for the Memorial Building and donated labor toward its construction. In 1949 the Post donated 13 GAR and Legion emblems for graves in the local cemetery, and since then have given additional ones. The Post has sponsored baseball teams, bowling teams, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.
One of the fine projects of the Post has been the sending of Stanwood boys to Boys’ State each year since 1949. The only available list of those who were sent is incomplete: ’49 Emerald Fisher; ’50, Donald Coppess; ’51 Tom Hegarty; ’54 Larry Easler; ’57, Neal Smith; ’58, Robert Domer; ’59, Robert Davidson; ’61, Win Toerber; ’61, Don Bails; ’62 John Koppenhaver; ’63, Robert Allamand; ’64, Pat Von Behren and Jim Koering; ’65, Paul Von Behren and Stan Seitz; ’66 Mark Meyer and Alan Crock; ’67 Douglas Crock and Terry Peterman; ’68, Roger Nodurft and Max Coppess II.
Four of the present Legionnaires are 50-year members: Roland Spear, a charter member, Bill Ropa, Bill Plate, and Glenn Tenley.
THE STANWOOD AMERICAN LEGION
AUXILIARY UNIT 348
The Stanwood American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 348 Department of Iowa was organized May 2, 1922. The mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of the Veterans of World War I met at the Woodman Hall with Mrs. McClung of Tipton, who presented the purpose of the new patriotic organization. Lester Paist, Commander of the Legion, vouched for the eligibility of those attending. All were enthusiastic and after deliberations and discussions, found themselves a part of this important group.
A temporary Charter was granted August 21, 1922, and the permanent Charter on March 26, 1923. The Charter members were as follows: Mrs. Catherine B. Westphal, Mrs. Leone H. McCafferty, Mrs. Carrie E. Ropa, Mrs. Gladys B. Hart, Mrs. Etta C. Smith, Mrs. Ethel C. Boyle, Mrs. Blance Christy, Mrs. Della F. Burgess, Mrs. Lillian Hart, Miss Hollis Wilson, Miss Pauline Meyer, Mrs. Florence Tenley, Mrs. Hazel M. Spear, Mrs. Marion Spear, Mrs. Florentine Crelly and Mrs. Cora Hart.
At the first meeting Catherine Westphal was elected president with Carrie Ropa as secretary. They served two consecutive years. The president built fires in coal burning stoves and assumed all duties expected of a janitor. Each new president faced the same situation. The meeting place was a frame building, home of the Modern Woodman of America. This structure now demolished, stood on the site of the Herman Lehrman residence. The Auxiliary rented the rooms from the Lodge. Having lost their meeting place the organization met sometimes in the members homes. Finally, they bought a small building west of Jack’s Feed Store, which they thought to be their permanent home. But, after a few years found it inadequate.
The Legion had bought the lot and building now housing the Stanwood Library. Because the lot was too small for the proposed new Memorial building they traded for the larger plot owned by the Clyde Jackson’s Implement store, just across the street. There, with the generous support of the community, the Memorial building was erected and has been the home of Auxiliary ever since. President Noreen Horr Barnes, presided at the first meeting April 7, 1952. Regular meetings of Unit are held in the evening on the third Monday of each month.
The present building has been the scene of many social events: wedding receptions, family gatherings, silver and golden anniversaries, birthday parties, and many other meetings have been held there. A notable occasion was the celebration of the one-hundredth birthday of Mrs. Anabel Wetherell (mother of Miriam Klahn) which was observed September 29, 1965.
Projects of the Auxiliary (Community Service) are many. Homemade cookies are wrapped and sent to the Soldier’s Home at Marshalltown, cookies and gifts are taken to the Cedar County Home, gifts are sent to our men in the service. The unit provides clothing and gifts for an assigned child, either son or daughter of a disabled Veteran, until graduation. The Auxiliary and Legion members and their families enjoy a potluck supper together both on Armistice Day and the observance of the Legion’s birthday, which is in March. For many years a May Breakfast has been held for the Auxiliary members. Each bringing a guest if she wishes. At this time Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Sisters are remembered with a gift. Every year four books are selected and put on the Library shelf in memory of the four local boys who gave their lives for their country in World War II.
Under the leadership of a senior member the Junior members aid in many ways. They provide music and readings for special programs, make favors for special occasions and for the V.A. hospital over at Iowa City, work as waitresses in the dining room. Some of the Junior members have been members since birth.
The present Auxiliary officers are as follows: President, Joan Licht; Vice-Pres., Alreta Crock; 2nd. Vice-Pres., Darlene Koering; Sec., Evelyn Moneypenny; Treasurer, Helma Ludeman; Historian, Barbara Von Behren; Chaplain, Meyrl Strausser; Sgt. At Arms, Marie Hanks.
PAST PRESIDENTS PARLEY
OF HEGARTY-BUSCHING UNIT 348
OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY
The past presidents’ parley of the Hegarty-Busching Unit 348 of the American Legion Auxiliary was organized September 7, 1953. Mrs. Catherine Westphal served as the . . .
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.. . first unit president. To be eligible for membership a person must have served as president of the Auxiliary.
The purpose of the organization is to assist the regular Auxiliary unit in its work. Over the past sixteen years the group has assisted each year in preparing wreaths and crosses for use in the cemetery on Memorial Day. The grave of each veteran from the Revolutionary war to the present wars is decorated with one of these pieces.
Since 1955 the Parley has helped with the membership drive of the Auxiliary. The past two years this has been handled by means of a membership breakfast. The parley has purchased the filing cabinet for the Memorial Building, added dish towels for the kitchen and a blue tablecloth for the officers’ table, presented the Auxiliary with an emblem drape and a curtain for the back room. The unit also replaced a clock for Mrs. Ellen Kroemer, this clock being a memorial to her brother, Dale Murfield who lost his life in World War II.
One of the parley projects was the tearing and sewing of carpet rags which were sent to the disabled veterans in the Clinton Domiciliary who made them into rugs. These rugs were sold and the proceeds used by the Welfare Fund of the Auxiliary. In 1968 the parley purchased a 50-year Legion Banner and presented it at the Legion’s 50th birthday party.
The two main social events of the year are the May Breakfast and the Christmas party. Current members of the parley are Catherine Westphal, Carrie Ropa, Ethel Boyle, Margaret Plate, Evelyn Moneypenny, Darlene Koering, Marie Hanks, and Ellen Kroemer.