From the MSR Legacy Archives

As part of our celebration over the next several months of 80 years of continuous publication, the MSR will be republishing notable stories from our extensive archives of more than 4,000 weekly issues of African American news in Minnesota. Many of our readers will surely recognize friends, family and neighbors from the distant and not-so-distant past — such as some of the Purple Cross Nurses below featured in the June 15, 1951 edition of the Minneapolis Spokesman.

Purple Cross Nurses of Minnehaha Temple No. 129, Daughters of Elks are shown in uniform ready to serve the weary and the ill at the annual convention of the Midwest Elks Ass’n. which convenes in St. Paul July 1. Seated, reading left to right, is Claudia Chatham, secretary; Lenora Adair, chaplain; Lucille Woodard, president; Lola Gattling, Minnesota Purple Cross director and organizer, and Queenie Thompson. Standing, left to right: Dorothy Jones, vice-president; Louva Turner, Gertrude Mitchell, Minnie Hudley, Venus Daniels, and Marie Warren, treasurer.

The group was organized in 1949. They have been taking a review course in first aid under the tutelage of Rev. A.L. KIirk.